About

Results-oriented in house counsel with over 20 years of experience as a trusted business partner advising clients on a broad range of enterprise-wide matters. Skilled attorney and business partner with expertise in marketing, professional services, human resources, mergers & acquisitions, risk, finance and information security and privacy. Transformative leaders, mentor and team builder with demonstrated success in building strong partnerships and working passionately to develop best practices, identify strategic solutions and resolve legal issues efficiently and effectively.

Board Profile

Wright Cottrell is a results-oriented Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel with over 20 years of experience as a trusted business partner advising clients on corporate and transactional matter. Her expertise in marketing, professional services, human resources, mergers & acquisitions, risk, finance and information security and privacy has provided her broad experience and the ability to balance details and to see the big picture while managing projects and providing advice.   She is an effective leader, mentor and team builder with demonstrated success in building strong partnerships and working passionately to develop best practices, identify strategic solutions and resolve legal issues efficiently and effectively.  Wright Cottrell has a proven ability to identify and leverage strengths of team members and develop strong relationships at all organizational levels.                                                                                                                             

Board Experience

Wright Cottrell is a Milwaukee native and diligent volunteer and mentor in the greater Milwaukee-area community as well.  She is pro bono corporate legal counsel to her mega-church and focuses on general corporate, development and real estate matters and serves on numerous local boards and committees throughout the city, including immediate Past Board Chair for Tempo Milwaukee, Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, and United Way Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County and Co-Chair Diversity Leadership Society Council.  Wright Cottrell is a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and MWi Steering Committee.

Wright Cottrell also serves on the First Federal Bank of Wisconsin public board.

Wright Cottrell previously served on the following boards/committees: Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Foundation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee board of visitors, Milwaukee County Research Park Corporation, GNB Community Development Corporation and WWBIC Loan Committee.

Professional Summary

DeVona Wright Cottrell, is Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of GMR Marketing LLC.  Wright Cottrell joined GMR Marketing in 2020 and is a skilled attorney, results-oriented problem solver, and a passionate leader and mentor.  As GMR’s Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Wright Cottrell serves as the agency’s key corporate legal advisor, oversees the agency’s legal and risk management teams, and acts as a partner to agency leadership.

Previous, Wright Cottrell was Director and Associate General Counsel of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated from 2007-2020.  She joined Baird in 2007 and had broad exposure to Baird’s businesses and primary legal responsibility for Baird’s Fixed Income Capital Markets business unit and provided legal support to several of the firm’s corporate resource groups, including Risk Management, Compliance and Facilities with regard to information security, privacy, regulatory and commercial real estate related matters.

Prior to joining Baird, Wright Cottrell was a Partner with Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan, LLP where she represented corporate clients on public finance, real estate, intellectual property, contracts and general corporate matters. She is a past co-chair of PRISM, Baird’s Multicultural Associate Resource Group and is President of SWSIC, a women’s investment club focused on increasing financial literacy in the African American community.

Recognition & Awards

Wright Cottrell is and diligent volunteer and mentor in the greater Milwaukee-area community receiving many recognitions and awards throughout the years, including the 2021 The Milwaukee Business Journal Women of Influence Award,  TEMPO Milwaukee 2020 Mentor Award, The Milwaukee Business Journal 2019 C-Suite Award for Best Assistant General Counsel, The Wisconsin Law Journal’s 2017 Women in the Law Awards, The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2015 Alumni Gold Award for Graduate of the Last Decade, The Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2014 Forty Under 40 Award, 2007 Wisconsin Law Journal – Leader in the Law Award and 2006 Milwaukee Times – Black Excellence Award.

Personal

Wright Cottrell is married to educator, Jade Cottrell and together they have two children ages 16 and 10 years old.