Passle CMO Series Podcast

Rainmakers: EP4 - Carl Kennedy of Katten on Building a Competitive Edge with Thought Leadership

Creating impactful thought leadership content in a high-pressure, client-driven industry is no small feat, especially when time is tight. But done right, it can unlock career-defining opportunities, from keynote invitations to game-changing client wins.

In this episode of CMO Series Rainmakers, Yasmin Zand sits down with Carl Kennedy, Co-chair of Financial Markets and Regulation at Katten, to unpack how he’s built a standout reputation by consistently delivering timely, authentic thought leadership. 

Carl shares the mindset and strategy behind his thought leadership success, including how he balances content creation with client demands and how that effort has led to major speaking engagements, high-profile matters, and a strong personal brand in a crowded market.

Carl and Yasmin discuss:

• The moment Carl realised thought leadership was worth the investment
  
• How Carl ensures thought leadership resonates without sounding like everyone else
  
• What “good” looks like when it comes to expert-led content, and examples of success
  
• Practical tips for maintaining momentum (even when you’re busy)
  
• How to embed a culture of thought leadership across your firm

CMO Series REPRESENTS - Ioana Good on Finding Your Voice: A CEO's Journey to the U.S. and Path in Journalism, Thought Leadership and Tech

On this episode of CMO Series Represents, Yasmin Zand is joined by Ioana Good, founder of Promova, for a conversation that’s as inspiring as it is insightful.

Ioana’s journey began when she left Romania for the U.S. with just two suitcases and limited English. What followed was a path defined by resilience, self-education, and an unwavering commitment to growth. From navigating the challenges of a new culture to transitioning from the newsroom to the boardroom, Ioana shares how each experience helped shape her into the leader and communicator she is today.

In this episode, Ioana discusses:

• The challenges of building a life and career in a new country
• How she discovered and refined her voice as a communicator
• The transition from journalism to executive leadership
• Blending strategy, storytelling, and purpose to create real impact

Whether you're early in your career, building your own business, or simply seeking inspiration to take your next big step, Ioana’s story offers valuable lessons in owning your narrative and leading with authenticity.

Episode 176 - Julie Mortimer of Mills & Reeve on The Right Way to Kickstart Your CRM Strategy

As major infrastructure initiatives like CRM become more essential, many firms find themselves struggling to get projects off the ground. From securing stakeholder buy-in to selecting the right technology and navigating complex security requirements, launching a CRM can feel overwhelming. But with the right strategic approach, it doesn’t have to be.

In today’s episode, Charles Cousins is joined by Julie Mortimer, Director of Marketing at Mills & Reeve, for a practical deep dive into how to launch a CRM project successfully. Julie shares expert insights on overcoming common challenges, choosing the right vendors, and securing lasting buy-in from stakeholders.

In this episode, Julie and Charles discuss:

• The essential first steps CMOs should take when launching a CRM, especially in the legal sector
• How to build long-term buy-in for a complex and costly project
• Key strategic and technical considerations in the early stages
• The value of integrating AI into your CRM stack to power marketing and business development
• Advice for selecting the right vendors and technologies for your firm
• The top dos and don'ts for avoiding common CRM pitfalls

CMO Series Live Special: The AI Revolution and What it Means for CMOs

On Thursday, June 5th, we hosted CMO Series Live 2025 in New York. Throughout the day, we witnessed sessions led by senior marketing leaders and managing partners. Today, we are revisiting one of the standout sessions of the day, which explored the way AI is reshaping the landscape for legal marketing and business development. 

Moderated by Sam Page, we heard from:

• Jen Leonard, Founder & Principal at Creative Lawyers, 
• Darth Vaughn, Associate General Counsel & Managing Director, Policy and Legal Operations at Ford Motor Company
• Bridget Mary McCormack, President and CEO at American Arbitration Association
• Jim Metzger, Chief Financial Officer at Reed Smith

Jen, Darth, Bridget, and Jim addressed how CMOs can adapt to recognize and meet their clients' needs and expectations, and how to make internal strategic investments in having AI-driven legal services.

