Delta Air Lines Attorney Inspires Others to Soar
Meg Hopkins Taylor is responsible for overseeing compliance with employment laws at Delta Air Lines, Inc. As associate general counsel, she’s accountable for defending the company in employment litigation and administrative proceedings, and providing employment-related training and counseling for the airline.
Taylor’s colleagues say she is an inspirational leader, an excellent lawyer, and a skilled communicator. They say she has the rare ability to correct individuals without alienating them, and inspires others to achieve their best.
She’s integrally involved with Delta’s diversity efforts, serving as a mentor to young women and minorities within the company and assisting with the development of policies and practices to encourage retention and advancement of women. Taylor believes a female leader’s most important quality is preparation. “A leader first must be well prepared and knowledgeable before she can be confident, credible, and effective,” she said.
She says her biggest career leap came early in her legal career when she volunteered for a cross-divisional bankruptcy reorganization team, without having much knowledge about the process. “I gained a broad appreciation for the business complexities at stake and developed new and important working relationships,” Taylor said.
She adds the best way to become a strong leader is to proactively look for and take leadership opportunities, big or small, within or outside of your profession. “Don’t wait for permission to lead,” Taylor said.
Taylor is a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Law and Judiciary Committee and for the past six years has served as a board member for Catholic Charities of Atlanta. She holds a B.A. from James Madison University and her J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary. Words she lives by: “Be authentic, 100 percent of the time.”
