Alias Expert Interviews

Michael Reilly has spent more than 35 years navigating corporate law, compliance, global transactions, and executive leadership.

After beginning his legal career as a judicial clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Michael practiced at Sidley Austin before transitioning into corporate legal roles at Zeneca and Syngenta. He later spent more than two decades at FMC Corporation, ultimately serving as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary. Today, he serves on the Board of Directors at Wilbur-Ellis.

In Episode 15 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Michael Reilly to discuss the evolution from corporate counsel to executive and board leadership, the complexities of global M&A transactions, and why legal judgment and business understanding are essential to navigating high-stakes decisions.

They discuss:

• Michael's path from law school and litigation to corporate legal leadership
• Transitioning from outside counsel to an in-house legal career
• Why understanding the business is essential for effective legal advice
• How general counsel can become strategic partners to executive leadership
• Managing legal risk before problems develop into litigation or compliance issues
• Navigating geopolitical uncertainty, international sanctions, and global trade regulations
• How FMC approached the decision to exit Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
• Managing reputational risk and public scrutiny in highly regulated industries
• The growing importance of legal cost controls and outside counsel relationships
• How private equity investment could influence the legal profession
• The opportunities and limitations of AI in legal work
• Why human judgment and strong writing skills remain essential
• Building trust with CEOs, boards, and executive leadership teams
• FMC's transformative acquisition of DuPont's agricultural assets and the complexity of coordinating more than 40 antitrust approvals worldwide
• Why companies underestimate risks when pursuing M&A transactions or entering unfamiliar markets
• Career lessons on curiosity, adaptability, and understanding the business behind the legal issues

Throughout the conversation, Michael shares firsthand lessons from navigating complex international transactions, managing corporate risk, and advising executive teams through consequential business decisions.

He also reflects on the importance of identifying blind spots before entering new markets or completing acquisitions, and why even extensive due diligence may not capture every challenge that emerges when a company moves beyond its familiar operations.

For Michael, effective legal leadership isn't simply about understanding the law. It's about understanding the business, anticipating what could go wrong, and helping organizations make informed decisions with confidence.

Alias Expert Interviews features conversations with experienced leaders navigating high-stakes decisions across law, security, investigations, intelligence, risk, and business.

Learn more about Alias Intelligence at https://www.aliasintelligence.com

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Matt Kalinowski has spent more than two decades navigating complex litigation, regulatory challenges, and legal leadership within the financial services industry.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by Matt Kalinowski are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Computershare.

After beginning his legal career at Morgan Lewis, Matt transitioned in-house at Deutsche Bank, where he worked through a period of significant mortgage-backed securities litigation. He later joined MUFG before becoming Global Head of Litigation at Computershare, a financial services company with more than 11,000 employees worldwide.

In Episode 14 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Matt to discuss the evolution from law firm associate to corporate legal executive, the changing role of in-house litigation teams, and why sound judgment and business context are essential to effective legal leadership.

They discuss:

• Matt's path from a technology startup to law school and litigation
• Transitioning from Big Law to in-house counsel
• Managing complex litigation and regulatory matters in financial services
• Why in-house litigation teams do far more than manage outside counsel
• How smaller legal disputes can reveal larger operational and compliance risks
• The role of internal investigations and the challenge of making decisions with incomplete information
• How AI is changing legal productivity, outside counsel relationships, and the billable-hour model
• Why trust and relationships remain difficult to measure but essential to legal leadership
• Balancing litigation strategy with business priorities
• The importance of institutional knowledge and understanding how a company operates
• Why good legal judgment matters more than hours worked
• Developing the next generation of lawyers as technology changes the profession
• Career lessons on mentorship, adaptability, and maintaining perspective

Throughout the conversation, Matt explains how effective litigation leadership extends well beyond responding to lawsuits. It requires anticipating risk, understanding the business, working across departments, and helping executives make informed decisions when the answers aren't always clear.

It's a conversation about judgment, trust, risk, and the evolving role of legal leadership in an increasingly complex financial and technological environment.

Teri Cotton Santos has spent more than 30 years navigating law, ethics, compliance, and corporate leadership.

After beginning her career at a litigation firm, Teri became a criminal prosecutor, handling cases ranging from misdemeanors to homicide and sex crimes. She later transitioned in-house at Eli Lilly, where her work across the pharmaceutical product lifecycle introduced her to the role of business counselor and eventually led her into ethics and compliance leadership. riverside-copy-of-edit-teri-mic…

Over the course of her career, Teri has held compliance leadership roles with global organizations including Eli Lilly, The Warranty Group, Phillips 66, and HF Sinclair. riverside-copy-of-edit-teri-mic…

In Episode 13 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Teri about what effective compliance leadership looks like and why the function is most valuable when it helps the business navigate risk before problems occur.

