International Flavors & Fragrances General Counsel Champions Diversity

As general counsel for International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), a leading global creator of flavors and fragrances for consumer products, Anne Chwat credits much of her success to the strong, diverse teams she has built throughout a career that has spanned many industries.

“The world has gone global,” says Anne. “And when you put together a group of diverse people who have different outlooks, opinions and perspectives, you get the right answers.”

A native of Long Island, New York, Anne received her bachelor’s and law degrees from New York University. Her career has included private practice at Clearly, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, corporate counsel at Seagram and Sons, and general counsel for BMG Music, Burger King and now IFF.

While at Burger King, Anne was also president of the company’s Have It Your Way Foundation, which led to a meeting with Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial and Posse Board Chair Jeff Ubben.

“As soon as we met Anne we wanted her to be part of building Posse Miami,” says Deborah. “She was instrumental in recruiting other board members and establishing Posse’s profile in a new city. Now, she continues that leadership as part of the national board.”

“Posse totally resonates with me.”

Anne was the first member of the Posse Miami Advisory Board, eventually serving as its chair. She relocated to New York City in 2011, and currently serves on Posse’s national board. Thanks to her advocacy, many IFF employees volunteer at Posse and the company has contributed financially through matching donations and event sponsorships.

“Posse totally resonates with me,” says Anne. “You can see the impact winning a Posse Scholarship has on an entire family before the Scholars have even gone to their first class. You know they are inspiring younger siblings and people in their communities. The impact they’ll have on generations behind them makes me feel so proud.”