Innovative Legal Leadership

Dr. Sebastian Lochen, the General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Thyssenkrupp, shares his professional journey within the company, where he began his career in the compliance department in 2011 and rose to lead the legal function in 2021. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Lochen emphasizes the significance of embedding the legal team within the business units to ensure proactive support and early involvement in organizational projects and decisions.Lochen speaks to the environmental and regulatory challenges Thyssenkrupp faces as it transitions to greener technologies, and how the changing business model, driven by regulatory pressures and economic shifts, requires adaptive strategies from the legal team to provide robust support while also maintaining vigilance over traditional risk areas like antitrust issues. The two also explore the evolving dynamics between Thyssenkrupp and its external legal advisors. Dr. Lochen discusses the critical role of law firms in providing innovative solutions and leveraging technology to enhance legal service delivery. He emphasizes the importance of a collaborative relationship with external partners to navigate new regulatory landscapes effectively. 04:36 Expansion of Compliance Programs Since 201107:36 Diversified Industry Ventures Overview09:50 Integrating with Business Operations13:41 Future Challenges: Regulation and Efficiency18:06 AI Compliance Implementation Strategies19:48 Evolving Role of Law Firms24:53 Steel Industry's Green Transition25:46 Navigating Economic and Legal Changes29:33 Nurturing Children's Interests through ExplorationHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, Cynthia Lareine interviews Samallie Kiyingi, the global General Counsel for Corporate Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank. The two talk about Samallie's impressive career journey, emphasizing her transitions across prestigious organizations like Afreximbank, Clifford Chance, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. Despite initially focusing on international law and human rights, Samallie’s path led her into finance law, a transition influenced by mentors and opportunities to develop a wide range of skills. Her global career, spanning continents including Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and her current role at Standard Chartered reflect a natural progression towards leveraging finance to foster prosperity.The conversation delves into Samallie’s leadership style, enriched by her culturally diverse work experiences. She discusses the challenges of adapting to different cultural contexts, such as her significant moves from Sydney to London, Cairo, and Singapore. One pivotal moment in her career was negotiating and procuring COVID-19 vaccines for African countries, where her structured finance expertise played a crucial role. Samallie stresses the importance of maintaining personal resilience and celebrating team wins in high-pressure situations. She advocates for clear daily routines, empathetic leadership, and building trust within teams to enhance productivity and innovation.Samallie also shares insights on elevating the in-house legal team's strategic role within organizations. She emphasizes the necessity of relationship-building, over-communicating, and taking ownership to demonstrate value beyond the traditional legal advisory scope. Additionally, as a member of Standard Chartered’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Samallie highlights the importance of fostering diverse leadership and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. She balances forward-looking perspectives on technological advancements in the legal field with practical advice for young lawyers on betting on themselves and seeking roles that open future opportunities. Her personal reflections and professional guidance make for an inspiring episode, underscoring her belief in leveraging law and finance as tools for broader societal impact.06:57 Cultural Bias in Leadership Adaptation08:41 Cultural Sensitivity in Workplace Communication14:16 Vaccine Collaboration and Coordination17:16 Managing Stress Through Routine19:28 Celebrating Wins Amid Challenges24:04 Surprise Award Highlights Global Impact27:16 Building Legal-Business Trust30:17 Boosting Personal Visibility at Work32:28 Visibility and Relationship-Building Strategies36:10 Enhancing Diversity Through Senior Engagement40:10 Tech Innovations in Legal Industry43:26 Career Decisions: Prioritizing Future OpportunitiesHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, Jim Delkousis, CEO of PERSUIT, sits down with Tia Sherringham, General Counsel at DoorDash, to explore how legal can be a true business partner rather than just the department of “no.” Tia shares her journey from being the second lawyer at DoorDash to leading a global legal team of 150, navigating the company through hypergrowth, the pandemic pivot, and its IPO. She also dives into building a problem-solving legal culture, partnering with external counsel, and scaling legal for a global company.From empowering her team with a "Yes, And" mindset to balancing business agility and compliance, Tia offers valuable insights for legal leaders looking to evolve with their companies.For more great episodes of the Innovative Legal Leadership podcast, visit PERSUIT.com[00:01:14] - Tia's Journey to Law and DoorDash[00:03:18] - The Scrappy Early Days as DoorDash’s second lawyer[00:04:23] - The Pandemic Pivot, Pausing the IPO [00:06:51] - Scaling Legal Through an IPO & Beyond[00:12:04] - The DRI Model and Empowering Her Legal Team[00:13:11] - Choosing the Right External Legal Partners[00:17:33] - Legal as the "Department of Yes, And"[00:19:34] - Legal & Marketing Collaboration (Including a Super Bowl appearance)[00:21:32] - The Future of Legal & AI[00:22:40] - Advice to Her 25-Year-Old Self[00:24:25] - Fun Wrap-Up: Tia’s Go-To DoorDash OrdersHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode of the Innovative Legal Leadership Podcast, Jim Delkousis sits down with Lynn Charytan, the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Comcast Cable. Lynn traces her career journey, starting from her early days at the Washington Post, moving on to a 17-year tenure at WilmerHale as a partner, and finally transitioning to Comcast in 2010. She describes the challenges she faced in establishing a legal regulatory function at Comcast without a structured onboarding process and reflects on important milestone moments that shaped her career, including a transformative realization about her leadership approach.Lynn discusses her perspective on leadership, emphasizing the need to empower her legal team to excel rather than focusing solely on her own expertise. She recounts how her department has grown and evolved with the addition of new legal functions like compliance and government investigations. Lynn highlights the importance of having