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As the senior commercial counsel, US antitrust lead, and North American legal lead for AI at Mondelēz Global, Kris Soltes has spent nearly two years inside one of the largest and most complex snacking companies in the world. But that complexity—and perhaps an intrigue to work with some of his favorite childhood snack brands—is why Soltes came to the organization in the first place. From a young age, Soltes has followed an innate curiosity that first drew him to economics and then to law.
The attorney was born in the former Yugoslavia, grew up in Canada, moved to Pennsylvania, and then to Washington, DC, to attend law school. He ultimately settled in New York City with his wife, who also practices law.
By pursuing a legal career, Soltes had to reject the medical career so many in his family had followed, but he was already used to pleading his case and going his own way.
“Ever since I was little, I was always battling with my mouth,” the lawyer remembers. “I was argumentative, but I had also already had this global experience that drove so much curiosity in me. The more I thought about law, the more I realized it pervades everything. It’s a way of thought and a way to apply a way of thinking. It wasn’t a conscious choice, though. I just went to it naturally.”
Soltes spent more than eight years practicing at the firm Constantine Cannon LLP, where he gained experience in antitrust, commercial counseling, and litigation at both the state and federal levels. But despite the intellectual satisfaction it brought him, the more the attorney thought about his long-term options, the more he wanted to apply his acumen beyond private practice and explore what else was out there.
“Maybe it’s an insatiable need for diversity, but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my career doing what I had already done,” Soltes says. “I didn’t want to be sixty and wonder what other things I could have done in my law career. I had always thought I had a strong business mind, and I wanted to apply it directly within the business. Going in-house was that chance for me.”
When the opportunity to join Mondelēz surfaced, Soltes saw it as an opening to be part of an engine of industry. The size of the organization, its recognizable brands, and the complexity of the macroeconomic environment in which it plays appealed to him.
By coming in-house, the attorney has learned more about his own practice. Success as a corporate counsel comes down to two things: curiosity and humanity.
The first was indispensable for learning how to make an impact from the inside. “When you go in-house, you don’t truly know anything,” Soltes says frankly. “You don’t truly understand the business, the industry, or how to serve your internal clients well yet. You have to take the vulnerable step to admit that to yourself, no matter who you are, and then unapologetically dive in with curiosity. You have to allow yourself to become the expert you need to so you can serve your organization.”
Second, Soltes emphasizes the importance of humanity—and a little humor. In his role, he works with executives, scientists, sales professionals, and subject matter experts of all types and seniority. Soltes says it’s easy to forget the person behind the title. It takes vulnerability and courage to lead with humanity.
“You have to take the time to build those interpersonal connections,” Soltes says. “It makes you feel good, it makes others feel good, and it makes your work better. You develop camaraderie and trust. You feel more fulfillment, and you realize what amazing people surround you every day.”
Ensuring Equal Access to the Modern Economy
Kris Soltes hadn’t heard of the Financial Services Innovation Coalition (FSIC) until he came across an article by a member of the organization during his law firm days. But the more he read, the more intrigued he became. The FSIC aims to create a more inclusive economy and advocates for underserved communities.
The FSIC was impressed by the Soltes’s antitrust and competition experience. It invited him to help create its antitrust and competition task force. Since then, the group has hosted three Minority Policy Summits in Washington, DC, at the US Capitol and the National Press Club.
“We get to speak with community leaders, industry professionals, and impacted community members to provide some education and awareness about antitrust,” Soltes explains. “It’s a tool that people and businesses should be able to use to lift themselves up. Antitrust was originally a grassroots movement and shouldn’t be something that seems so out of people’s reach.”
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP:
“Kris does great work taking a forward-looking approach to antitrust counseling. His proactive strategy ensures that Mondelēz is always ahead of the curve in antitrust compliance.”
–Josh Soven, Partner