This special episode covers: 

• How AI is changing the conversations that they are having in their organizations
• The strategic steps CMOs should be taking to revolutionize business development and marketing models as AI comes into play
• Examples of specific AI deployments 
• The current positioning of the wider market for adopting and using AI, especially for clients of law firms  
• The methods to train and develop associates on the use of AI, whilst focusing on critical thinking
• The approaches that CMOs can take to having conversations with their CFOs on rationalizing the cost of implementing AI

Episode 175 - Richard Meneghello of Fisher Phillips on How Smart Content Can Set Your Firm Apart

Content has become a powerful driver of visibility and growth in the legal industry. But with so many approaches to creating and delivering content, how can firms foster a culture that not only encourages contribution but also supports business development and client engagement?

On this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, James Barclay is joined by Richard Meneghello, Chief Content Officer at Fisher Phillips, to explore what it takes to get lawyers writing, and why close collaboration with marketing and BD teams is essential to making it work.

Richard also shares his perspective on the role of technology, particularly AI, in helping lawyers write more effectively and deliver content that resonates. Plus, he offers thoughtful advice on how firms can embrace AI while protecting their brand integrity and maintaining trust.

James and Richard cover:

• Richard’s career journey from Partner to Chief Content Officer and what that transition looked like
• The role of Chief Content Officer and what the role looks like day-to-day
• How Richard collaborates across the teams while leading an independent function within the firm
• Examples where specific content campaigns have directly contributed to the firm's client growth or business development
• Strategies to get lawyers writing and writing well and the steps taken to build a culture of content
• The ways AI and technology are being used to help train lawyers in writing content and pushing out insights faster
• Advice for CMOs looking to elevate their content and separate themselves from other firms

Episode 174 - Jason Levin of Ready, Set, Launch, LLC on The Key to Cross-Selling: Building Real Human Connection

Cross-selling is becoming an essential part of how law firms can boost their revenue and create long-lasting relationships with their clients. Yet, CMOs and BD leaders have recognized that their lawyers are struggling to cross-sell effectively, leaving them wondering how they can get their lawyers over the cross-selling barriers. The key to that is building real human connection. 

On today's episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Charlie Knight is joined by Jason Levin, Founder of Ready Set Launch and author of Relationships to Infinity, former brand marketer of Unilever, and a business development coach to law firms across the US. Jason shares his insights on how CMOs can help their lawyers be more authentic and in-tune with their clients to help unlock unlimited opportunities to cross-sell and establish long-lasting relationships.

Charlie and Jason cover: 

• The types of clients Jason takes on and the core work Jason does with law firms
• The expectations that general counsels have for law firms and the reason why lawyers fall short in meeting their expectations
• The approaches lawyers can take to build relationships and how CMOs can make it easier for their lawyers
• The barriers holding law firms back from cross-selling and what practical steps CMOs can take to help their lawyers unlock their cross-selling potential
• The ways CMOs can help their lawyers shift from the ‘not enough time’ mindset to a proactive mindset
• Practical examples of small changes that lead to significant results, along with key takeaways CMOs should apply
• Advice for CMOs on building authentic relationships to unlock the full potential of cross-selling within their firms

CMO Series Live Special: How Law Firm Leaders Use Thought Leadership to Drive Growth

In this special edition of the CMO Series Podcast, we revisit one of the standout sessions from last week’s CMO Series Live in New York. This episode explores how managing partners and senior leaders are using thought leadership to strengthen client relationships, drive business development, and leave a lasting impact in the digital space.

This session was moderated by our very own Alistair Bone, who was joined on stage by:

• Jeff Greenbaum, Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
• Simon Malko, Managing Partner of Morris, Manning & Martin
• Meredith Williams-Range, Chief Legal Operating Officer at Gibson Dunn
• Carl Kennedy, Partner and Co-Chair, Financial Markets and Regulation at Katten

Jeff, Simon, Meredith, and Carl shared how effectively leveraging thought leadership has fueled their firm’s growth, elevated their personal brands, and empowered their lawyers to become thought leaders themselves.

