She replaces George Forster, who has been at CCA since 2005 and held the general counsel role since 2007.

Ms Ivanoff told Lawyers Weekly that the move was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

In a previous interview in December, Ms Ivanoff said she was drawn to in-house roles by a desire for a more human connection.

“I couldn’t just sit at the law firm and work on an isolated matter,” she said. “I think I craved the people contact.”

Her first in-house role took her to engineering firm Sinclair Knight Merz in 2001, followed by roles at Walter Constructions and sugar manufacturer CSR Ltd.

When she joined GrainCorp in 2008, Ms Ivanoff was the listed company’s first in-house lawyer.

“The company was also going through this massive growth spurt and the markets we were working in started to deregulate, so there were big opportunities for growth,” she said.

She suggested in-house roles give lawyers a deeper insight into the “engine room of a corporate”.

“[You learn about] different departments, teams, functions and funding, because as a lawyer you don’t actually get that insight into business – especially if you just do a law degree,” she said.

CCA group managing director Alison Watkins welcomed Ms Ivanoff to the team.

“Betty brings the right combination of legal and commercial skills, and her first-hand experience in advising boards and leaders, positions her to make a great contribution to CCA’s group leadership team,” she said in a statement on the ASX.