VP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel
The Dannon Company, Inc.

Donna Besteiro joined the Danone Group in 1995 from the international law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker where she worked as an attorney within the Litigation Department, specializing in Intellectual Property matters.

Ms. Besteiro heads up the Legal Department, a shared service to some of the Groupe's North American dairy, biscuit, condiment and imported water divisions, and is a member of the Dannon Executive Committee.

Ms. Besteiro graduated cum laude from St. John's University School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Besteiro worked as a newspaper reporter for The Tampa Tribune. She also worked as an assistant producer in the Newsfeed unit of CBS News, Inc. and at the McNeil Lehrer Newshour.

Ms. Besteiro lives with her husband and two children in Bedford, New York and enjoys engaging in many outdoor activities with her family, including biking, skiing and swimming