Passle CMO Series Podcast

Passle CMO Series Podcast

By PassleBusinessMarketing
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Passle CMO Series Podcast episodes

  • Episode 132 - Hugo Peña of Gonzalez Calvillo on The formalisation of Law Firm Business Development

    Across the legal industry, firms are seeing the increasing need for a professional and high-performing business development function. 


    Today on the CMO Series Podcast, Cam Dobinson is joined by Hugo Peña, Director of Business Development at Gonzalez Calvillo, to discuss the change he has witnessed throughout his career and what the formalization of legal BD means for firms and business development professionals.

    Hugo and Cam discuss:

    • What "formalizing legal BD" means and why it is something that those in BD & marketing roles should be aware of
  • How this trend is playing out differently in Latin America and what can others learn from what is happening in the industry 
  • The ideal role and structure of BD teams in a modern firm and how they are organized
  • The distinction between marketing and BD as well as lawyers and BD
  • Key challenges or focus points that have arisen as part of the formalization of BD
  • Advice for aspiring BD leaders looking to formalize their BD approach 
    • 19 min
  • Episode 131 - Noni Garratt-Wall of Charles Russell Speechlys on The Art Of A Law Firm Rebrand

    Ensuring that clients align with a firm's values is vital for a successful legal rebrand. Actively listening to clients, crafting compelling brand narratives, and fostering a cohesive firm culture, all contribute to a brand that resonates and reflects a firm’s long-term strategic direction.

    Today, Will Eke has the pleasure of speaking with Noni Garratt-Wall, Head of Marketing at Charles Russell Speechlys, about her journey through the rebranding process as she joins the CMO Series Podcast.

    Will and Noni discuss: 

    • The reasons behind the rebrand and how the  process began
  • The importance of timing and the impact on the success of the project
  • The key starting points of the rebrand, and the core messages that were essential to the new brand narrative and positioning
  • The main challenges or roadblocks along the journey
  • How to get buy-in from the partnership and manage the feedback process 
  • How to launch the brand internally and embed it across the firm
  • Advice for any legal marketers embarking on a rebrand
    • 21 min
  • Episode 130 - Deborah Fleming of Walker Morris on Bringing a Winning Bid Strategy to Legal BD

    Developing an effective bid strategy is key to the success of any legal business development function, yet the process often goes into a black box and isn’t fully leveraged by firm leaders.


    On this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Will Eke is joined by Deborah Fleming, Marketing & Business Development Director at Walker Morris, to discuss the critical role of a winning bid strategy and its impact on marketing and BD. 

    Deborah and Will explore:

    • Deborah’s career journey to her current role at Walker Morris
  • How bid experience can set you up for success in legal BD and the transferable skills it can offer
  • What the bid process looks like end-to-end
  • What success looks like when working on a winning bid strategy
  • How to get lawyers and other firm members on board with the approach
  • Walker Morris’s newly launched website for GCs, and how it came about
  • What the landscape looks like for bids and where Deborah sees it going in the future
  • Advice for marketing leaders looking to create a winning bid strategy and advice for those considering a move into bids
    • 26 min
  • Episode 129 - Allan Schoenberg of Vinson & Elkins on Culture, Connection and the Evolving Role of Legal Comms

    The role of Communications is the linchpin of effectively managing a law firm’s brand and reputation, not to mention being a key player in the development and success of a firm’s culture. 


    Today, Will Eke is lucky to welcome Allan Schoenberg, who is celebrating 3 years as Chief Communications Officer at Vinson & Elkins, to the CMO Series Podcast to discuss his unique career journey, and the pivotal role communications plays in today’s firms. 

    Allan and Will discuss:

    • Allan’s career journey to his current role as Chief Communications Officer at Vinson & Elkins 
  • The work dynamic he has with the Chief Business Development Officer and Chief Innovation Officer and the key to working together successfully
  • How the role of Communications in law firms is evolving, and how the landscape has changed
  • The key projects Allan wanted to get started on when he joined the firm
  • How to demonstrate the value you're bringing through Communications to the managing partners and wider firm
  • The greatest achievements in the role so far
  • Advice for Communications professionals working within law firms

    •  

    33 min
  • Episode 128 - Melodie Tilley of FordHarrison on Creating A Culture Of Human Connection In Legal Marketing

    While remote and hybrid working has become the norm for many, establishing real human connections can be a challenge. Creating a culture of meaningful connection and collaboration in a law firm requires intention.

     

    Eugene McCormick is lucky to welcome someone who has not only created a culture of human connection within the legal marketing and BD team, but across the entire firm and multiple geographies. Melodie Tilley, Chief Client Development Officer at FordHarrison, joins the CMO Series Podcast to share her insights on how to do it effectively.

