Kate Sandman McKinley has been chosen to take the reins as the first chief legal officer of Allspring Global Investments, a newly independent company forming through the acquisition and rebranding of Wells Fargo Asset Management later this year.

“I am delighted to join Allspring at this unique point in the firm’s evolution. This is an incredible platform to build from and I look forward to the opportunity to partner with Joe and the team to write the next chapter,” McKinley said in a statement Wednesday.