Running Into The Fire: Brandon Neal Of Walgreens Boots Alliance On How To Make A Career Pivot In The Legal Department (E5)

Brandon Neal, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Walgreens Boots Alliance, shares his experience moving between industries, ultimately into an executive role in one of the largest global companies.  After working on Wall Street, Brandon transitioned into an in-house position at Wells Fargo where he led a team of 100 lawyers to develop “living wills” for the bank following the financial crisis.  He pivoted again to a health system and eventually landed an executive role in the legal department of Walgreens Boots Alliance right before the COVID-19 pandemic.  Brandon provides practical advice for how to succeed when making a transition, learning to “live with your decisions” in-house and why in-house counsel’s role is to “run into the fire.” Brandon credits his volunteer work on the board of a non-profit museum with expanding development of his leadership skills.  He also used this role to build relationships and broaden his technical governance experience.  If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate a career transition, this is the episode for you!