a robust onboarding process to foster a strong team culture. She also touches on topics like cybersecurity, the role of AI in business and legal operations, and maintaining strategic partnerships with external law firms.00:00 Lynn's Career and AI Insights04:49 Establishing a Legal Regulatory Team07:20 Career Transition and Reflection12:44 Empowering Colleagues for Success16:39 Navigating Selective Leadership and Trust18:06 Enhancing Interdepartmental Collaboration23:38 AI's Role in Law Efficiency26:30 Collaborating to Overcome Resistance29:37 Collaborative Firm Negotiations34:18 Understanding Business Strategy for Decisions35:01 Integrating Legal Advisors in Strategy38:58 Shifting Focus: From Self to OthersHear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Angelique Strong Marks, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer at Cars.com, joins us to discuss what it truly means to win as in-house counsel. She emphasizes the importance of understanding a company’s business goals and aligning legal strategies accordingly. Angelique also explores how AI is transforming the legal field, allowing lawyers to focus on more strategic tasks, and shares her unique take on diversity, highlighting the need to redefine success metrics in the legal profession. Tune in for valuable insights into holistic legal strategies, AI’s role in legal operations, and the future of diversity in law.Join us as we discuss:[1:48] Leadership and what it means to win as an in-house legal counsel[7:41] AI and digital transformation in the legal profession[15:48] Why the diversity conversation is still flawedCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:What it Means to Win for In-House Counsel by Angelique Strong MarksHear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Nisreen Al-Shaker, Global Head of Legal Operations and Strategy — Legal and Compliance at Nokia, didn’t passionately pursue legal ops. Instead, her diverse experiences in multiple international legal departments naturally pushed her into the dynamic field.Nisreen believes an expansive skillset is essential to understanding the challenges that come with today’s lightning-fast change in the legal industry.She gives us an exclusive snapshot of how her team is embracing innovative tools and collaborating with partners like PERSUIT to establish operational resilience in their Middle Eastern market. Join us as we discuss:[5:23] How legal ops helps in-house teams navigate complex issues[15:04] Partnering with PERSUIT to help unravel spending expectations[23:53] Operational resilience in the face of rapid change[33:11] The rise of legal operations in the Middle EastCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC)Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Damien Atkins, CLO and GC at Aura, a provider of online security solutions, has learned a lot about leadership during his extensive career spanning companies like AOL, Panasonic, and Hershey’s. His reputation has garnered him recognition in multiple publications, including recently being named as one of the most influential executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine.Yet he’s always chasing more insights, which is why he launched The Purposeful Leader, a podcast featuring executives from law and business who discuss leadership values. Damien joins us for a compelling conversation about what distinguishes great legal leaders, how they can drive cultural change, and why they need to work outside of the legal box.Join us as we discuss:[4:38] Drawing from the leadership philosophies of great sports coaches[14:06] Creating in-house culture for differentiated value to the business[22:57] Expanding the influence of in-house within the business[36:24] Using technology strategically to drive more impactCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Savoy Magazine: 2024 Most Influential Executives In Corporate AmericaThe Purposeful LeaderHear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

From Zimbabwe to Nairobi, Otilia Phiri has solidified her reputation as a leader in the African legal tech space.As Principal Corporate Counsel for the Africa Regional Cluster at Microsoft, she’s committed to transforming how legal departments support business objectives, promoting diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to in-house projects.Otilia gives us an exclusive peek into how Microsoft is transforming the African continent with exciting new technology and how she thinks AI will give legal professionals more creative freedom.Join us as we discuss:[15:38] AI conversations at Microsoft and African agencies[25:33] Use cases for AI tools in Microsoft’s legal departments[32:08] DEI and career advancement opportunities[46:06] Why old traditions are holding the legal industry backCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:Microsoft Africa Development CenterMicrosoft Responsible AI PrinciplesCopilot for Microsoft 365100 Most Influential African Leaders in Technology & TelecommunicationsHear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How does one begin to measure the social impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in legal? And how can you get others to buy in? When Porter Merriman, VP & Assistant GC at AutoDesk, helped spearhead her department’s new DEIB program, she knew she couldn’t force people to be fully invested. But she could acknowledge and reward those who were. In this episode of our new Mission Possible series, Porter gives other legal leaders a map to help them charter their own DEIB programs and build diverse partnerships. Join us as we discuss: - Why DEIB can’t be a string of start-stop initiatives (1:54) - Factoring DEIB in the external sourcing process (7:59) - Advice to legal leaders starting internal DEIB programs (14:29) Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: AutoDesk FY2023 Diversity & Belonging Report Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Ulrike Schwarz-Runer, Managing Director and Senior Partner, GC and CLO at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has long been a champion for DEI and psychological safety in the workplace.While she’s overseeing BCG’s global legal operations, she’s also leveraging her position to empower her people to feel safe and heard while participating in international forums on inclusivity.Ulrike shares how BCG is driving DEI initiatives through innovation, effective communication, and expertise deployment.Join us as we discuss:➡️[5:11] Why diverse teams are more effective and innovative➡️[14:32] The importance of psychological safety in the workplace➡️[21:39] Keeping the human connection in digital transformationCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:➡️The Positive Domino Effect of Psychological Safety (BCG)➡️Flexible Teams Are Key for In-house Lawyers to Share Expertise (Financial Times)Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform.Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.