Passle CMO Series Podcast

Episode 88 - Silvia Van Den Bruel of Hausfeld on driving social inclusion and the role of legal marketing

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Nearly all law firms have a DEI policy in place but how many are truly progressive when it comes to creating an inclusive and equitable environment for lawyers and business professionals to thrive? 

That’s the theme of today’s episode of the CMO Series, and Will Eke is very lucky to welcome Silvia Van Den Bruel,  Marketing & Business Development Director at Hausfeld, to talk about social inclusion and the role of the marketing and BD function in driving change. 

Silvia and Will discuss:

• What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion looks like in today’s firms
• The importance of language and the other factors that need addressing
• Hausfeld’s approach to DEI and the opportunities for improvement
• The role of the marketing function in driving change when it comes to social inclusion within law firms
• Real-world examples of where DEI has benefited the firm
• Advice for Marketing and BD leaders looking to take a more inclusive approach in their firm

 

 

 

Episode 87 - Kimberly Conyers on identifying pivotal moments in a legal marketing career

It’s easy to reflect on the most significant moments in your career in retrospect, but understanding and identifying those milestones when they happen can be fundamental to taking the next step in your career journey.

On today’s CMO Series podcast, Eugene McCormick is lucky to welcome Kimberly Conyers, Senior Marketing and Business Development Manager at Kennedys, to talk to us about the pivotal moments in her unique career.

Kimberly and Eugene explore: 

• Kim’s path into legal marketing and business development and where the journey started
• The first pivotal moment in Kim’s career and when she realised how important that was
• The approach Kim took to building her skillset and understanding the value she had to offer in her next role
• The key projects or milestones that were pivotal in influencing the course of Kim’s career
• The key factors or characteristics to understanding when is the right time to take the next opportunity
• Advice to help other professionals recognise pivotal career moments and when to take the next step
  
  

CMO Series REPRESENTS: Embracing Equity - Holding your own and finding joy in legal marketing

In the final part of CMO Series REPRESENTS: Embracing Equity program, leading female voices across the legal marketing industry discuss the need for women to back themselves and be their own advocates to build a successful career in the profession. 

This brilliant group of guests reflect on their experiences and share their personal perspectives, encouraging women to find joy in their careers and take ownership of forging their own paths in the industry in order to strike a fulfilling work-life balance. 

We have the honour of hearing personal stories and perspectives from Charlotte Green, Head of Clients and Markets at Gowling WLG, Trish Lilley, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Thompson Coburn, Elinor Gilles-Jones, Head of Business Development and Events at Wrigleys Solicitors, Sophie Hudson, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Sherrards Solicitors, Jane Biddell, Marketing and Business Development Director at Fox Williams, Jean Marie Campbell, Head of Client Development for North America for Baker McKenzie, Heather Morse, Chief Business Development Officer McGlinchey Stafford, Catherine Knock, Head of Marketing & Communications at Hassans, Siobhan Moret, Marketing Director at Saffery Champness, Tania D’Souza Culora, Founding Partner at Seastone IP and Candice De Bruin, Head of Business and Practice Development at Werksmans Attorneys.

Episode 86 - Chris Postizzi of MG+M The Law Firm on building a marketing function from the ground up

A law firm often brings in a new CMO to overhaul the firm's go-to-market approach. In some cases, the firm has little to no existing marketing function and the new CMO must build a team from the ground up.

On today’s CMO Series, Charles Cousins is lucky to welcome Chris Postizzi, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at MG+M The Law Firm, to explore the challenges, learnings and successes that come from starting with a clean slate as a new CMO.

Chris and Charles discuss: 

• How Chris came to the role of CMO at MG+M
• Where the firm is now, compared to where it was a year ago when Chris joined
• The main projects Chris prioritised in the first year and the approach to delivering those
• The experience of recruiting a whole team in the current market and Chris’s philosophy for building the team out
• Advice for others thinking about or trying to build out their marketing and BD function

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Embracing Equity: Building confidence in your capabilities

This week on CMO Series REPRESENTS we’re joined by another group of leading women in  professional services marketing to discuss the techniques they have developed throughout their careers to build confidence in their capabilities. We also take a closer look at some of the innovative initiatives firms are creating to embed equity within their culture.

Our esteemed guests share their unique perspectives and lived experiences which have shaped their growth, and discuss the importance of having confidence in their own abilities to build resilience and respect within the profession.

We’re thankful to hear from Silvia Van Den Bruel, Marketing & BD Director at Hausfeld, Rachel Hussey, Clients and Markets Partner at Arthur Cox, Lea Kusano, Head of Communication & Marketing at Kellerhals Carrard, Lisa Vicine, Chief Marketing Officer at Arnall Golden Gregory, Joanna Hansen, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Morton Fraser Lawyers, Danielle Paige, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Nixon Peabody, Amelia Stirling, CMO at Burges Salmon, Nancy Kostakos, Chief Marketing Officer at Cooley, Jill Huse, Partner at Society 54, Anna Hedgepeth, Director of Business Development at Cranfill Sumner, and Sarah Ryan, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Stark & Stark.

