Burger King Corporation Names Anne Chwat General Counsel
Ms. Chwat has extensive domestic and international experience working with global brands in the food and beverage and entertainment industries. She is replacing Cliff Whitehill who is retiring from the company.
"We are very fortunate to be adding a General Counsel of Anne's caliber to our Executive Leadership Team," said Greg Brenneman, Chief Executive Officer, Burger King Corporation. "Her experience as a general counsel of a multinational company and exceptional knowledge of corporate law and today's tough corporate governance issues will serve Burger King Corporation well."
Ms. Chwat was most recently Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of BMG Music, the music division of media company Bertelsmann AG. In that capacity, she was the head of BMG's Worldwide Legal and Business Affairs department and oversaw all legal aspects of BMG Music's precedent-setting merger with Sony Music, which created the second largest music company in the world.
While at BMG Music, Ms. Chwat was responsible for worldwide legal operations and policy, managing all legal aspects of the company's corporate transactions, litigation, human resources matters, international transactions, intellectual property matters and corporate secretarial functions. As Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for BMG Ms. Chwat developed, implemented and oversaw BMG Music's compliance program.
Prior to BMG Music, Ms. Chwat served as Associate Corporate Counsel for Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc. as one of a three-person group that provided legal services and counsel to the parent company and its foreign and U.S. subsidiaries on corporate transactional and compliance matters. Ms. Chwat's responsibilities included legal matters relating to joint ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, financings, and production, distribution and licensing arrangements.
Prior to Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc., Ms. Chwat held a variety of other positions including being in private practice for seven years with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton of New York City.
Ms. Chwat holds a Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from New York University.
Ms. Chwat was most recently Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of BMG Music, the music division of media company Bertelsmann AG. In that capacity, she was the head of BMG's Worldwide Legal and Business Affairs department and oversaw all legal aspects of BMG Music's precedent-setting merger with Sony Music, which created the second largest music company in the world.
While at BMG Music, Ms. Chwat was responsible for worldwide legal operations and policy, managing all legal aspects of the company's corporate transactions, litigation, human resources matters, international transactions, intellectual property matters and corporate secretarial functions. As Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for BMG Ms. Chwat developed, implemented and oversaw BMG Music's compliance program.
Prior to BMG Music, Ms. Chwat served as Associate Corporate Counsel for Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc. as one of a three-person group that provided legal services and counsel to the parent company and its foreign and U.S. subsidiaries on corporate transactional and compliance matters. Ms. Chwat's responsibilities included legal matters relating to joint ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, financings, and production, distribution and licensing arrangements.
Prior to Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc., Ms. Chwat held a variety of other positions including being in private practice for seven years with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton of New York City.
Ms. Chwat holds a Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from New York University.
