Diageo appoints new US law chief
Kellye Walker has been named as Diageo's new US general counsel, succeeding Walfrido Martinez.
January 10, 2007 at 09:58 AM
1 minute read
Kellye Walker has been named as Diageo's new US general counsel, replacing Walfrido Martinez who left the company to become managing partner of Hunter & Williams last year.
Walker joins the international drinks giant from BJ's Wholsesale Club, a $7bn (£3.6bn) wholesale chain club. She will report to global general counsel Tim Proctor and become a member of Diageo's North America executive team.
Before joining BJ's Wholesale, Walker was a lawyer with Boston firm Hill & Barlow, which dissolved in 2002.
Walker's predecessor, Martinez, made the unusual move to return to private practice after just a year with Diageo. Thirty-nine-year-old Martinez became the youngest managing partner in Hunton & Williams' history when he took up the role last year.
Diageo has an annual turnover of around £9bn and operates in more than 200 countries. Last year the company's legal department of 70 lawyers underwent a series of changes, including the hiring of its first legal counsel in India and the boosting of its team in China.
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