Jennifer Schott

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary Sysco

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Jennifer Schott has been Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Sysco since April 2025. She advises Sysco’s executive leadership and board and leads its legal and company secretary, ethics and compliance, communications and government affairs teams. Schott joined from Illinois Tool Works, where she was senior vice president, general counsel and secretary from 2021 and helped manage its global business and multiple acquisitions. Before that she was deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary at Caterpillar, and she spent 16 years at Discover Financial Services in legal roles of increasing responsibility. Sysco said at her appointment that she had more than 25 years of in-house and large law firm experience. She is a named executive officer in Sysco’s 2026 proxy.

Career Highlights

• Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Sysco since April 2025.
• Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Illinois Tool Works, 2021 to 2025.
• Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Caterpillar, 2019 to 2021.
• Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Discover Financial Services.
• Named executive officer in Sysco’s 2026 proxy statement.

Professional Journey

Schott earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, according to Sysco. She spent 16 years at Discover Financial Services in legal positions of increasing responsibility, ending as vice president, assistant general counsel and assistant corporate secretary.

From 2019 to 2021 she was deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary at Caterpillar, and from 2021 to 2025 senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Illinois Tool Works, where Sysco says she helped manage a complex global business and acted for the company on multiple acquisitions.

Sysco announced her appointment as executive vice president and chief legal officer in February 2025, effective 1 April 2025, citing more than 25 years of in-house and large law firm experience. She leads the legal and company secretary, ethics and compliance, communications and government affairs teams and advises executive leadership and the board. Sysco, a Houston-based foodservice distributor, operated 333 distribution facilities across North America and Europe at the end of fiscal 2026 and in March 2026 agreed to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot, according to its 10-K.

Education

Chicago-Kent College of Law

JD

University of Illinois

Bachelor’s degree, Psychology