     

    Melodie and Eugene discuss:

    • The point in Melodie’s career she realized the importance of human connection and creating a culture that enables that to happen 
  • How to successfully run internal and external events that build connections and collaboration 
  • The challenges and barriers to success in getting those events off the ground
  • How physical events align with content strategy and other marketing and BD activities
  • How coaching programs are helping foster human connections across the business
  • The impact on the marketing team and the wider firm 
  • Advice for other marketing and BD leaders looking to create more opportunities for human connection in their firm

    •  

     

    27 min
  • CMO Series REPRESENTS - Terra Davis of Knobbe Martens on Fostering Psychological Safety, Inclusion and Belonging

    On this episode of the CMO Series REPRESENTS Podcast, Yasmin Zand is lucky to sit down with Terra Davis, Chief Diversity & Talent Development Officer at Knobbe Martens. Terra joins the series to share her journey, why she started advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion, and the critical role of psychological safety in law firms.


    Terra discusses the strategies and programs she is working on to drive change and innovation to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone belongs, as well as advice for others looking to promote psychological safety within their firms. 

    17 min
  • Episode 127 - Karen Snell of Kennedys on Modernising & Globalising a BD function

    The Business Development function is becoming more professional and more valued by services firms, but there is still a need to modernise and bring global teams together to develop best practice approaches.


    On today’s CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins welcomes Karen Snell, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Kennedys to discuss how she and her team are becoming more effective as a modern global BD function.

    Karen and Charles discuss:

    • Why modernising and globalising a BD function is something Marketing & BD leaders should be thinking about
  • How Karen came to her role at Kennedys, and when she realised that modernising and globalising the function was needed
  • How to decide the priorities and what the focus is at this stage of the project
  • The approach for incorporating data and client feedback
  • How to ensure consistency and best practice across global regions that is recognisable across the firm
  • What success looks like for the next 2-5 years
  • Advice for marketing leaders wondering how they can build a more modern and effective BD function
    • 23 min
  • Episode 126 - Nicole Miles Of Dentons On What It Takes To Build An Effective Approach To Business Development

    Every law firm is at a different stage of professionalizing its approach to business development. Today, Will Eke has the pleasure of talking to Nicole Miles the Chief Clients & Markets Officer for Dentons Canada Region, to find out what it takes to build an effective, globally-minded approach to legal business development.


    Nicole and Will discuss:

    • The importance of BD in today’s firms and what is driving that
  • How Nicole came to her role at Dentons and how the role and approach to Legal Marketing and Business Development have progressed throughout that career journey
  • Denton’s Global Growth Program and the goals for that initiative
  • The biggest changes that clients and firms need to make to see the value of marketing and business development
  • How to tailor the BD approach to suit a unique structure and the opportunities and challenges that arise from that
  • Advice for marketing leaders wondering how they can build a more modern and effective BD function
    • 26 min
  • Episode 125 - Sona Spencer of Troutman Pepper on Being an Advocate for Talent

    In a people-driven business like a law firm, talent isn't just important—it's the linchpin for success. In this episode of the CMO Series, Eugene McCormick sits down with Sona Spencer, Chief Legal Talent Officer at Troutman Pepper, to explore her crucial role as a talent advocate and how talent becomes the driving force behind the firm's commercial achievements.

     

    Sona and Eugene discuss:

    • How Sona came to her role at Troutman Pepper and the moment in her journey she realised how critical talent was to the success of the firm
  • The scope of Sona’s role as Chief Legal Talent Officer and how it connects to other functions such as HR
  • The main challenges facing talent within law firms and the key considerations including DEI and generational differences 
  • How to go about building a strategy for talent that will lead to success for the firm and its people
  • How the recent merger of the firm affects Sona’s role in the short and medium-term
  • The essential tools and skills of a talent officer
  • Advice for others looking to advocate for and unlock the potential of the talent at their firm

    •  

    36 min
  • Episode 124 - Brianna Leung of Much Shelist on How a Law Firm Strategy is Made

    Marketers and Business Development professionals are crucial to the success of a law firm's strategy, yet for many, the way firms create their strategy remains a mystery. 


    On this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Alistair Bone welcomes Brie Leung, Chief Strategy Officer at Much Shelist, to help demystify the strategic planning process and discuss the role of a Chief Strategy Officer in designing and executing an effective law firm strategy.

    Brie and Ali discuss:

    • How a law firm strategy happens and the steps to creating one
  • How Brie came to her role as Chief Strategy Officer, and the moment she realized she was able to add real value to a firm
  • The ‘design process’ and why Brie refers to it in that way
  • The definition of an effective strategy
  • How to start implementing a strategic plan
  • The process of keeping to the plan in the medium to long term
  • How to tell if you are successful with a strategic plan
  • Advice for those trying to improve the way their firm designs and executes a strategy

    •  

    35 min

About Passle CMO Series Podcast

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The must-listen podcast for professional services marketers, featuring conversations with leading voices in business development and marketing across the sector.

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