Mona Shah spent 18 years at Kellanova (formerly Kellogg) during which she worked in 3 countries, rose to North America General Counsel, and helped close a $36 billion acquisition by Mars, one of the largest food and beverage deals in history. Zak Biggs sat down with Mona to talk about regulatory chaos, self-doubt, and embracing a challenge.
ZB: Has this been the career you pictured for yourself in law school?
MS: Not at all. I did my MBA during law school and thought I might end up loving in-house, but you don’t really know the different paths until you're in it. If you'd told me I'd move to Australia, switch into HR, love crisis management, and lead major transformations, all in the same company, I wouldn't have believed you.
ZB: What was that actually like to be North America General Counsel through the $36 billion acquisition by Mars?
MS: Busy! There was an enormous amount of legal work throughout the process that touched every aspect of the business but we had a great team on it. For example, the regulatory approvals required around the world were a heavy and complicated lift, and both companies submitted mountains of information and answered countless questions from regulators. And that was just one of many workstreams.
But the hardest and most rewarding part wasn't the technical legal work. It was helping our people through this period of uncertainty. Nothing was more important than that.
ZB: What's your hill to die on for how in-house teams should operate?
MS: Team first, individual second. As a team, we should all show courage, collaborate, push back when appropriate, and be accountable. It’s about working with others to land the right outcome for the organization, not about being right on your own. As a leader, you always want to lead by example, be there for the team, understand what they need, and help eliminate obstacles so they can shine.
ZB: If a young lawyer came to you today wanting the career you've had, what advice would you give?
MS: Don't underestimate yourself. You may not feel ready to take on the next challenge and Imposter Syndrome can hit at any time, but you can fight it. If I waited until I felt ready, I wouldn’t have taken half of my roles. Instead of doubting yourself, ask, “Why not me?”
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