Cross-Border M&A: Insights from the Field

Most recently, Mr. Major has been Joy Global’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, serving both as the Company’s chief legal officer and its chief governance officer. In his capacity as chief legal officer Mr. Major leads and oversees the Company’s global legal and compliance function, including legal and regulatory matters for its two primary business segments, as well as parent company matters such as mergers and acquisitions and financings.

As chief governance officer, Mr. Major provides advice and counsel to the board of directors and senior management on corporate governance matters and manages the Company’s corporate governance function.

Prior to joining Joy Global, Mr. Major served for nine years in roles of increasing legal responsibility with Johnson Controls, Inc., serving first from Hong Kong then from Brussels as lead counsel for business units in Asia and Europe and ultimately earning promotion to a corporate officer position at Johnson Controls’ Milwaukee headquarters as Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Mr. Major started his in-house career with Abbott Laboratories as Counsel-International after working for seven years in private practice with law firms in Chicago and Tokyo.

Mr. Major earned his bachelor's degree in Economics from DePauw University, his juris doctor degree from Indiana University, and his masters of business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.