Daimler Truck promotes associate GC to CLO role

German lorry-making giant Daimler Truck has promoted Florian Hofer to chief legal and compliance officer, replacing Thomas Laubert who is leaving to join German pharmaceutical heavyweight Bayer.

Hofer became Daimler Truck’s associate general counsel in 2021 when it was spun out of parent company Daimler, where he had worked for eight years, almost four of them as associate GC. He will be responsible for all of the company’s legal, compliance and audit functions, as well as taking on the role of human rights officer. Hofer will start his new position at the beginning of July.

Martin Daum, Daimler’s chairman, said: “With Florian Hofer, we gain a proven legal and compliance expert, who has a deep knowledge of our global legal organisation. Florian has shown great leadership skills in various senior positions and projects, for example the first two annual general meetings of Daimler Truck Holding.”

Prior to joining Daimler in 2013 as senior legal counsel for M&A, Hofer worked in private practice at CMS Hasche Sigle.

Laubert, meantime, departs after close to two decades at Daimler. He spent five years as group GC for the car-maker before becoming CLO at Daimler Truck when it became a standalone company in 2021. Laubert also had stints as legal coordinator for its Mercedes Benz USA division and as senior counsel for criminal law (his first role at the company back in 2004). Prior his time at Daimler, Laubert was counsel at Deloitte in Munich.

Daum said: “Thomas Laubert has significantly contributed to the successful spin-off of Daimler Truck and has effectively built up and shaped our legal and compliance organisation with a strong and future-proof corporate governance. With his profound expertise and distinct ability to classify and manage legal issues, he will be missed as a trusted and valued advisor.”

In April, Daimler Truck North America promoted GC Nichole Tennyson to a newly created CLO role.

Ex-Latham partner joins Teleperformance as legal chief retires

Paris-headquartered digital business services company Teleperformance has named Teri O’Brien as its new chief legal and compliance officer, replacing current CLO Leigh Ryan who is retiring at the start of next month.

O’Brien joins from Latham & Watkins, where she has spent just over a year as a partner in the firm’s San Diego office. She joined Teleperformance in mid-May and has been working alongside Ryan to ensure a smooth transition. O’Brien will be responsible for all of the group’s legal, compliance and privacy departments and will sit on its executive leadership committee.

Daniel Julien, chairman and CEO of Teleperformance Group, said: “[O’Brien] has worked closely with our executive leadership as external counsel, representing Teleperformance in numerous acquisitions. She is the natural choice to build on Leigh’s successes as we continue our transformation to a digital business service company.”

Prior to joining Latham, O’Brien spent more than 18 years at Paul Hastings where she was a partner and chair of its San Diego practice. She also previously worked at Cooley, having also been an accountant at Deloitte & Touche before completing her law degree.

Ryan retires after more than seven years as Teleperformance’s legal head, having previously spent 35 years at Paul Hastings, 25 of them serving as external counsel to Teleperformance, the company said.

Julien added: “From the early days when she first served as our external US counsel, Leigh has played a key role in working with me and the leadership team to shape the growth of Teleperformance. I have relied on her as a trusted strategic counsellor and invaluable colleague.”

BlueLinx lands former Kimberly-Clark lawyer

US-listed building materials supplier BlueLinx has appointed Tricia Kinney as its new general counsel.

Kinney will join at the end of July from US home services group ServiceMaster Brands, where she is chief legal and compliance officer. She brings with her more than 20 years of corporate law and litigation experience, as well as strategic and risk and compliance expertise. As GC and corporate secretary, Kinney will report directly to BlueLinx president and CEO Shyam Reddy.

Reddy said: “Tricia is a strong addition to our management team… She brings a highly strategic perspective to complex legal, business and financial initiatives, and has ample management experience in advancing legal and business imperatives across organisations. Her track record of success in new and developed markets will be invaluable to BlueLinx.”

Prior to her time at ServiceMaster, Kinney spent more than 12 years at global personal care business Kimberly-Clark, most recently as vice president and deputy GC for Kimberly-Clark Professional and its global supply chain. She previously spent 10 years in private practice as a litigation partner at legacy firm Powell Goldstein.

She said: “I look forward to working closely with Shyam and the leadership team to cement a strong legal and operational foundation that advances BlueLinx’s position as the leading wholesale building products distributor across North America.”

Reddy became president and CEO in March having previously been chief legal and sustainability officer, and GC before that. He was also previously GC at OmniMax International and started his career in private practice at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.

Nacha hires senior Wells Fargo counsel

US payments organisation Nacha has hired Jennifer Stokley as its new general counsel, replacing Jeanette Hait Blanco who is retiring.

Stokley joins from US bank Wells Fargo where she was a senior counsel, providing legal support for consumer and small business payments. At Nacha, Stokley will provide legal guidance around the development, maintenance and enforcement of Nacha’s operating rules. Nacha governs the ACH (Automated Clearing House) Network, a US payments system. Stokely will also join the executive management team.

Jane Larimer, president and CEO of Nacha, said: “Jennifer is an accomplished payments attorney with extensive industry experience, and she earned her APRP (accredited payments risk professional) accreditation, making her the ideal person to lead the legal oversight of the ACH Network and the Nacha organisation.”

Before her time at Wells Fargo, Stokely spent almost a decade at Bank of America, where she was associate GC in its consumer marketing division. She previously worked in private practice at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice before its merger with Bond Dickinson, as well as Katten Muchin Rosenman and Sparks Wilson Borges Brandt & Johnson.

Hait Blanco has been with Nacha for almost six years, becoming GC in 2020. She joined from Paypal, where she was senior product and regulatory counsel. She previously worked at Bank of America for 24 years, having started her career in private practice at Griffin Cochrane & Marshall.

MSA Safety promotes long-time counsel to CLO role

US safety products-maker MSA Safety has named Richard Roda as its new chief legal officer, replacing Stephanie Sciullo who has taken on a new role as president of the company’s Americas business.

Roda has been with MSA for almost three decades, most recently as deputy general counsel and chief compliance officer. As head of the company’s global legal department, he will report directly to CEO and chairman Nish Vartanian. Roda will also take the title of vice president and secretary and serve on its executive leadership team.

Vartanian said: “For several years, Rick has served as an integral leader across MSA and has helped guide our organisation through many periods of change. He has also overseen the legal work related to every MSA acquisition over the past two decades, and he guided efforts that resulted in the modernised legal structure that MSA has in place today.”

Roda joined MSA out of college in 1995, first as a customer service representative and then working in a variety of sales and product support roles before going to law school and becoming a full-time commercial and transactional lawyer for the company.

MSA makes safety products such as fire helmets, breathing apparatus and gas detection devices.

T5 Data Centers appoints former PGA Tour lawyer

US data centre provider T5 Data Centers has hired experienced in-house lawyer Karen Stein as its new general counsel to help support its growth plans and strategic initiatives.

Stein joins from date centre services peer CPG, where she spent just under two years as GC and corporate secretary. At T5, Stein will oversee all legal matters and be responsible for the company’s compliance, risk management, insurance and procurement functions, providing strategic advice where needed.

Pete Marin, T5 president and CEO, said: “With her extensive experience in the telecommunications industry and her deep understanding of the legal landscape, Karen has the expertise, foresight and integrity needed to guide our organisation forward.”

Prior to joining CPG, Stein spent more than three years as vice president for legal at Iron Mountain and more than a decade as GC at data centre business IO. She also spent just shy of a decade as assistant GC at PGA Tour, having started her career in private practice at legacy firm Troutman Sanders in 1994.