Episode 85 - Susan Hollender of Michael Best on legal products and the role of the Chief Growth Officer

There are very few Chief Growth Officers working within law firms. It's a role that places an emphasis on value, revenue and on the business benefit that marketing and business development can bring.

On this episode of the CMO Series, James Barclay is lucky to welcome Susan Hollender, Chief Growth Officer at Michael Best, to see how she and her team are delivering value and growth through legal productisation. 

James and Susan delve into:

• How Susan arrived in her current role as Chief Growth Officer and at what point on that journey she became familiar with productisation in the context of legal service
• The synergy between disruption and growth and how to position yourself to have the mandate to do things differently
• The definition of Productisation and how it works in a legal context
• How Susan identified that productisation was something that would have an impact at Michael Best
• The processes that helped establish those products within the firm
• The level of cultural acceptance the firm needs to adopt these practices
• Advice for others trying to lead growth in their firms

 

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Embracing Equity: Harnessing the power of your network

Our celebration of leading women in professional services marketing continues on this week’s episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS where we explore the power of networks and why building and sustaining strong relationships with peers in professional services marketing can be key to longevity and success within the industry. 

We’re grateful to hear unique insights and personal experiences on developing professional support networks from Geneva Granatstein, Director of Marketing at Lane Powell, Laura Nicholls, Chief Business Development Officer at Ashurst, Jessica Grayson, Managing Director of Business Development and Marketing at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan,  Larissa Palmer, Chief Business Development Officer at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Natalia-Ruiz Moreno, Head of Marketing And Business Development at Boyes Turner, Melanie Davidson Barros, Chief Marketing Officer at Conyers, Melissa Marshall, Chief Marketing Officer at Levenfeld Pearlstein and Mary-Ann Russell, Head of Marketing and Sales Enablement at AMS.

Episode 84 - Rachael Schilling of Liskow on the decisions and challenges behind a legal rebrand

Law firms increasingly see their brand and digital presence as key to growth. With this demand, there is more pressure on marketing teams to execute successful redesigns and rebrands which often turn into the most complicated marketing projects.

Today we're diving into the decisions and challenges of a rebrand. Charles Cousins is thrilled to welcome Rachael Schilling, Director of Marketing at Liskow, to the CMO Series to discuss how she and her team navigated their recent rebranding and web redesign.

Charles and Rachael discuss: 

• Rachael’s background and how she came to be CMO at Liskow
• How the rebrand came about, and the driving forces behind it
• How the rebrand fitted into the wider strategy
• The influence of industry changes on the redesign
• Managing the internal communications around the rebrand 
• Advice for others trying to lead a rebrand in their firms

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Embracing Equity: Carving a path in professional services marketing

Celebrating leading female voices during Women’s History Month and beyond, we catch up with a brilliant group of women in professional services marketing and business development to hear how they have built successful careers and the importance of planning ahead when carving your path in the industry. 

From balancing family life and career progression to knowing the right time to move on, we’re honoured to hear personal experiences and helpful insights from Shirin Hamidi, Senior Marketing Manager at Simons Muirhead Burton, Sophie Bowkett, Chief Marketing Officer at Bird & Bird, Laura Toledo, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Nilan Johnson Lewis, Kim Rennick, Director of Client Relations at Covington and Burling, Archana Venkat, Chief Marketing Officer at Trilegal, Alison Arjoon, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Fragomen, Natalie Stephan, Chief Marketing Officer at Adams & Adams, Molly Klein, Chief Marketing Officer at Davies Wright Tremaine and Laura Desjean, Head of Client Relations and Education at Tyson & Mendes.

Episode 83 - Douglas Szabo and Gail Lamarche of Henderson Franklin on responding to crises and the role of law firm leaders

Professional service firms are well versed in reacting to large-scale events, whether it’s an economic crisis, a global pandemic or regulatory changes. How firm leaders respond, manage and communicate the subsequent impact with their people and clients is critical.

What many firms are less used to handling, is a natural disaster of epic proportions. On this episode of the CMO Series, Ed Lovatt welcomes Douglas Szabo, Managing Lawyer, and Gail Lamarche, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Henderson Franklin to hear what happened when Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida last year, and how the management team responded in the wake of a 500-year flood.

Ed, Gail and Douglas discuss: 

• The immediate response when the hurricane hit and the first priorities
• How the senior management team came together to respond and the communications plans that were put into action
• How  crisis plans were implemented or changed as things developed on the ground 
• The importance and impact of thoughtful and authentic internal communications 
• The priorities and processes of communication with external clients in the aftermath of a crisis
• The unintentional outcomes that resulted from  the experience and how they might influence future processes
• Lessons and advice for law firm leaders and marketing professionals on planning crisis communications so they can be better prepared for potential future events