Head of Global Legal Entity Governance, Managing Director

Head Of Global Legal Entity Governance

We are seeking an expert in legal entity management and subsidiary governance to lead our Global Legal Entity Governance team. The position sits at the intersection of law and regulation, governance, compliance, finance, strategy, technology, risk management, and process optimization.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience building, leading, and evolving a global entity governance function and will have operated within a large, highly regulated institution. This individual will lead multiple direct and indirect team members, partner in the creation, maintenance, dissolution and regulatory compliance activities of various types of legal entities around the globe, and design and implement entity governance frameworks and protocols.

The position requires a leader who can translate structural complexity into clear operating principles, drive simplification, and deliver sustainable improvements in processes and procedures. You will report to the Senior Vice President & Chief Governance Officer.

The team you will lead sits within the Office of the Corporate Secretary in State Street's Legal organization and plays a critical role in enabling the firm to operate as a global, systemically important financial institution. Effective oversight of the firm's legal entities is foundational to supporting State Street's strategic priorities, regulatory compliance, and recovery and resolution planning. The position is central to translating structural complexity into clear, scalable governance, driving transparency, strengthening controls, and enabling the firm to respond effectively to regulatory expectations, business change, and growth opportunities.

As Head of Global Legal Entity Governance, you will build, lead, and evolve the firm's entity governance capabilities and:

• Define and execute the Global Legal Entity Governance strategy.
• Align legal entity structures and governance frameworks with State Street's objectives.
• Advise, as appropriate, on optimal legal entity structures and maintenance requirements.
• Establish and evolve legal entity governance frameworks, policies, and standards.
• Drive consistency and simplification in legal entity management and governance across the enterprise.
• Support compliance with jurisdiction-specific regulatory, administrative, and governance requirements.
• Identify, assess, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to mitigate legal entity risks, including operational, regulatory, governance, and reputational risks.
• Assess legal entity implications for State Street's recovery and resolution planning, including divestiture readiness.
• Design and implement scalable operating models that support full entity lifecycle management (e.g., formation, maintenance, and dissolution).
• Oversee legal entity data management and governance, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with internal and external reporting requirements.
• Drive adoption of technology-enabled solutions, including entity management systems, process and workflow tools, and AI use cases.
• Establish clear accountability models across entities and functions.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on control, execution, and continuous improvement.
• Manage a team of legal entity professionals directly and, indirectly, a network of entity secretaries that support State Street's legal entities.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Legal, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and the business units.
• Provide executive-quality reporting on legal entity matters.
• Interface, as needed, with regulators, auditors, and other stakeholders.

These skills will help you succeed in this role:

• Subject-matter expertise: a deep understanding of global legal entity management, regulatory expectations, governance frameworks, and structural risk management;
• Strategic leadership and execution: an ability to define a clear vision and strategy and translate that strategy into a scalable, disciplined operating model;
• Transformation mindset: a bias toward simplification, efficiency, and continuous improvement, including the use of technology and data to modernize processes;
• Analytical rigor and problem solving: an ability to assess complex issues, apply sound judgment, and drive effective risk-informed decisions;
• Executive presence and communication: an ability to inspire confidence in others, build credibility, and communicate with clarity and precision;
• Leadership and influence: demonstrated success building, leading, and developing high-performing teams, while also influencing outcomes across a matrixed organization without direct authority; and
• Judgment in the face of complexity and ambiguity: an ability to operate effectively in a complex global organization, make decisions with incomplete information, and balance competing priorities and perspectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (e.g., JD, MBA, or equivalent) is a plus.
• 15+ years directly relevant experience in legal entity management/subsidiary…