This past November, Rosalind Wiggins became the deputy general counsel and associate secretary for Equifax Incorporated, an S&P 500 company that is the leading source of consumer credit and marketing information. Her new responsibilities range from overseeing the company’s compliance with securities laws and corporate governance, to working closely with the Treasury and Internal Audit groups. She finds that her greatest challenge is remembering to work to live, and not vice versa. “Being in-house counsel is a demanding job and sometimes incredibly so,” relates Wiggins. “You have to invest a lot to become good at your profession and do a great job.”
Prior to joining Equifax, Wiggins was the assistant general counsel and assistant secretary at Pitney Bowes. She practiced for 11 years in the corporate governance and securities areas, gaining invaluable experience that has served her well. Wiggins’ earlier training includes a B.A. from Yale College (cum laude) and a J.D. from Stanford Law.
Wiggins reminds women attorneys to “be ready to recalibrate. You need to be prepared to seize new opportunities and try novel approaches. Seek feedback and make adjustments,” she advises. “To succeed as in-house counsel, you need to be flexible because business is not static or predictable.”
Return to In-House Women-of-Color Leaders List
From the March/April 2003 issue of Diversity & The Bar®