SHEARMAN & STERLING ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Through the Alumni Spotlight series, you can meet a few of our distinguished alumni to learn how they leveraged their time at the firm to advance their careers and what advice they would give to those looking to have similar success.

Carla Heiss Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Triton International

Born in Chile and a native Spanish speaker, Carla Heiss ’94 (International Finance, Capital Markets, 1994–2003, New York City) majored in Government at Cornell University before attending law school at George Washington University. She joined Shearman & Sterling’s International Finance group in 1994 and later worked in the Capital Markets group. She left the firm in 2003 to join Bunge Limited, an S&P 500 global agribusiness and food company. She is now Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary at Triton International, the world’s leading intermodal container leasing company.

What is your favorite memory or story from your time at Shearman & Sterling?

Honestly, there are so many. It’s hard to pick just one. One of my main memories is having the opportunity to work with colleagues who were not only luminaries in their fields but also so willing to give their time and impart their knowledge to young associates. Having the opportunity to work with those people was a privilege. I also enjoyed immersing myself in the international aspect of the work. Working on deals with clients in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil gave me insights into the business cultures and legal frameworks of those countries. That was enriching for me. International deals were often complex and required hard work, but I learned a lot from those experiences, which allowed me to grow professionally and benefitted my career.

What skills or capabilities did you gain from your time at the firm that prepared you for future roles?

Certainly, the basic ones: time management, multi-tasking, drafting skills and attention to detail. All those things are just a given, and a firm like Shearman & Sterling was such a great training ground for those foundational skills. What I value the most, however, was that I was empowered to be independent and self-sufficient. I worked with partners who, once they saw you had the motivation and the drive to take on work, let you run with it, within reason, of course! I was given a lot of autonomy very early on, so by the time I was at mid-level, I was operating as a senior associate and the partners trusted me. That self-confidence prepared me well for the future as an in-house lawyer, where the scope can be extremely broad and you have to learn by doing. The other thing I learned from the partners I worked with was the value of building long-term client relationships. That relationship-focused mindset is something I still carry with me today.

What has been your career journey since leaving Shearman & Sterling?

I suppose I was lucky in that I was recruited to join a client of the firm. Bunge recruited me to come in-house after I had worked with them on their IPO. It was an easy transition because I knew the people and the culture, and over the course of my years there I was given many opportunities to challenge myself and grow. For example, I was appointed the company’s first Chief Compliance Officer and built a fantastic global team that became a trusted partner to the business. Then, when the company decided to move its headquarters out of the tri-state area, the opportunity to join Triton materialized at just the right time. This opportunity also allowed me to take the next career step—one that I had hoped to achieve—to become the general counsel of a publicly traded company.

Tell us about your current job. What do you enjoy most about your work?

At Triton, I oversee the Legal and Contracts functions. I also oversee the ESG function, which is fairly new for us and an area of growing significance to our employees, customers and investors. The Legal team is lean, which means we work closely together to cover the waterfront for a global business. The team supports every aspect of the company’s operations, and we engage with all regions, commercial teams and functions. I am very proud of the great work they do, and I do my best to give them opportunities to keep developing and growing.

Triton’s business is linked to global trade. During the pandemic, when global supply chains were facing many challenges, we worked very hard to supply our customers at a scale we had never before achieved. It was exciting to play an important role behind the scenes in helping our customers meet those challenges.

What advice would you give to someone looking to have a similar career path?

Focus on finding something that you really enjoy. It makes the work feel less like work. For me, it was the international business and legal exposure which I found when working at Shearman & Sterling. I encourage everyone to define what that interest is for them and let it guide your path.