Sally A. Thurston is an independent board member, strategic business partner and problem solver who is seeking further independent board work.  Prior to her retirement from global law firm Skadden Arps, Ms. Thurston was a results-oriented tax advisor to Fortune 500 companies on multi-billion-dollar transactions for 35 years.  As a member of Skadden senior management, Sally was an engaged, pragmatic and collaborative leader on financial, operational, and human capital matters.

Sally currently sits on the board of Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company, a member of the Vantage Group of specialty re/insurance companies.  Vantage was formed in 2020 and is jointly owned by Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman.

For over five years, Sally chaired Skadden’s financial oversight and audit committee, establishing the firm’s operating budget, debt levels, capital outlays, and attorney pricing structures, and overseeing its external audits. As a three-term member of Skadden’s executive board, she was responsible for partner compensation, internal and lateral partner growth, executive partner succession planning, practice expansion initiatives, human capital and firm governance. For 12 years, Sally directed Skadden’s tax planning, transfer pricing, compliance and governmental audits throughout 22 offices located in 10 countries. Sally co-chaired Skadden’s DEI committee during her last few years at the firm, utilizing improved metrics and novel initiatives to address client demands for diverse teams on their matters.

Throughout her career, Ms. Thurston drove strategic outcomes for multinational clients in nearly every industry through a variety of innovative and transformative transactions and regularly advised boards and C-Suite executives on competing risks and priorities arising from these transactions. In her cross-border and integration work, Ms. Thurston led teams and coordinated legal and accounting advisors with business units around the globe to solve multi-jurisdictional problems in real time. Ms. Thurston is an expert on supply chain planning, transfer pricing, complex accounting and tax issues, and managing audit risk and compliance. She possesses in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical and insurance industries due to her years of advising clients operating in those sectors.

Sally holds a juris doctorate degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and a chemical engineering degree with distinction from Cornell University.