Page 19 - CCCA Magazine. Winter 2018

{ FeatUre }

Christine Thomas, CIC.C

“I absolutely love learning,” says Chris- from full-time employment to raise her young family, she re-
tine Thomas, Director, Subsidiary Invest- turned in-house at a fnancial services frm and now not-for-
ments, Legal, at the Canadian Medical proft organization.
Association, “and I felt that I lacked formal business training. Recognizing the need to up her business acumen, she found
Law school focuses on legal training and does not prepare you the BLPIHC.
for the business constraints, demands and priorities. Added to The learnings around developing as a manager really struck a
that, my undergraduate education was in molecular biology, chord with her. “As in-house counsel move into more senior roles,
which meant I entered my frst in-house position with no for- our ability to drive results through a team becomes increasingly
mal training at all in business.” important. It is no longer about your particular legal acumen and
However, with the fast pace of innovation and disruption, knowledge but rather about your ability to work with others, lead
she knows in-house counsel must be increasingly nimble and a team, drive business results and develop people. Discussing this
creative. “The legal team has to be able to assess legal risks with the group and instructor was insightful,” she says.
within the business context,” she explains. “This is something Christine also frequently reminds herself to focus on the
unique to us. We get to analyze not only the legal issues but also forest, not the trees. Important when she was starting out and
how they apply in real situations and weigh them in light of tended to focus on specifc legal issues, it is equally relevant now
competing business priorities. That is what makes our position to see the bigger picture given the diversity and breadth of chal-
so interesting and challenging.” lenges in-house counsel must face.
Christine began her career in private practice before becom- That bigger picture allows her to put her expanding business
ing in-house counsel in the technology industry. After a break skills to work— as a legal and business leader.

Charles Whitburn, CIC.C

“I have worked with many outstanding “For many business people, and lawyers who advise busi-
lawyers, and the quality I admired most ness people, there is often a strong urge to move a matter
in them was their ability to bridge the gaps between the busi- forward, get it off your desk and keep the momentum go-
ness direction and the legal obligations of an organization,” ing,” Charles says. “Sometimes we need to remind ourselves
says Charles Whitburn, VP, GC & Corporate Secretary at Points to stop doing and really think about what, where and how
International Ltd. “The BLPIHC was, and is, the only business we can be of most value. I have tried to build time for this
education program I have found that is laser-focused on devel- into my daily routine and have found I am most effective as
oping these specifc types of skills.” a leader when I do.”
A key contributor to high-level strategic discussions at Points, One of the greatest skills of in-house counsel is their ability
winner of a 2018 In-House Innovatio Award for designing and to identify issues and understand a myriad of approaches to ad-
implementing an innovative solution to distribute legal services, dressing them. “My efforts have been to take this kind of disci-
and fnalist for the 2018 Canadian GC Awards in the Mid-Market plined legal training and thought process, and overlay it into the
Excellence category, Charles has certainly joined the “outstand- strategic direction of our organization,” he explains. “As a result, I
ing” ranks. He credits this success in part to his ability to focus have been able to identify some very valuable and effective busi-
strategically—a skill enhanced through the BLPIHC. ness insights in furtherance of our overall company strategy.”
“The program’s emphasis on business strategy provides at On the leadership side, a key skill is being able to identify and
least two key benefts. First, as table stakes, it provides a basic resolve any problems preventing your team from focusing on what
toolkit that allows you to distill how you need to deliver legal they need to be doing. “It sounds pretty straightforward,” he admits,
services to your core constituents in alignment with your orga- “but this can be surprisingly diffcult and in some cases requires a
nization’s overall strategy,” he says. “Second, perhaps more im- tremendous amount of effort, thought and focus to do well.”
portantly, it provides an ability to better understand and unlock At the end of day, it comes down to staying grounded, pay-
the key strategic drivers of your organization—and as a result, ing attention to your moral compass and seeking out oppor-
you can contribute to the direction of the business in a more tunities to grow. ❚
comprehensive, effective and well-rounded way.”
Another key lesson was the importance of pausing to prop-
erly think about issues you are faced with. Lynne Yryku is the Executive Editor of CCCA Magazine.

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