Passle CMO Series Podcast

Episode 123 - Michael Rynowecer of The BTI Consulting Group on The War on Talent: Opportunities For Today’s Legal CMOs

On our recent CMO Series Webinar Will Eke was delighted to be joined by Michael Rynowecer, President of BTI Consulting Group to delve into their insights on CMO mobility and the opportunities for law firms and marketers in today’s climate. 

A summary of the session, along with the video recording, is available here.

During the Webinar, Michael and Will explored: 

• The background to BTI’s research on CMOs
• The ‘stand out’ findings AND the current state of play for CMOs in the legal industry
• The most surprising insights
• The key differences between US and UK markets
• The reaction from CMOs who have seen the research
• The impact for CMOs, from their careers to their day-to-day
• What law firms should be doing differently to retain their talent
• The main opportunities for CMOs in today's market

 

Episode 122 - Emily McKeown Of Godfrey & Kahn On Authentic Business Development - Building An Approach That Fits Your Market & People

Legal business development has its best practices, yet every firm is different. An effective approach to BD is one that fits the firm, its people, and its clientele.

Today on the CMO Series Podcast Cam Dobinson is lucky enough to sit down with Emily McKeown, Business Development Director at Godfrey & Kahn to talk about how to build an authentic and effective approach to Business Development that fits your market and people.

Emily and Cam explore:

• What an effective Business Development approach is and why it should fit the clients and the firm
• Emily’s journey to her current role 
• How to ensure that Business Development happens in a way that clients respond to positively
• How the firm engages in its own Business Development, and how it tunes the approach to do that
• The conflict between what clients expect from Business Development and what the firm is able to deliver
• Managing the challenge of scale with the approach to Business Development
• How to measure and report on success when it comes to Business Development
• Advice for those trying to build a more authentic and effective Business Development capability in their firm

CMO Series Podcast Special Episode: Live Podcast from LMA Southeast

Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to be invited to LMA Southeast's Annual Conference. What better way to join in the spirit of LMA and drive the knowledge sharing that makes it such a powerful network than bringing a live episode of our own Passle CMO Series Podcast.

This episode of the podcast is brought to you live from that conference and we've chosen a special topic and guest for this CMO Series first.

Join Eleanor Smith, Chief Client Officer at Barnes & Thornburg and Alistair Bone, Vice President at Passle as they take a deep dive into moving your marketing from transactional to strategic. 

They cover the key elements of building a more valuable and valued marketing career:

- Being proactive in positioning the firm and its attorneys
- Understanding your clients and communicating challenging concepts to the market
- Using data to drive better outcomes and position marketing as a strategic advisor

2023 Passle CMO Series Thanksgiving Special

Join us as we celebrate this Thanksgiving season with our wonderful CMO Series community. 

We’re lucky to be joined by some of the world’s top Marketing and Business Development leaders in the legal industry. From the mentors and leadership to peers, networks, and loved ones, we hear about all the influential people who have supported our guests on their career journeys as they share their gratitude on this very special episode.  

Thank you to all of our illustrious guests for coming on board: Alison Swenton Arjoon, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Fragomen, Alison Janzen, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Torkin Manes, Andrew Laver, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, Courtney Beauzile, Head of Marketing, Business Development and Communications at Robins Kaplan, Courtney Carter, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Jenner & Block, Dawn Longfield, Chief Marketing Officer at Davis+Gilbert, Emily McKeown, Business Development Director at Godfrey & Khan, Emily Rogers, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright, Erica Roman, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Cole Schotz, Jay Linder, Director of Communications at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, JeanMarie Campbell, Head of Client Development for North America at Baker McKenzie, Jessica Grayson, Director of Practice Management & Lateral Growth at Stradley Ronon, John Eix, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Crowe & Dunlevy, Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, Justin Portaz, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Jenner & Block, Maggie Watkins, Founder of Maggie T. Watkins Consulting, Terra Davis, Chief Diversity & Talent Development Officer at Knobbe Martens, Tom Helm, Chief Marketing Officer at Smith Gambrell Russell, and Trish Lilley, Chief Marketing Officer at Thompson Coburn.

From all of us here at Passle, have a very happy Thanksgiving!

 

Episode 121 - John Eix of Crowe & Dunlevy on Making an Instant Impact in a Regional Firm

The path in legal marketing and business development is diverse, and shaped by the size, culture, and ambitions of the firm.

Today on the CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins has the privilege of talking to an experienced professional who is bringing a wealth of marketing and BD expertise from various professional service backgrounds to a regional firm.  We welcome John Eix, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Crowe & Dunlevy, to the series to share his journey and insights on making an instant impact in a regional law firm.

