Strategy is the hallmark of 3M Co.’s legal department — and orchestrating that strategy is Ivan Fong. Former general counsel to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fong deploys planning, technology and discipline to leverage the $31 billion company’s relatively lean legal department of 210 attorneys.
At the center is an annual strategic plan that looks as far as five years ahead. The planning enables Fong and his team to determine how best to marshal their resources to help the St. Paul-based company grow and keep out of trouble. “It allows us to look over the horizon, so we’re doing things today that allow us to be in a better position to serve our clients years from now,” said Fong, who joined 3M in October 2012 as senior vice president for legal affairs and general counsel.
