Key Insights

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1. The Power of Internal Advocacy for Change.
Zoe's career conviction was always to drive change from within a corporation, believing influence is maximized when embedded with decision-makers. This strategy proved effective in integrating ethical responsibility—whether environmental or human rights—into core business processes like procurement, thereby leveraging existing resources rather than relying on external resourcing.
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2. Transferable Skills Over Domain Expertise.
Her major career moves (e.g., becoming Chief Privacy Officer with zero privacy background) were based on selling strong transferable skills—leadership, compliance, process management—rather than specific domain expertise. She advises leaders to consider candidates who are new to a field, as they bring fresh perspectives and complementary strengths.
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3. Legal Team Diversity Drives the "Machine."
The legal department is viewed as a "big machine" where only some parts require attorneys. HP's legal department is now comprised of about 65% non-attorney professionals (data analysts, project managers, compliance professionals). These diverse skill sets are necessary for the machine to run effectively and manage change, emphasizing that legal work is largely "business operational" and process management.
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4. Trust is Built Through Service and Ease.
To quickly gain the trust of a new executive, the Chief of Staff must present themselves as a non-problematic source of support. Zoe established trust by stating, "I'm not your problem. I'm here to support you," and making her meetings the "easiest meeting you've had all day." This service-oriented mantra fosters psychological safety.
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5. Engagement is a Perpetual Process. Employee engagement is viewed as an ongoing process of interaction, listening, and meaningful relationships—not a one-time outcome (like an NPS score). In a high-stress environment, maintaining these human connections, practicing mindfulness, and demonstrating empathy are just as crucial as implementing technology and efficiency measures.

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6. Closing Insight

Your professional ceiling is not limited by your lack of a law degree; your transferable skills in efficiency and management are the engine of the modern legal department, and demonstrating this value is the clearest path to executive partnership.