DeVona Wright Cottrell

DeVona Wright Cottrell is chief legal officer and general counsel for global experiential agency GMR Marketing and the Omnicom Experiential Group (OEG) more broadly. DeVona is a skilled attorney, results-oriented problem solver and a passionate leader and mentor. As GMR’s chief legal officer and general counsel, she 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.

Previously, DeVona was director and associate general counsel of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. 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. She 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.

Outside of work, DeVona is a mentor to many and serves in a number of professional organizations and civic activities, including board chair for TEMPO Milwaukee, WI steering committee member, board member of First Federal Bank of Wisconsin and Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, Greater Milwaukee Committee Member, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County (UWGMWC) board member and co-chair of Diversity Leadership Society for UWGMWC, Hoan Group and special counsel for Greater New Birth Church. Her accolades in the past few years are many and most recently include a 2021 Women of Influence Award from the Milwaukee Business Journal.

DeVona is also a minister. She is married to educator Jade Cottrell and they have two wonderful children, Julian (15) and Jayde (10). DeVona’s personal mission statement is: To make a positive impact on each day and every person that she encounters and to build a runway where other women, youth and young professionals can see what is possible.