John and Charles explore: 

• John’s career journey to his role now at Crowe & Dunlevy
• The first priority and the instant impact projects John’s working on now at the firm
• The differences between working in a mid-size regional firm compared to the larger firms, and how to leverage your team and resources to compete
• The team approach and examples of how that has made an impact from a business development perspective
• What’s next for Crowe & Dunlevy to generate more quick wins and successes
• Advice for marketers and BD Professionals climbing the ladder on how to make an instant impact in their role

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Lynnette Espy-Williams of Cozen O’Connor on Thriving Together: Cultivating Allyship, Safety & Diversity in Law Firm Culture

In the latest episode of the CMO Series REPRESENTS Podcast, we delve into the critical mission of creating a safe and supportive environment for nurturing talent, a top priority for many firms. However, the task of devising effective strategies to foster a culture of allyship and empower diverse lawyers to achieve success is more challenging than it may seem.

Join us as Yasmin Zand welcomes Lynnette Espy-Williams, an Equity Partner and the Chief Diversity Officer at Cozen O'Connor to CMO Series REPRESENTS. Lynnette, recently named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Diversity & Inclusion by The Chief Navigators Magazine, joins the series to share her personal journey as a diverse lawyer and the transformative experiences that have influenced her career.

During this episode, we explore the influential role of innovative marketing and mentorship while delving into Lynnette's invaluable insights and practical advice on how to bring allies together to shape a future where inclusivity not only exists but thrives.

Episode 120 - Emily Rogers of Norton Rose Fulbright on Instilling a Growth Mindset in Legal Marketing

In the changing landscape of legal marketing and business development, the importance of a growth mindset cannot be overstated. 

This episode of the CMO Series Podcast brings you a conversation with Emily Rogers, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright US, as she shares her unique journey to becoming a CMBDO. Emily sits down with Will Eke to discuss the transformative power of cultivating a growth mindset, as well as a strong team culture, and its far-reaching impact on retention and the overall success of the firm.

Emily and Will explore: 

• Emily’s journey to her current role as CMO at Norton Rose
• The moment Emily realized the importance of a growth mindset
• How the approach translates to the team and how to go about instilling that in the firm’s culture
• Key activities and programs that help drive that growth mindset
• The impact on recruitment and employee retention, and across the wider firm
• Managing a multigenerational workforce and the challenges to building a great team culture
• Advice for marketing and BD leaders looking to instill a growth mindset within their team

 

Episode 119 - Tom Helm of Smith Gambrell Russell on Leading with Intent: A CMO’s Journey to Growth

The transition to CMO is a pivotal moment and offers the opportunity to drive growth, develop teams, and lead change. On the flip side, taking that step up can also uncover vulnerabilities and requires a level of awareness and intentionality that is central to successful leadership. 

On today’s episode of the CMO Series, Eugene McCormick sits down with Tom Helm, Chief Marketing Officer at Smith Gambrell Russell to delve into the learning and approaches Tom has taken in his role and advice for others taking on the mantle of CMO.

Tom and Eugene discuss: 

• Tom’s journey to his current role as CMO at Smith Gambrell Russell
• The main priorities in the first 12 months in post, and how they were approached
• The most challenging part of the journey so far
• The changes and different approaches Tom has taken in his role compared to previous roles
• What success looks like if everything goes to plan
• The next big change on the horizon
• Advice for professionals taking the step up to CMO, and those looking to take a more intentional approach to leadership

Episode 118 - Mikkel Keller Stubkjær of Novicell UK on Composable Architecture and Why it Benefits Your Firm

On this special episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we hear from Mikkel Keller Stubkjær, Head of Development at Novicell UK who joined our recent CMO Series Webinar to uncover the world of composable architecture and the benefits to professional service firms.

Mikkel shares fascinating insights including:  

• The differences between composable architecture and the traditional monolithic approach.
• How composable architecture can transform your website development and operations and make you stand out in the crowd.
• How harnessing composable architecture can help achieve marketing objectives and enhance the client experience.

 

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Flipping the Script on DEI: Courtney Carter of Jenner & Block on Developing Talent and Shaping Client Relationships

Diversity Equity and Inclusion are top of the agenda for many law firms, but there's no silver bullet to effectively implementing programs and strategies that drive meaningful change. 

Today on CMO Series REPRESENTS, Yasmin Zand is fortunate to sit down with Courtney Carter, Director of DEI at Jenner & Block, to unpack her remarkable journey and the profound impact she's making across her firm.

Courtney discusses the firm’s cornerstone DEI initiatives that have proven to develop and advance diverse lawyers, the common missteps and misconceptions that have historically hindered law firms in their DEI journey as well as practical takeaways for law firm leaders, marketing and business development professionals and clients, alike, to take the industry forward.