Louise Pentland is a veteran C-Suite leader who has deep experience driving transformation and building innovative cultures in complex global companies. As Executive Vice President and Chief Business Affairs & Legal Officer at PayPal, she led the Legal, Board, Corporate Affairs organizations, the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance strategy and its global impact work. Over the past two decades, Louise has led global human resources, M&A integration, an IP P&L, and other key areas in large companies, building a reputation as an exceptional problem solver, inspiring team builder, and sound agent of change amidst tough global challenges. She serves on the boards of Pacific Mutual Holding and Hitachi Ltd.
During her seven years at PayPal, Louise has been a key strategist and driver of the company’s transformation in digital payments and e-commerce. An expert negotiator across global markets, she played a critical role in equipping PayPal to expand aggressively and successfully into new markets such as China and cryptocurrency. Under Louise’s leadership, PayPal elevated its ESG initiatives—driving a robust Diversity & Inclusion Agenda, setting credible environmental stretch goals, and creating programs to enable putting employees first, such as, pay equity & creation of a program that provides company stock for all employees. As head of global HR for four years, she worked closely with CEO Dan Schulman to transform the global HR organization and advance PayPal’s leadership to drive an inclusive culture which included the 5000+ customer service organization.
Before joining PayPal in 2015, Louise served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Nokia Corporation, where she managed the legal, regulatory, compliance, and government relations organizations globally. She also led M&A integration at Nokia and managed a P&L that generated more than billion euros in annual revenue from IP.
Louise has served on the board of Hitachi Ltd since 2015, and Pacific Mutual Holding Company since 2020. She was on the board of Nokia Siemens Networks from 2012 to 2014. She is also a director of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley.
Louise’s pro bono activities include providing legal support to women and children victims of domestic violence. She works with several organizations focused on human rights and at-risk children seeking asylum.
Louise holds an LLB (hons) law degree from the University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. She is licensed to practice law in the U.S (New York Bar)., England, Wales, and Ireland (EU).