They discuss:

• Teri’s path from litigation and prosecution to corporate compliance
• Why ethics and compliance go hand in hand
• Moving beyond the perception of compliance as the “corporate police”
• Why compliance leaders need to understand how the business operates
• Navigating regulation, enforcement, and geopolitical uncertainty
• Building trust in whistleblower and employee reporting programs
• Why confidentiality and protection from retaliation matter
• The role of soft skills in compliance leadership
• Using AI and technology without removing human judgment
• Why in-person compliance training remains valuable
• Working with executive teams and boards
• Benchmarking compliance programs and measuring ethical culture
• Why compliance should be involved early in business decisions
• How culture can reveal risks that traditional metrics miss
• Lessons from Teri’s international leadership experience in Hong Kong
• Finding opportunity in change and taking a longer view of career growth

Throughout the conversation, Teri makes the case for compliance as more than a control function. The strongest compliance leaders understand the regulations, understand the business, and help organizations navigate the gray areas with clarity and confidence. riverside-copy-of-edit-teri-mic…

It’s a conversation about judgment, trust, culture, risk, and what it takes to become a strategic advisor to the business.

Dan Montenaro has spent more than 25 years moving from legal practice into increasingly broad corporate leadership roles.

After beginning his career in law firms, Dan moved in-house with National City Corporation and later HSBC. He went on to serve as Chief Compliance Officer at iQor and Chief Legal Officer at Alorica. Today, he is President of Global Business Services at Alorica, with responsibilities spanning legal, compliance, HR, security, sourcing, and other corporate functions.

In Episode 12 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Dan about the evolution from lawyer to business executive and what he has learned from working on both sides of the outside-counsel-in-house relationship.

They discuss:

• Moving from law firm litigation to an in-house legal career
• How legal training translates into broader corporate leadership
• The changing relationship between companies and outside counsel
• Why predictability in legal spend can matter as much as lowering costs
• Dan's view on changing talent dynamics across large, mid-sized, and smaller law firms
• Why he tends to hire lawyers rather than law firms
• Where AI can improve legal work and where human analysis remains essential
• Why in-house lawyers need to understand how their company makes money
• How the Chief Legal Officer role has evolved beyond traditional legal advice
• Bringing legal into business decisions earlier rather than after the fact
• How executive teams think about risk appetite
• The reputational risk created by the companies you choose to do business with
• Why judgment, integrity, and practical recommendations matter in corporate leadership

Dan also shares lessons from his own career, including how an unexpected move in-house ultimately led him from litigation and legal leadership into the executive team and a much broader role running corporate functions.

It's a conversation about law, business, risk, relationships, and what happens when a legal leader learns to think beyond the legal department.

Roland Cloutier has spent nearly four decades working across military service, federal law enforcement, cybersecurity, and global corporate security.

After beginning his career in the U.S. Air Force, Roland moved into federal law enforcement and eventually cybersecurity before serving as Chief Security Officer for organizations including EMC, ADP, TikTok, and ByteDance.

Today, he advises organizations and security leaders through the Business Protection Group and is the author of Becoming a Global Chief Security Executive Officer.

In Episode 11 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Roland about the evolution of corporate security and what it takes to become a trusted partner to the business.

They discuss:

• Transitioning from military and law enforcement into the corporate world
• Investigating cyber threats and intellectual property theft early in his career
• Bringing physical and cybersecurity together
• Why modern security leaders need to understand the business
• Demonstrating the value of security to executives and boards
• Helping the business pursue opportunities rather than simply saying "no"
• Managing the pressure of global security leadership
• Why CISO tenure can be so short
• Navigating geopolitical and internal security challenges
• How AI is already changing security operations
• The future of cyber and physical security
• Developing the next generation of security leaders

Throughout the conversation, Roland shares lessons from decades spent building and leading security organizations in rapidly changing environments.

It's a conversation about trust, leadership, technology, and why the strongest security functions don't just protect the business. They help it move forward.

Ben Ostapuk's career has taken him from patent litigation at leading law firms to senior leadership at Intel and, today, the Chief Legal Officer role at Pegasystems.

After more than a decade in Big Law, Ben joined Intel's in-house litigation team and spent the next 15 years developing into what he describes as "a business executive who happens to have a legal background."

In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Ben about that evolution and what modern corporate legal leadership requires.

They discuss:

• Moving from Big Law to an in-house legal team
• How the CLO role has evolved beyond traditional legal advice
• What boards and executives expect from senior legal leaders
• Why great legal teams work shoulder to shoulder with the business
• Managing risk without trying to eliminate it
• Building long-term relationships with outside counsel
• Leading global litigation across multiple jurisdictions
• Responding to a $2 billion trial loss at Intel
• Navigating disruption across semiconductors, software, and AI
• Why preventing bad outcomes makes legal value difficult to demonstrate
• Establishing an organization's risk tolerance
• The importance of judgment, trust, and international experience
• Why human expertise remains critical as AI changes legal work

Throughout the conversation, Ben explains how each stage of his career required learning a different way to operate and why the skills that make someone an excellent lawyer are only part of what eventually makes someone an effective Chief Legal Officer.

