Maria Varsellona became new chief legal officer at Rolls-Royce
Maria Varsellona (pictured) joined Rolls-Royce as Chief Legal Officer, stepping down from her role leading the legal department at Unilever.
The announcement was shared by Varsellona herself in a LinkedIn post, in which she bid farewell to Unilever after four years: “After four wonderful years at Unilever, I have decided to leave the role of Chief Legal Officer at the end of February. It has been a true privilege to support Unilever’s transformation and to work alongside such remarkable colleagues. I am proud of what we have built together within the Legal team. Thank you all for a truly exceptional journey. I will always carry with me a deep sense of gratitude for the time we shared.”
At Rolls-Royce, Varsellona succeeded company veteran Mark Gregory. Concurrently, following her departure, Prakash Kakkad assumed the role of Chief Legal Officer at Unilever.
A global-profile executive, Varsellona brings a distinguished track record across multinational industrial and technology companies, including ABB, Nokia, Tetra Pak, and GE O&G.
Alongside her executive roles, Varsellona currently serves on the boards of Sandoz and the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Her move to Rolls-Royce represents one of the most significant appointments of the year in the European corporate legal landscape, with a transition involving two major global groups and reshaping the leadership of their respective legal functions.
