#65 - What It Really Takes to Be a CLO Today

Producer’s Note: Oops—we hit a tech snag and the original episode got clipped. Here is the full version. Thanks for bearing with us!

When April Miller Boise says she runs into burning buildings, she’s not exaggerating—she thrives in transformation. As EVP, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Intel, April brings a rare blend of legal precision and big-picture business leadership to one of the most complex roles in the C-suite.

In this episode, April sits down with Mary to unpack what it really takes to become a CLO today—and why it’s nothing like the GC roles of the past. They talk about building teams during chaos, navigating massive disruption, and why legal expertise alone won’t cut it.

In this episode:

• The CLO Shift: Why being a great lawyer is now table stakes—and how CLOs are expected to operate like full-scale business executives.
• Burning Buildings & Career Growth: April shares how she built her career by saying yes to hard things, taking on crisis roles, and leading through change.
• From M&A to Mining: How April’s cross-industry experience—from pineapples to Yankee bonds—gives her a unique edge in global leadership.
• The 80/20 Rule: April explains why only 20% of her job is “lawyering”—and what the other 80% really looks like.
• Rethinking Legal Talent: From AI to hybrid work, the next generation won’t learn the way we did—so how do we prepare them to lead?
• Outside Counsel, Inside Value: What April expects from law firms today, and why relationships matter more than ever.
• What’s Next for Legal Leadership: Why the CLO role is gaining power in the C-suite—and how legal can stay ahead in a world of nonstop change.