Unilever, the global consumer goods company, has made three senior appointments to the legal teams of its soon-to-be separated ice cream business.
In a move announced in 2024, Unilever will spin off its ice cream business into a standalone company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which has a public listing planned forQ4 2025.
Under the restructuring Vanessa Vilar has been appointed chief legal officer for The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Before the promotion she served as group general counsel, ice cream at Unilever.
Meanwhile, Natalia Cavaliere has been named as general counsel, Americas at The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Before this, her title was general counsel, Americas, ice cream at Unilever.
At the same time, Palmina Fava has been made chief integrity officer and global head of litigation at The Magnum Ice Cream Company and general counsel at Ben & Jerry’s. Prior to joining Unilever, Fava was a partner at DLA Piper.
Earlier this week Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to separate into two separate companies – Warner Bros. and Discovery Global – in mid-2026.
In line with this, the media company confirmed the appointments of its senior management team for the two new entities: Priya Aiyar was named as chief legal officer for Warner Bros. company and Sue Underwald as chief legal officer of Discovery Global.
Aiyar currently serves as chief legal officer for Warner Bros. Discovery, while Underwald currently holds the position of EVP of legal for streaming, games, technology, privacy and business operations at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Elsewhere, Standard Chartered has appointed Jason Forrester as its new group chief risk officer.
He succeeds Sadia Ricke who will step down from the role at the end of this year following a period of transition. Ricke will remain on the Standard Chartered Bank US Risk Committee as a non-executive director.
Forrester has been with the company for five years and currently serves as co-head, chief risk officer, corporate and investment banking.
Reporting to group chief executive Bill Winters, Ricke will also become a member of the group’s management team.
Diaceutics,a London-listed provider technology and solutions provider the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, has namedLauren DeWittas its new executive vice president, legal, general counsel and group company secretary.
Based in the US, DeWitt previously served as vice president and head of general legal at Sandoz and global head of legal BD&L for Novartis Group.
‘Lauren brings deep expertise across litigation, regulatory, and transactional legal functions, along with a strategic mindset that aligns perfectly with our growth ambitions,’ said Ryan Keeling, CEO of Diaceutics.
Over in Europe, Deutsche Bank confirmed that Simone Kämpfer will join Deutsche Bank as general counsel, effective September 15.
Kämpferwill also become a member of the company’s group management committee and succeeds Friederike Rotschwho had left the company to pursue other opportunities.
She is currently a senior partner at Freshfields, where she leads the firm’s White-Collar Defence practice in Continental Europe, and will be based in Frankfurt and report directly to Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank.
Finally, French care biopharmaceutical company Ipsen has named Caroline Sitbon as its new EVP, general counsel, succeeding François Garnier who will be retiring.
In her new role, Sitbon will lead the company’s legal and business ethics and will also serve as the board of directors’ general secretary.
As of September 1, Sitbon will report to Ipsen’s chief executive officer David Loew. Shejoined the company from GSK in 2024 as senior vice president, legal affairs.