Before joining BarkerGilmore, Paulette Dodson served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Alight, Inc., a global human capital and business solutions provider. Her strategic leadership was pivotal in guiding the organization through enterprise-wide business initiatives, legal operations, and large-scale transformations. As a key advisor to the C-suite and board, Paulette led the organization through significant milestones, including an IPO, multiple acquisitions, global divestitures, and long-term outsourcing relationships.
Prior to working for Alight, Inc., Paulette served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of PetSmart, Inc., and held various roles at Sara Lee Corporation, including General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Counsel for North America.
With a track record of providing guidance to executive leadership and boards, Paulette’s role extends to executive coaching, succession planning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting for the firm’s clients.
As a BarkerGilmore Strategic Advisor and Coach, where do you see yourself adding the greatest value to General Counsel and/or their legal departments?
Onboarding, helping each GC to identify and use their superpower in aligning with the senior team and showcasing the legal department’s role in supporting company strategy, and helping General Counsel to develop effective relationships and processes for and with public and private equity boards.
What do you think differentiates top General Counsel from the others?
General Counsel must always approach every issue or opportunity with a partnership mindset. They should have humility and be someone who uses every opportunity to help their team develop and be recognized.
As someone with a strong background in guiding organizations through strategic change on a global scale, what are the key principles you believe are essential for effective change management?
If you’re on the leadership team, that’s your first team. Next, go to your legal team. Listen to what they believe in and what it’s going to take to get them to where they want to be. Finally, be the sensible cheerleader – be fair about the risks and opportunities.
You’re known for your work in advancing ambitious goals, particularly in the areas of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). How can businesses effectively integrate ESG and DEI initiatives into their strategic planning, and what benefits can they expect to see from these efforts?
Each of these efforts starts with the company’s purpose. Best practice is only the best if it’s what’s right for your company at that particular time and in its current stage of development.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about having a variety of voices at the table and in the conversation and the difference it makes.
What do you wish you knew early on in your first in-house role?
Being the brightest won’t get it done. However, building influence, listening, and dropping the need for getting credit is powerfully effective leadership.
To be a top legal leader, what do you see as the most important areas for a General Counsel’s development?
In no particular order, strive for continuous improvement – incremental improvement counts! Next, General Counsel must be willing to take part in continuous learning about what works and what doesn’t. Keep in mind that everybody has something to teach you; find those learning opportunities. Lastly, getting out and going to webinars, seminars, or community leadership experiences provides tools that can’t be given in-house.
Coaching and Advising from Paulette Dodson
If you’re looking for a strategic advisor with extensive experience as a General Counsel and corporate board member, contact Paulette Dodson today.
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