Elisa Garcia: From Energy Analyst to Fortune 500 Chief Legal Officer | Ep 08

Elisa Garcia's career has taken her from international energy policy to the highest levels of corporate legal leadership.Over more than three decades, Elisa served as the first General Counsel of Domino's Pizza, helped prepare the company for its IPO, and later held senior legal leadership roles at Office Depot and Macy's. Her career has included M&A, SEC investigations, shareholder activism, corporate governance, regulatory matters, and advising executives and boards through periods of significant change.In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Elisa to discuss what it means to move beyond being the lawyer in the room and become a true business partner.They discuss:• Becoming Domino's first General Counsel• Learning how the business actually makes money• Preparing Domino's for its IPO• Why legal teams shouldn't become the "department of no"• The evolution from General Counsel to Chief Legal Officer• Advising CEOs, boards, and shareholders• Navigating SEC investigations, M&A, and activist investors• Measuring and communicating the value of a legal department• Why listening remains one of the most important leadership skills• Building relationships across the C-suite• The role of luck, risk tolerance, and support systems in building a career• How AI could reshape corporate legal departmentsThroughout the conversation, Elisa shares lessons from decades spent helping major organizations navigate complex decisions while keeping the legal function connected to the business.Her philosophy is simple: understand what the business is trying to accomplish, understand how it makes money, and help find a responsible path forward.