Laura Schumacher is the Vice Chairman, External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer of AbbVie, a FORTUNE 100 global biopharmaceutical company, where she is a member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for global legal, ethics and compliance, health economics outcomes research, corporate brand and communications and government affairs. Prior to AbbVie’s separation from Abbott, she served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel at Abbott. Ms. Schumacher has led business development and ventures & early stage collaborations at both Abbott and AbbVie, and she brings an important understanding of and insight into complex corporate transactions. Ms. Schumacher also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of General Dynamics, where she chairs the Compensation Committee, and brings a deep understanding of the challenges associated with complex, highly regulated industry and corporate governance. Her nonprofit service includes the Board of Trustees for the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Notre Dame Law School Advisory Board. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, U.S.A.