Nasdaq-listed contract research group Fortrea has named Agnieszka Gallagher as its new general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary.
Gallagher succeeds Stillman Hanson, who is leaving the company after a planned transition period.
Before joining Fortrea, Gallagher served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Standard Biotools. Prior to this, she was general counsel, chief compliance officer and company secretary at OraSure Technologies, as well as chief compliance and ethics officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
Over her 25-year career she also held roles at ViiV Healthcare, GSK Biologics, Sandoz International, Medtronic and Pfizer.
Elsewhere, Bank of Nova Scotia has appointed Shannon McGinnisas its new chief risk officer.
McGinnis joined the company in 2024 as EVP and deputy chief risk officer. Before this, she served as EVP, non-financial risk management at TD Bank.
‘Shannon is a respected and trusted leader in the industry. Since joining the Bank, she has led several enhancements within our retail and commercial credit teams and enabled the global risk management function’s transformation, focused on uplifting talent and processes, evolving to keep in step with a changing regulatory environment, and enabling the Bank’s strategic goals,’ says Scott Thomson, president and CEO of Scotiabank.
In Akron, Ohio, NYSE-listed manufacturing company Myers Industries has confirmed the appointment of Kari Brashear as chief legal officer, corporate secretary and SVP of business development as of December 1.
Brashear enters the role with over two decades of leadership experience having recently worked for agribusiness and supply-chain companyScoular as SVP, chief legal officer and corporate secretary.
Before Scoular, she spent more than a decade with Valmont Industries, most recently as vice president and general manager for North America – global agriculture.
‘Kari is a strategic, forward-thinking executive who combines deep legal expertise with direct commercial operating leadership,’ says Aaron Schapper, Myers’ president and CEO. ‘Her ability to connect strategy, execution and governance, combined with her commercial leadership, makes her an outstanding addition to our leadership team and instrumental in advancing Myers’ continued growth and evolution.’
Meanwhile, soon-to-be listed tZERO Group, a blockchain-powered financial technology company, has announced the appointment of Vanessa Savino as EVP, chief legal officer and board secretary.
Savino Savino returns to tZERO after six years with the company and will lead the business’ legal, compliance and policy functions globally.
During her prior tenure as deputy general counsel and chief legal and compliance staff she played a key role in shaping tZERO’s regulatory framework, overseeing complex transactions and building the company’s governance and compliance infrastructure.
‘I am honored to return as tZERO’s chief legal officer at such a pivotal moment in both the company’s trajectory and the broader evolution of regulated digital asset infrastructure,’ saysSavino.
Elsewhere, NSYE-listed Xponential Fitness has appointed Gavin O’Connor as its chief legal counsel and administrative officer.
O’Connor succeeds Andrew Hagopian, the company’s previous chief legal officer, who left the company November 10.
Prior to his tenure at Xponential Fitness O’Connor worked for the likes of European Wax Center,American Eagle Outfitters and GNC Holdings.
‘I am pleased to welcome Gavin to the Xponential Fitness team. With extensive experience in franchising and a strong background advising publicly traded companies, Gavin brings deep legal, regulatory and overall business leadership expertise that will support our on-going growth and governance framework,’ says Mike Nuzzo, CEO of Xponential Fitness.