Page 18 - CCCA Magazine. Winter 2018

{ FeatUre }

Kim Kobayashi, CIC.C

“To be effective, I need to understand my sions. Hugh Arnold was an outstanding instructor in delivering
organization’s priorities, culture, strate- key messages, encouraging discussion, taking time to allow us
gies and business objectives,” explains Kim Kobayashi, Legal to refect on our learnings and what we will do differently as a
Counsel and Director of Legal Services at A&W Food Services result. It was also terrifc having such a variety of GCs attend the
of Canada Inc. “The BLPIHC provided me with an excellent sessions and learn from their experiences.”
foundation to be more effective as in-house counsel and as a Kim found the learnings very relevant to real life, really helping
leader and manager.” her see things from a business perspective. Her top fve takeaways?
Kim, as sole legal counsel, provides legal and strategic advice 1. To be effective, you need to develop some skills and let go of
to senior management and staff in all departments on a wide others. You need to effectively delegate.
range of legal issues and corporate strategic initiatives. Her pre- 2. It’s not what happens but how you react.
vious experiences taught her the high value of building both 3. Hope is not a good strategy. Bring solutions!
legal and business knowledge. From private practice lawyer to 4. Work to fnd the best solution to the desired outcome.
Manager with then Price Waterhouse’s Tax Department to GC/ 5. Align legal department priorities with the organization’s
Manager in Department of Justice, Federal Treaty Negotiations business priorities: how does your piece of the world ft into
and Specifc Claims Legal Services, she had good grounding but and infuence the bigger piece?
saw the potential for more. Another important skill she uses in and out of the offce is set-
A key focus of A&W Food Services is to regularly review ting aside time for refection each day. “This is gold!” she ex-
its corporate objectives and develop new strategies to achieve plains. “Too often we get caught up in just responding and re-
them. Her desire to enhance her contributions to the business acting. We need to take time to think and refect so we can be
and strategic initiatives, and to further develop her leadership more effective and strategic in what we do.”
skills led her to the BLPIHC. As she continues to grow in her position, she is taking her
“The program was outstanding!” she says. “We had a great leadership role seriously, always looking to provide mentoring,
cohort, and I really enjoyed all the different formats, which training and new experiences for her team members to develop
included various instructors, guest speakers and group discus- as well.

“ of disciplined legal training and thought
My efforts have been to take this kind

process, and overlay it into the strategic
”
direction of our organization.

18 CCCA MAGAzInE | WInTER 2018 HIVER