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In August 2024, McAfee appointed Craig Boundy as president and CEO of one of the most well-established names in cybersecurity. New leadership often ushers in a period of adaptation and sometimes trepidation, but not for Group General Counsel Emily Garcia, at least in the latter.
Garcia is a sixteen-plus year veteran of McAfee who has practiced her craft in three different countries (and counting) for the cybersecurity company. The group general counsel first came to McAfee by way of Slough, England; was promoted into a role in Munich, Germany; and ultimately moved to Frisco, Texas, to assume her current title in 2018.
Garcia has watched her organization evolve during the last decade-and-a-half and seems to have a second nature for adaptation.
“I think change is just something I’ve come to expect here,” Garcia explains. “That may be the company reinventing itself, new leadership taking over, or the legal organization needing to pivot. But that change is also part of the reason I’m still here. It keeps the work interesting and engaging. I always have a new challenge. I wouldn’t have lasted this long at a company that just kind of stays in their lane and muddles along. This is a dynamic place to be, and it keeps me inspired.”
At Home Everywhere
Garcia was born in the Dominican Republic, the daughter of a Dominican father and an English mother. When she was fourteen, the family moved to England. It was the kind of upbringing that allowed the future lawyer to experience two different cultures; it also provided Garcia with the confidence to know she could be successful just about anywhere.
As she continued her post-secondary studies, it wasn’t the law, necessarily, that encouraged her to attend law school. It was more the alignment of continuing to learn languages and work internationally as a lawyer that lured her to the field.
She ultimately found her path while working as an in-house as a paralegal at an IT company, as she was applying for more traditional traineeships. But Garcia knew immediately that the in-house environment was where she belonged.
Though when the opportunity at McAfee came up, Garcia remembers driving to the interview, mindful of the reputation of Slough from the town’s depiction in the British TV show, The Office.
“I remember driving there thinking about the show,” Garcia says. “But there was something that struck me immediately about the culture here. There is a real need for the kind of security our company provides, and I met people who were engaged in that mission. It also seemed like a place where if you have initiative, you’re allowed to run with it. I loved it.”
Why Not?
Garcia says that the company she joined is not the company of today, and that’s the way it should be. She’s seen an evolution, and she still feels connected to what still makes McAfee great because of that innovation.
That evolution has included her moving first to Germany then to Texas to take on expanded responsibilities. Why the willingness to move internationally twice?
“It’s funny because I think a lot of people would see those moves as a big challenge and incredibly disruptive, which I guess is true,” Garcia says. “But I suppose I just looked at both of those moves as opportunities. I didn’t have to take them. But I wanted to, and I’m glad I did.”
Garcia points to those leadership expansions as just another reason she’s stayed. There are always chances for leadership programs, high-performance programs like the one she took when she moved to the US, and other mentoring opportunities that allow one to grow their career significantly without leaving the company.
Building the Right Relationships
On her own team, Garcia says it’s incredibly important for her organization to stay connected to McAfee’s broader business goals.
“When ideas come to you, when projects come to you, you always have to keep the ultimate driver of the business in mind so that you can provide the best advice,” the attorney explains. “It’s also important to have high visibility within those teams so you’re always up to date on new rules coming down the pipeline and building those into your projects.”
Garcia says the key to thriving in-house is finding ways to avoid breakdowns in communication. The hardest conversations take place when she doesn’t have the full context of a matter, because that prevents her from providing helpful and nuanced counsel. To ensure that kind of open communication, Garcia calls on those who act as outside counsel for McAfee.
“Building solid relationships with outside counsel is crucial for me,” Garcia explains. “Especially when it comes to finding the right firm that is properly tracking areas you’re working in and the insights they’re able to provide. If you’re reacting to something that’s just been published, you’re already acting reactively.”
Over the next year, Garcia’s team is looking forward to the new challenges of the continually evolving consumer landscape. But Garcia has seen moments of transformation before at McAfee, and she’ll continue helping McAfee evolve into its next iteration.
