Suzanne Folsom: Advice for Female General Counsels

Accomplished general counsel and C-Suite executive Suzanne Folsom understand the often immense challenges facing the General Counsel charged with overseeing the legal, regulatory and compliance function of a Fortune 500 company.  And she is also all too familiar with the additional obstacles that female GCs confront in these roles. 

Most recently the General Counsel, CCO and Senior VP of Government Affairs at U.S. Steel, Folsom knows how much effort is involved in the process of obtaining a strong grasp of such an enterprise’s complex business operations and related legal issues; and she also knows just how vital this process is to the provision of proper and effective high-level management of the company’s legal, regulatory and compliance operation.

To get the process moving in the right direction, Folsom recommends:

• Getting to know the enterprise inside and out. Taking the time to immerse yourself in the inner workings of the company, and really getting to know the underlying business at the granular level, will help to eliminate, or at least blunt, doubt about the capabilities and focus of the General Counsel – including the female GC. 
• Understanding the customer. Another way to gain more acceptance and peel away doubt is to devote time to meeting and getting to know the firm’s important customers; to improve understanding and build relationships with those essential to company success.
• Making your mark. The development of your own signature program, one that improves processes or that mitigates risks, can leave an indelible impression on colleagues for years to come.

Suzanne Folsom is the author of “One size does not fit all when it comes to compliance strategies,” an article appearing in InsideCounsel Magazine in 2014. 

Lessons Learned – an Interview with General Counsel Standout Suzanne Rich Folsom

Do the hard work. Be a good mentor. Know when to speak up and advocate for your viewpoint or career. Folsom-isms all. Suzanne Rich Folsom’s decades-long legal career has taken her down in the trenches and around the world, fighting the good fight, in the service of right.

Suzanne Rich Folsom shared some lessons-learned wisdom in a discussion titled “Women Leading the Law” to a room full of aspiring female GCs.

• On career, friendship and loyalty: “One female GC definitely stands out – Stasia Kelly (former Vice Chair and General Counsel at AIG), who has been a ‘mentor’ and a ‘sponsor’ for me. A mentor gives you advice; a sponsor goes the extra mile. Or more. She creates opportunities for you. And Stasia has been a great friend too!”
• On roadblocks: “The trailblazers who preceded me helped push aside a number of gender-related obstacles; then my peers and I have tackled the next-round of gender-based challenges in both the legal and corporate world. For me and many other successful women lawyers, the key to unlocking the future hasn’t been glamorous – just grueling work.  And there is still more work to be done.”
• On leadership: “The best leaders, irrespective of gender or generation, have the self-confidence to move past slights and bad behavior.”
• On competition: “A company that doesn’t value employees are destined to fall behind.”

Visit https://www.academi.com/news_room/articles to check out more articles shared by her.

Suzanne Folsom Counsels Female Attorneys on how to Achieve Success

Drive and Ambition.  You must really want to succeed and strive to get there. So advises longtime General Counsel Suzanne Folsom. You’ll often find her dispensing wisdom to audiences of up-and-coming women who seek to follow in the trailblazer’s footsteps. And two attributes – drive and ambition- rightly channeled, asserts Folsom, can help transport an individual to the top of her profession.

Folsom recently came across a letter she wrote as a very young girl. In it she expressed a desire to one day become:  1) a princess, 2) a general, or 3) president of the United States. Suzanne Rich Folsom told the audience, while she did not become either of the three, she did work for a royal family in a palace, work with a number of US military generals in more than one role, and did work directly for more than one U.S. President and White House Administration.  Underneath those early dreams, Folsom already had a sense that one’s drive and ambition should fuel a life that serves others and stands for what is right.

Reflecting on her journey she observes, “Overseas service, political and government experience, granular-level business exposure – and a healthy dose of crisis – combine to give today’s General Counsel the breadth of experience she needs to be a business partner and leader – whose subject matter expertise happens to be the law.”


Visit https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/u-s-steels-suzanne-rich-folsom-named-legal-momentum-2015-aiming-high-woman-of-excellence-honoree-300079060.html for more information about her.

Suzanne Rich Folsom: Accolades and Awards, 2015–2016

As the chief legal officer for some of the most iconic companies in America, Suzanne Rich Folsom has earned a long list of awards for her extraordinary efforts and accomplishments.

Gifts and Entertainment: How to Build an AntiCorruption Policy that Allows for Appropriate Business…
By Suzanne Rich Folsom and Victoria McKenney, ACADEMI LLC Panettone is a delicious Italian sweet bread, originally from…www.connexpartners.com

Following are 2015–2016 highlights:

· Top 100 General Counsels, National Law Journal

· Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Pioneer, National Law Journal

· Attorneys Who Matter: Top General Counsels, Ethisphere Institute (2015, 2016)

· Anastasia D. Kelly Award: Transformative Leadership Awards, InsideCounsel Magazine

US Steel General Counsel Ms Folsom named as one of the best GC's by Ethisphere Institute
United States Steel Corporation announced that Ms Suzanne Rich Folsom, general counsel, chief compliance officer, and…steelguru.com

· Aiming High Award, Legal Momentum — The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund

· GC Powerlist: U.S. Teams, Best legal departments, The Legal 500

· Best Legal Department: Corporate Compliance Finalist, International Legal Awards, International Law Office

The FCPA Report: Gifts and Entertainment: How to Build an Anti-Corruption Policy that Allows for…

Originally Published in The FCPA Report | September 19, 2012 By Suzanne Rich Folsom and Victoria McKenney, ACADEMI LLC…consero.com

· Best Legal Department (Pennsylvania): in both the General Excellence and Diversity categories, The Legal Intelligencer

· Best Legal Department Washington D.C. Finalist: Outside Counsel Management, National Law Journal

Suzanne Rich Folsom is a results-oriented business leader with broad international experience and a successful track…www.directwomen.org

Suzanne Rich Folsom Talks about the Expanding Role of General Counsel

In a discussion titled "Women Leading the Law," respected longtime General Counsel Suzanne Rich Folsom observes that in today's world of complex issues and global challenges the expanding role of the general counsel means that it is not enough to be a good lawyer; you must also be a good business person. 

"It's about being a business leader, a member of the senior leadership team and advisor to the board. And it's also about comprehensive and long-term thinking across legal, regulatory, and risk areas of the business," SuzanneRich Folsom explains.