Kelly McNamara Corley is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Discover Financial Services, a leading consumer credit, payments and online banking company. Ms. McNamara Corley’s responsibilities include serving on the firm’s 11 person Executive Committee responsible for management and strategic direction of the Company and managing the Company’s legal advisory, litigation, regulatory, and government relations matters. She has deep expertise in corporate governance, public and regulatory policy, risk management, consumer financial services and global payments and is experienced in advising and leading teams responsible for business growth, global expansion, product/market diversification, acquisitions and divestitures. Over her career, she has partnered with Discover’s CEO, Executive Management and Board members to achieve the highest revenue, profit and corporate value while fully protecting shareholder interests.
Ms. McNamara Corley has been committed to the company for 34 years, blazing a distinctive career path from intern to General Counsel. For the first 16 years of her career, she worked in various leadership roles in government relations for Sears, Dean Witter, and Morgan Stanley. As global head of government relations for Dean Witter and Morgan Stanley, Ms. McNamara Corley developed and executed strategies to repeal statutory growth and activities restrictions impacting the firms. In addition she played a leadership role on a number of public policy issues impacting the financial services industry including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, CARD Act, Dodd-Frank Act, and Sarbanes-Oxley Act among others. She provides valuable insights to senior management as well as key clients on public policy developments in Washington DC.
Her ability to innovate and build consensus facilitated a smooth transition into her role as General Counsel for Morgan Stanley’s Discover business in 1999. She led Discover through its spin-off from Morgan Stanley and in 2007, assumed her current role. In 2004, she led Discover’s efforts on an antitrust lawsuit that resulted in a $2.75 Billion payment to Discover – at the time, the third largest antitrust settlement in the U.S. In addition, she played a key leadership role in Discover’s acquisition of the PULSE debit network as well as Diners Club International payments network. Ms. McNamara Corley’s innovative, risk based approach to legal advice has enabled Discover’s strong business growth while maintaining an appropriate risk profile and strong regulatory relations.
Under Ms. McNamara Corley’s leadership Discover’s legal department has been recognized for Pro Bono initiatives, Diversity and Inclusion, and Innovation.
Ms. McNamara Corley earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and her J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. She is a member of the Chicago Network, the Chicago Finance Exchange, and Women in Housing & Finance. She has also served on the boards of George Mason University (Board Secretary and Chair of Audit Committee), Rush University Medical Center, and Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep.
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.