ALUMNI
‘All Things Were Possible’
One Alumna’s Journey to the C-Suite Vanessa Allen Sutherland ’96 has spent her career breaking barriers and leading with purpose — from the White House to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies. But before her rise to the C-suite, it was her experience at AUWCL that sparked her journey, helping her discover both her legal voice and her professional vision. In 1996, Sutherland earned a Juris Doctor degree from AUWCL and, the following year, her Master of Business Administration in information technology from American University.
While at AUWCL, Sutherland served as editor of the Journal of Gender and the Law, staff writer at The American Jurist, and on the editorial board for The Human Rights Brief.
She said Professor Egon Guttman was critical to her decision to pursue the JD/MBA program, and she also credits other supportive AUWCL professors for their help.
“Serendipity was part of my path, but taking courses in community economic development with Professor Perry Wallace and being mentored by Sherry Weaver set the stage for a corporate legal career,” Sutherland said.
Now, with more than 25 years of legal experience and extensive knowledge of the public sector and corporate law, Sutherland is recognized as a legal leader in risk management.
Since 2022, she has served as executive vice president for government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary for Phillips 66. She previously was chief legal officer at Norfolk Southern and senior counsel at both a start-up and a Fortune 15 company.
In 2011, the White House appointed Sutherland as chief counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. From 2015 to 2018, Sutherland was the chairperson and CEO of the U.S.
38 Vanessa Allen Sutherland ’96
Chemical Safety Board, appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In May, Sutherland received a 2025 Legends in Law Award at the Burton Awards.
Sutherland’s experiences at AUWCL gave her the unique abilities to succeed in her career. “Learning to be nimble and to digest large amounts of information is only part of my journey,” she said. “Remaining curious and open to working with every type of student or professor is great preparation for the novel issues and work environments that you must navigate in a long career.”
She added, “I am grateful for the school administration’s involvement in our matriculation — it made me think that all things were possible with a WCL degree.” —Nicole Ward Beckley
THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2025
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