Darden Restaurants has appointed Teresa Mosley Sebastian as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective Oct. 8. She succeeds Paula Shives, who in March announced her plan to retire after being with the company since May 2009.

Sebastian carries under her belt more than 25 years of experience in finance, business and corporate law. Most recently, she served as vice president, general counsel and secretary for Veyance Technologies, a $1.8 billion manufacturer of industrial rubber products and exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Goodyear Engineered Products.

At Darden, Sebastian will oversee a team of professionals responsible for Darden's legal affairs, including matters of board governance, corporate finance, securities regulation, and labor and employment law issues. In addition, she will have oversight of the internal audit function. Sebastian will serve as a member of the executive team and report directly to Darden Chairman and CEO, Clarence Otis.