It's a conversation about judgment, adaptability, relationships, risk, and learning how to lead when the answers aren't black and white.

Andy Tosh has spent 40 years working in security across the military, public, and private sectors.

After beginning his career in the British Army, Andy went on to work with the United Nations and on assignments connected to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. His career has taken him into complex environments across Nigeria, Libya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond.

Today, he serves as Vice President of Enterprise Security at Baker Hughes.

In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Andy about the evolution of corporate security, the transition from military to corporate environments, and what it takes to lead a global security function.

They discuss:

• Andy's path from the British Army to Baker Hughes
• Lessons from working in high-risk environments around the world
• Why soft skills became essential to his development as a security leader
• Moving beyond the traditional "gates and guards" perception of corporate security
• Building an intelligence-led, risk-based security function
• Why military and law enforcement experience are no longer prerequisites for security careers
• Using data to demonstrate the value of corporate security
• Understanding the business before trying to manage its risks
• The growing importance of geopolitical and physical risk
• How AI and technology could change corporate security
• Why human judgment remains essential
• Building diverse teams and developing future security leaders

Throughout the conversation, Andy reflects on four decades in security and how the profession has evolved from a primarily protective function into one increasingly focused on intelligence, risk, business continuity, and enabling organizations to operate safely around the world.

It's a conversation about leadership, adaptability, judgment, and what modern corporate security can bring to the business.

Elisa Garcia's career has taken her from international energy policy to the highest levels of corporate legal leadership.

Over more than three decades, Elisa served as the first General Counsel of Domino's Pizza, helped prepare the company for its IPO, and later held senior legal leadership roles at Office Depot and Macy's. Her career has included M&A, SEC investigations, shareholder activism, corporate governance, regulatory matters, and advising executives and boards through periods of significant change.

In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Elisa to discuss what it means to move beyond being the lawyer in the room and become a true business partner.

They discuss:

• Becoming Domino's first General Counsel
• Learning how the business actually makes money
• Preparing Domino's for its IPO
• Why legal teams shouldn't become the "department of no"
• The evolution from General Counsel to Chief Legal Officer
• Advising CEOs, boards, and shareholders
• Navigating SEC investigations, M&A, and activist investors
• Measuring and communicating the value of a legal department
• Why listening remains one of the most important leadership skills
• Building relationships across the C-suite
• The role of luck, risk tolerance, and support systems in building a career
• How AI could reshape corporate legal departments

Throughout the conversation, Elisa shares lessons from decades spent helping major organizations navigate complex decisions while keeping the legal function connected to the business.

Her philosophy is simple: understand what the business is trying to accomplish, understand how it makes money, and help find a responsible path forward.

Mark Enright spent 20 years in the U.S. Secret Service before bringing that experience into corporate security leadership.

After retiring from public service, Mark became the first Chief Security Officer at GE Capital, where he built the company's corporate security program from the ground up. He later served as Vice President of Corporate Security at Charter Communications.

In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, hosts Michael Collins and Logan Willans speak with Mark about the evolution of corporate security, the transition from government to the private sector, and what effective security leadership looks like inside a complex organization.

They discuss:

• Building a corporate security program from the ground up
• How the CSO role has changed over the past two decades
• Why strong security teams need expertise beyond law enforcement
• Using data and analytics to inform security decisions
• Proving the value of security when nothing goes wrong
• Building credibility with executives and business leaders
• Managing complex global crises
• The changing role of executive protection
• Assessing credible threats without overreacting
• Why bigger and more complex doesn't always mean more secure
• Developing the next generation of security professionals

Throughout the conversation, Mark shares lessons from both the Secret Service and the corporate world on judgment, preparedness, relationships, and making decisions when the stakes are high.

Because when a crisis happens and the leadership team turns to the Chief Security Officer and asks, "What do we do?" that's the moment the role matters most.

Dan Murphy's career has taken him from the streets of New York City to leading corporate security for some of America's largest organizations.

After beginning his career with the NYPD, Dan worked across narcotics, fugitive investigations, organized crime, kidnappings, gangs, technical surveillance, and counterterrorism. He later brought that experience into the private sector, eventually serving as Chief Security Officer at U.S. Bank and holding senior security and investigations roles with organizations including Albertsons, Supervalu, Optum, and UnitedHealth Group.

In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Dan to discuss the lessons behind that transition and how the role of corporate security has evolved.

They discuss:

• The mindset shift from law enforcement to corporate security
• Why security leaders need to understand the business they're protecting
• Managing threats without letting emotion drive decisions
• Recovering millions of dollars following a major fraud incident
• Why proactive intelligence matters when nothing appears to be wrong
• The changing executive protection environment
• Building trust with executives and their families
• How security leaders can demonstrate value before an incident occurs

Dan also shares stories from undercover work in Hong Kong, his experience following 9/11, and decades spent investigating and managing high-stakes situations.

It's a conversation about judgment, leadership, intelligence, and what it means to protect an organization when the risks are constantly changing.