Sapna PANDYA
EVP, General Counsel Red Bull North America, Inc.
Cornell Law School
Sapna Pandya is the executive vice president and general counsel of Red Bull North America, Inc. As the daughter of two Indian immigrants, she learned at an early age to value hard work, education and opportunity. Her father's first steps in the U.S. were to pursue his education at the University of California, Berkeley, and Pandya continued this tradition. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a major in business and a minor in English and developed her interest in advocacy. Pandya spent two years at Deloitte in the financial advisory services group before attending Cornell Law School. While at Cornell, she dedicated time to the Death Penalty Project, advocating for mental health considerations in capital punishment cases.
Pandya went on to become an associate at Gibson Dunn, where she represented a range of clients in food and beverage litigation, employment and securities matters. While at Gibson Dunn, she also represented plaintiffs in a voting rights matter in the County of Albany and successfully represented a class of children to reinstate funding for treatment programs in Los Angeles.
Pandya joined Red Bull in 2015 and worked her way up from legal counsel to the role of general counsel in 2020, a month prior to her maternity leave with her third child. She now oversees a team of 25 and focuses on being a champion of diversity and mentoring working mothers as they navigate their careers. In the past 24 months, she has developed the North American legal roadmap and strategy to focus on adapting to technological changes in the industry, moving the business forward in marketing and sales and handling a large and complex distributor transition to improve business performance. Pandya has also resolved multiple confidential, high-risk matters within the organization over the last 24 months. At Red Bull, she sits on the North America Leadership Team and the Global Legal Leadership Team and mentors individuals inside and outside of Red Bull in legal and other development opportunities. Her department has also created a DEI program within the department to positively impact the community and educate the team on DEI.
PUBLIC COMPANY ENTERPRISE FINALISTS
Talya FRIEDMAN
Director, Corporate Counsel – Labor & Employment
Starbucks
Loyola Law School
Talya Friedman serves as director, corporate counsel – labor and employment at Starbucks, providing strategic legal advice to executives, business leaders and HR teams on labor and employment matters. Her expertise includes employee relations, wage and hour laws, internal investigations, compliance, diversity and inclusion and policy development. In the past 12-24 months, Friedman has contributed to key corporate initiatives, including COVID/health and safety protocols, workplace violence policy development and compliance with California’s AB 1228 legislation affecting the fast-food industry. Beyond her legal role, she engages in Starbucks' "Holiday Helper" and "Coffee with the Cops" volunteer programs. Outside of Starbucks, she is an active parent volunteer with her local Girl Scouts Troop and serves on the educational committee and parent organization at Valley Beth Shalom.
David KATZ
EVP, Chief Legal Officer and U.K. Executive Sponsor
Radnet, Inc.
Loyola Law School
In just four years with Radnet, David Katz has increased the size of his in-house legal department, where he now manages a group of 10 lawyers and support staff. During his time with the company, Radnet has grown from a market cap of less than $1 billion to over $4 billion now. Beyond a prolific career in private practice – most recently, 20 years as a partner at Perkins Coie LLP – Katz has been a model citizen for his community. He has volunteered his time with Malibu Search and Rescue for the last 30 years and spent the last 10 years as the captain of Malibu Search and Rescue.
Njeri MUTURA
Assistant General Counsel
Microsoft Corporation
University of Windsor
As the assistant general counsel at Microsoft, Njeri Mutura advises on legal and regulatory issues related to emerging technologies, managing strategic projects focused on AI, data governance and sustainability. Her team oversees complex transactions exceeding $20 billion annually and supports business objectives across the Americas. Mutura is a thought leader in law and technology, frequently speaking on topics like cybersecurity and data privacy. She engages with organizations to enhance diversity and inclusion, notably through the ACC’s Summer Internship Program for diverse law students. She also leads pro bono initiatives, including legal clinics and career programs for local youth. Mutura's leadership focuses on clarity, collaboration and delivering impactful results while navigating the evolving legal landscape.
