NYSE-listed KeyCorp has hired James Waters as general counsel and corporate secretary, effective July 6.
Waters joins Cleveland, Ohio-based KeyCorp from his role as general counsel and corporate secretary at Frost Bank and Cullen/Frost Bankers. In that role he has worked on corporate governance and law, director compensation and board relations, strategic business initiatives, leading crisis response teams, proxy statements and risk management, among other things.
Before joining Frost Bank, Waters was a partner at law firm Haynes and Boone, where he spent 18 years representing banks and companies. He was a member of the firm’s finance practice group and the international practice group. He began his legal career as an associate with law firm Shearman & Sterling.
Craig Beazer joined Lincoln Financial Group earlier this year as executive vice president and general counsel. He previously worked at KeyBank as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, having joined the company in 2018 as executive vice president and deputy general counsel.
‘James is a seasoned legal professional with significant experience, having served as general counsel and corporate secretary. His experience and skillset in the critical areas of law and banking will be essential as we continue to grow our company,’ KeyCorp chair and CEO Chris Gorman says in a statement.