This special episode covers: 

• How thought leadership fits into today's legal landscape and why it's significant
• The challenges to expect when getting your lawyers to create their own thought leadership
• Refreshing approaches to maintaining a dynamic and compelling online presence over the long term  
• Advice for firms that want to build successful thought leadership programs 

RE-RELEASE: Gina Connell on How to Bring Your Firm on the AI Journey

AI is quickly being adopted and used to keep firms ahead of the curve, yet many firms struggle to do this effectively and get the most out of AI. However, the key question many firms ask is ‘How do we bring the whole firm along the journey of using AI?’

In today’s re-release episode, Gina Connell, Chief Marketing Officer at B P Collins, discusses the practical and strategic approaches to navigating the journey of AI within a firm. Gina breaks down how she led the charge of the firm’s AI policy, how firms can collaborate and use AI, and how to encourage people across the firm to engage with AI effectively. 

This episode covers: 

• Practical steps to effectively developing and communicating an AI policy
• How to bring the different areas of the firm up to speed on AI and its potential impact on their sectors. 
• What the AI journey looks like and what are the biggest opportunities for AI in legal marketing.
• Advice for marketers looking to stay ahead of the curve with AI in their firm.

Episode 173 - Laura Klysz of Simmons & Simmons on The Power of Storytelling in Legal Marketing

For law firms to truly stand out, creativity in storytelling is essential. It’s what humanises the brand and helps build stronger, more meaningful relationships with clients and prospects.

On today’s episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Alistair Bone is joined by Laura Klysz, Chief Marketing Officer at Simmons & Simmons, who recently led the firm to a Drum Award nomination for their standout campaign, The Year Ahead 2025.

Laura shares how storytelling has become a powerful foundation of her legal marketing strategy - and how looking beyond the legal sector for inspiration can unlock new levels of creativity and thought leadership.

In this conversation, Laura takes us behind the scenes of The Year Ahead campaign, discussing the concept, the creative process, and the challenges faced along the way, including some surprising results. She also offers a sneak peek at what’s next and how she plans to sustain the momentum.

Laura and Ali explore:

• Her journey to becoming CMO and how it shaped her approach to storytelling
• Why storytelling is central to building a modern legal brand
• What law firms can learn from other industries about creativity and content leadership
• How The Year Ahead campaign was developed, launched, and brought to life with stakeholder buy-in
• The campaign’s internal and external impact - and the unexpected outcomes that followed
• Her strategy for evolving the campaign and keeping it fresh
• Practical advice for CMOs looking to embed storytelling into their marketing efforts

Episode 172 - Nicholas Barrows of Trowers & Hamlins on Blending AI with Human Creativity to Drive Deeper Client Connections

AI and automation are reshaping how professionals engage with their clients and promote their services, but is there any room left for human creativity? 

In today’s episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins is joined by Nicholas Barrows, Director of Marketing at Trowers & Hamlins, to discuss the evolution of AI, data and creativity in marketing and business development.

Nicholas shares his insights on how AI is transforming the professional industry, the journey of their data-driven campaigns like ‘Rethinking Regeneration’, and how professionals can blend AI, data, and human creativity to promote greater client engagement.

Nicholas and Charles cover: 

• How AI and data have changed the way professionals engage with their clients in marketing and business development, and where human creativity fits into this.
• How to leverage AI and automation to uncover new opportunities and drive business development efforts.
• The ‘Rethinking Regeneration’ campaign, and the roles technology and data-driven client engagement play alongside human creativity.
• The challenges of delivering the ‘Rethinking Regeneration’ campaign and how they were tackled.
• Advice for professionals looking to blend AI with creativity for better client engagement.