The Estee Lauder Companies has appointed a new executive vice president and general counsel — Deirdre Stanley.

Stanley will join the company’s Executive Leadership Team, taking the reigns on October 28th. She will jointly report to William P. Lauder, executive chairman and Fabrizio Freda, president and chief executive officer.

Stanley succeeds Sara E. Moss, who was recently promoted to the newly-created role of Vice Chairman.

Stanley will be responsible for The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) Legal organization globally, and act as a strategic advisor to ELC’s Board of Directors. She will lead the company’s legal strategy, practices, and policies — advising on a wide range of legal matters including corporate strategies, reporting, compliance, risk mitigation, governance, and business transactions. She will also lead the company’s legal review of potential acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.

William P. Lauder comments, “Deirdre is a highly talented, proven General Counsel and seasoned executive whose global business acumen and legal expertise are matched only by her leadership capabilities and sound judgment. Deirdre’s exemplary track record of leading large organizations and acting as a key strategic partner to multiple CEOs and Boards at a family- controlled, publicly traded company makes her uniquely suited to take on this role.”

Fabrizio Freda adds, “Deirdre’s extensive expertise, sound judgment in both business as well as legal matters, and strong understanding of the unique environment in which ELC operates make her ideally suited for this role. Working closely with our Board of Directors, William and me, Deirdre will be a critical partner in driving ELC’s strategy for long-term sustainable growth.”

More About Deirdre Stanley

Prior to joining ELC, Stanley served as General Counsel for The Thomson Reuters Corporation and its predecessor company for 17 years.

Stanley held roles of increasing responsibility, including serving as a member of the company’s executive and operating committees, as Secretary to the company’s Board of Directors, and as a company-appointed director of Refinitiv, a financial markets data joint venture.

As the company’s chief legal officer, Stanley was responsible for worldwide legal affairs and operations with lawyers in more than 10 countries, including in North America

From 1999 to 2002, Stanley held roles of increasing responsibility at InterActiveCorp/USA Networks, Inc., now IAC.