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Leading with Passion and Purpose

Our executive team sets the tone for the way we do business, serving through relentless innovation and people-centered leadership.

Karen Wilson-Thissen

General Counsel and Secretary

Karen Wilson Thissen joined General Mills in June 2022 as General Counsel and Secretary, overseeing the Company’s Legal Department, Government and External Affairs, and Global Security.

Prior to joining General Mills, Karen spent 17 years at Ameriprise Financial, Inc., overseeing a variety of legal, compliance, and government affairs functions and serving as Executive Vice President and General Counsel from 2017 to May 2022. Before joining Ameriprise, she was a partner at the law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.

Karen earned her bachelor’s in finance from Georgetown University and her J.D. from the University of Chicago.

Karen and her husband Paul live in Minneapolis and have three children. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cohen & Steers and on the Board of Advisors for the Georgetown University School of Business.

Education

  • Georgetown University, Bachelor's degree
  • University of Chicago, Juris Doctor

Boards

  • Cohen & Steers
  • Georgetown University School of Business

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