Unlike ever before, the businesses have become glocal with more focus on expanding into the unchartered water. Doing this requires tackling too much legal issues. Only an expert can help you sail through these tough and uncertain times. Your friend in such times is your Chief Legal Officer. But with transcending businesses, their role has also become more complex, it is essential that CLOs master and strike the right balance between strategies, catalyst, guardian and operator.

Today’s CLOs are multidimensional and not limited to an exceptional legal expert. Not just a legal expert, but the CLO needs to be a leader who helps the company minimize risks and ensures expansion in terms of geographies and offerings. It means that they already have found a place in the board room.

The onus is on them to enable uninterrupted organizational growth while ensuring the enterprise is not struck at any legal affair. A survey by Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and Exterro reflects on the ever increasing role of the CLOs as key business partners. Veta T. Richardson, president and CEO of ACC said that the survey once again provided insights into the ever-increasing depth and breadth of CLOs’ responsibilities and overall importance to organizations. The CEO of Exterro, Bobby Balachandran also said that the successful CLO will have much broader responsibilities and will require a new strategy to proactively and defensibly manage their legal GRC obligations while ensuring and maintaining data integrity throughout their business processes.

Indeed the pandemic has changed many things for organizations whilst amplifying the complex job of the CLOs. The future is not going to be better for them. Hence the need to have a legal expert in your team becomes more essential than ever. In our current issue of CEO Insights Magazine, we bring to you the story of few such CLOs who have been transforming the face of their organizations in the times of adversity and otherwise to emerge stronger. Their stories are surely an inspiration for all and especially those who wants to be the ‘CLO’ of the future. Read to know more about them.

Do let us know what you think!