Ellen Fitzsimmons is chief legal officer and head of public affairs at Truist Financial Corporation, the nation’s premier financial services company serving approximately 15 million households. She has held this position since December 2019 and is a member of the company’s executive leadership team.

In her role, she oversees the legal, government relations, corporate communications, corporate social responsibility, and philanthropy functions of Truist.

Fitzsimmons was named corporate executive vice president and general counsel for a Truist predecessor in January 2018. She also served as corporate secretary to the predecessor’s board of directors.

Previously, she served as executive vice president of law and public affairs, general counsel, and corporate secretary of CSX Corporation, a transportation company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. She oversaw legal affairs, government relations, corporate communications, security, environmental, audit, and corporate social responsibilities functions. She joined CSX in 1991 after starting her legal career with the law firm of Hunton & Williams in Richmond, Virginia.

Fitzsimmons earned a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Virginia Tech.

She is a member of the Virginia Bar and currently serves on the board of Ameren Corporation, the board of directors of Friends of the High Line, and the board of visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a member of the 2021 Scales of Justice Steering Committee.

Fitzsimmons was honored by American Banker in 2019, 2020, and 2021 for her selection in the publication’s annual Most Powerful Women in Banking “Women to Watch” list.