10 General Mills legal leaders
Vice president and deputy general counsel, chief counsel and assistant general counsel are among the roles held by these ten General Mills legal leaders. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at General Mills from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Autumn Huiras
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel Employment, Employee Relations & Privacy · General Mills
Autumn Huiras has been Assistant General Counsel Employment, Employee Relations & Privacy at General Mills since February 2024. Autumn Huiras also held the roles Director Employee Relations and Sr. Counsel, Employment (2018–2024), Sr. Counsel Employment (2008–2018) and Counsel (2006–2008) at the company, and was Partner at Rider Bennett, LLP (1999–2006).
Ben Backberg
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary · General Mills
Ben Backberg has been Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary at General Mills since May 2025. According to the profile, Ben Backberg is responsible for the Corporate Governance, Corporate and Securities Law, Compensation and Benefits, and Record Management legal practices. Ben Backberg also held the roles Chief Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary (2023–2025) and Assistant General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary (2022–2023) at the company.
Brian Walsh
LinkedInExperience: Chief Counsel, Europe, Australia and North Asia · General Mills
Brian Walsh has been Chief Counsel, Europe, Australia and North Asia at General Mills since July 2025, and also Chief Counsel, Europe and Australia there since March 2022, according to the profile. Brian Walsh also held the role Legal Director Asia, Middle East and Africa (2015–2022) at the company, and was Global Procurement Director at Dyson Schweiz (2012–2013).
David B. Zucco
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - International, M&A, North America Foodservice · General Mills
David B. Zucco has been Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - International, M&A, North America Foodservice at General Mills since April 2026. David B. Zucco also held the roles Vice President, Deputy General Counsel - North America Retail, North America Foodservice, M&A (2023–2026), Chief Commercial and Sales Counsel - North America Retail (2022–2023), Chief Counsel - Europe and Australia (2018–2022) and Legal Director - Northern Europe (2013–2018) at the company.
Jana Gaffaney
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, North America Retail and North America Pet · General Mills
Jana Gaffaney has been Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, North America Retail and North America Pet at General Mills since April 2026. Jana Gaffaney also held the roles Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Pet and International (2025–2026), Chief Counsel, Pet (2023–2025), Assistant General Counsel, Pet Segment (2022–2023) and Legal Director, Northern Europe (2018–2022) at the company.
Mary Kiedrowski
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel · General Mills
Mary Kiedrowski has been Assistant General Counsel at General Mills since February 2023, with a profile headline of Strategic, Growth-Minded Business Attorney and Trusted Counsel. Mary Kiedrowski also held the roles Senior Counsel (2018–2023) and Counsel (2012–2018) at the company, and was Litigation Attorney at Robins Kaplan LLP (2005–2012).
Maura Murphy
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (Employment, Ethics & Compliance, Compensation & Benefits) · General Mills
Maura Murphy has been Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (Employment, Ethics & Compliance, Compensation & Benefits) at General Mills since March 2024. Maura Murphy also held the roles Chief Counsel, Employment & Labor, Ethics & Compliance (2021–2024), Assistant General Counsel - Employment and Labor Law (2011–2021) and Senior Counsel - Labor and Employment (2003–2011) at the company.
Mike Geise
LinkedInExperience: Chief Intellectual Property Counsel · General Mills
Mike Geise has been Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at General Mills since September 2023, a role the profile tags at C-Level in the Legal department. Mike Geise was also Associate Chief Intellectual Property Counsel (2021–2023), Assistant Chief Intellectual Property Counsel (2020–2021) and Senior Intellectual Property Counsel (2019–2020) at 3M.
Mike Newman
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Deputy General Counsel · General Mills
Mike Newman has been Vice President & Deputy General Counsel at General Mills since June 2024. According to the profile, Mike Newman leads a team of attorneys and paralegals supporting General Mills' brands across its global business segments. Mike Newman was also Senior Vice President - Assistant General Counsel at Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (2021–2025) and Vice President and Chief Counsel - Intellectual Property, Technology and Major Contracts at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (2010–2021).
Ravi Ramalingam
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel · General Mills
Ravi Ramalingam has been Assistant General Counsel at General Mills since December 2007, a role the profile tags at Director level in the Legal department. The profile headline describes Ravi Ramalingam as Assistant General Counsel - Head of Law for Global Supply Chain, Canada and Legal Ops, so the role spans supply chain, the Canadian business and legal operations.
Choose the right perspective
Pick the person whose practice area, such as a business segment, international markets, corporate governance, employment, IP or supply chain, matches the legal question you are working on. Weigh their level, since an assistant general counsel and a deputy general counsel will describe the same matter differently.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Which kinds of matters take most of your time in your current legal role?
- 02How do you decide what your team handles in-house and what goes to outside counsel?
- 03What changed in your work when you moved into a broader legal leadership role?
Reaching General Mills legal leaders
How can I contact one of these General Mills legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: General Mills, based on profile data retrieved on October 17, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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