MLA Places Vanessa Allen Sutherland as Executive Vice President, Legal, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Phillips 66

Hanover, MD (January 18, 2022) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, today announced the placement of Vanessa Allen Sutherland as executive vice president, legal, government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary at Phillips 66 in Houston. The search was conducted by Pete Boerner, Heather Fine and Melba Hughes, all partners with MLA’s In-House Counsel Recruiting group.

Phillips 66 (NYSE: PAX), a fortune 50 company, is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. With a portfolio of Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties businesses, the company processes, transports, stores and markets fuels and products globally. Headquartered in Houston, the company has 14,100 employees committed to safety and operating excellence.

Vanessa will lead and manage the legal department, global compliance, government affairs and act as corporate secretary. She will serve as chief advisor to the CEO and board of directors on all legal and corporate governance issues, contributing to the execution of the long-term strategic objectives while building, maintaining and protecting the company’s brand through legal, compliance and government affairs work.

“After a very competitive national search, Vanessa was a natural choice to serve in this role with her extensive general counsel experience, her exceptional leadership capabilities and her stellar reputation within the legal and regulatory communities. She is a terrific addition to the Phillips 66 team and we have no doubt she will play a pivotal role in the company’s success,”  said Pete Boerner. “My partners Heather Fine, Melba Hughes and I appreciate the excellent partnership with Phillips 66 leadership on this search and we look forward to seeing the many great things Vanessa accomplishes in her new role and in the Houston community.”

Vanessa is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of corporate and government experience, holding CEO, general counsel and director roles in start-up, Fortune 300, Fortune 15 companies and the federal government. Prior to joining Phillips 66, Vanessa spent the last several years as executive vice president, government relations and chief legal officer for Norfolk Southern Corporation, one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Before Norfolk Southern, she had two federal government appointments – first as the chief counsel of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation and later as President Barack Obama’s confirmed nominee to lead the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board as chairperson and CEO. Before her public service, Vanessa held counsel roles with Altria Client Services, Phillip Morris USA and Digex, a subsidiary of MCI Telecommunications Corp. She is the recipient of multiple legal and non-legal awards, most recently recognized by the National Diversity Council on the Power 50 List and by Corporate Counsel magazine in their “Best of” Law Departments in 2020. She was a member of the board of directors of Eastman Chemical Corporation and is currently a board director of Southern Gas Company. Vanessa earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, her M.B.A. from American University Kogod School of Business and her B.A. from Drew University.