Vanessa Allen Sutherland

Vanessa is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of corporate and government experience, holding CEO, general counsel and director roles in start-up, Fortune 300, Fortune 15 companies and the federal government. Prior to joining Phillips 66, Vanessa spent the last several years as executive vice president, government relations and chief legal officer for Norfolk Southern Corporation, one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Before Norfolk Southern, she had two federal government appointments – first as the chief counsel of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation and later as President Barack Obama's confirmed nominee to lead the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board as chairperson and CEO. Before her public service, Vanessa held counsel roles with Altria Client Services, Phillip Morris USA and Digex, a subsidiary of MCI Telecommunications Corp. She is the recipient of multiple legal and non-legal awards, most recently recognized by the National Diversity Council on the Power 50 List and by Corporate Counsel magazine in their "Best of" Law Departments in 2020. She was a member of the board of directors of Eastman Chemical Corporation and is currently a board director of Southern Gas Company. Vanessa earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, her M.B.A. from American University Kogod School of Business and her B.A. from Drew University.