Passle CMO Series Podcast

Firms expect Marketing and BD to shape strategy at a high level, and they increasingly expect that strategic input to demonstrate clear revenue impact. In the latest CMO Series Podcast, James Barclay, our CEO, is joined by Gillian Ward, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Reed Smith. Gillian is one of legal marketing's most accomplished and experienced CMBDOs, and she joins us to talk about what Marketing and Business Development leaders must bring to the table right now. Gillian also shares her insights from conversations with partners about revenue generation and managing a global team   Gillian and James also jump into: What a CMBDO needs to bring to the role today. Her top three focus 18 months into the role, and what that means for her team’s delivery. How a Manager running a high-investment event should demonstrate impact and ROI for the firm. How Reed Smith's global footprint shapes what she expects from her team What she looks for from a regional senior BD manager leading a global sector like energy, and how that’s evolved. Her advice for senior marketing and BD professionals on what to focus on in their first 90 days at a new firm.  

A good rainmaker does not just provide contacts for a firm; they connect them.  On today’s episode of the Rainmakers podcast, Alex Haidar sits down with Fadwa Hammoud, Managing Member of Miller Johnson’s Detroit office, for a conversation on how her distinguished career in public service has influenced her approach to business development, collaboration, and rainmaking in the private sector. Prior to joining the firm, Fadwa led a trailblazing career as both the youngest and first Arab-American and Muslim woman to serve as Michigan’s Solicitor General and to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, following which, she served as Chief Deputy Attorney General in Michigan.  Fadwa is a modern rainmaker who drives growth with intention by deepening existing client relationships, building trust, and opening doors to opportunities across the business. Alex and Fadwa dive into: Fadwa’s public service experience, and how it has impacted her private-sector career. How she channels past relationships, reputation, and interpersonal skills into her work. Improved methods of communication and collaboration between partners. The crucial link between a client's success and the firm’s success. Being a selfless leader and its impact on the team as a whole.      

Every firm’s marketing and business development are built on a foundation of digital infrastructure, but how does a modern, technologically aware firm organise their marketing and BD objectives effectively?  On today’s episode of the CMO series podcast, Avary Flynn sits down with Drew Hawkins, Senior Director of Marketing & Operations, and Rachel Hutson, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing, from Womble Bond Dickinson. Drew and Rachel explain how utilising new software systems can revolutionise productivity, efficiency and ease of use for a firm. With the help of Passle’s CrossPitch AI, the Womble Bond Dickinson team can develop through more seamless processes.  Avary, Rachel, and Drew dive into: How the Womble Bond Dickinson team managed content creation and distribution. How CrossPitch AI encourages networking and inter-firm collaboration. The link between improved communication and increasing referrals. Technology and AI’s impact on administrative effectiveness. Time-saving methods in busy, dynamic environments. Their key piece of advice for other marketers thinking about their infrastructure and platforms      

The law firm's CMO is now a strategic, board-aligned leader with clear responsibility for driving the bottom line. On today's episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Sam Page is joined by Melanie Hill, CMO at Chambers and Partners, to explore new research into how the role of the law firm CMO is changing and where it's heading next. Melanie shares what the data revealed about how CMOs measure success, with 81% prioritising revenue growth and 69% focusing on client retention and cross-selling, ahead of new business acquisition. She also explains why brand has become a measurable business asset, why 46% of CMOs cite partner alignment as one of their biggest barriers to growth, and why the finding that only 10% see data and intelligence as core and essential points to a significant gap. Sam and Melanie dive into: What Chambers and Partners set out to learn about the law firm CMO through this research Why revenue growth, client retention and cross-selling now lead as measures of marketing success How the CMO has evolved into a strategic, board-level function driving real commercial value Why brand and reputation are now measurable business assets that shape client hiring decisions The challenge of partner alignment and buy-in, and how CMOs can become trusted partners to the firm Balancing short-term pipeline with long-term brand investment to protect future revenue Why data and intelligence should underpin every decision, and the gap the research uncovered

A merger doesn't end when the ink dries.  For Wilkin Chapman Rollits, the real work started afterwards with harmonising systems, bringing two firms together, and taking time to build new firm values that actually reflected the combined business. On this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Will Eke sits down with Gaius Powell, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Wilkin Chapman Rollits. Gaius talks through his career journey, the client‑driven thinking behind the merger, and why the firm chose to wait before relaunching its values. He also shares how they designed client feedback interviews around those values to understand how they show up in practice. Will and Gaius dive into: Gaius's career journey and what led him to Director of Marketing and BD at Wilkin Chapman Rollits How Rollits partners joining Wilkin Chapman ahead of the merger helped set the stage for what followed The main considerations behind the merger, and the thinking around building a strong presence across both regions What day-to-day life looked like post-merger, integrating laterals and building a shared culture Why the firm waited to relaunch its values, and what that process involved How updated interview-based client feedback shows the values showing up in real client relationships