Kennedys has appointed Karen Peskett-Hall (pictured) as its first director of transformation.
Peskett-Hall will be responsible for the successful delivery of projects across the Kennedys network, which is comprised of over 2,400 people in 44 offices worldwide. She is tasked with analysing the firm’s current strategy and identifying improvement and innovation opportunities.
The new director will also be looking at legal processing improvements and various other change innovations to drive the firm’s WorkWise programme, a release said.
Peskett-Hall joins Kennedys from Hogan Lovells, where she previously served as global head of business improvement. At Hogan Lovells, Peskett-Hall set up an in-house consultancy which offers transformation and change management expertise – noted as the first of its kind in a law firm. She also served as a senior business improvement manager at Linklaters.
“This is another step on our journey to create a future-fit workplace that both colleagues and clients can be proud of,” said Kennedys global managing partner Suzanne Liversidge. “While the pandemic accelerated some of our improvement plans, in such a large business it is an ongoing process and Karen has a huge amount of experience in this area which will be a valuable asset moving forward.”
Liversidge added that Kennedys is a “very progressive firm,” noting that every year the organisation goes from strength to strength and part of that success is thanks to the firm “not being complacent.”
“We are constantly thinking ahead and innovating, and Karen’s appointment just underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and elite performance,” she said.
“It is testament to the culture of Kennedys that this post has been created, demonstrating a commitment to colleagues and clients and better understanding what they want and need,” said Peskett-Hall.
“That is what I am passionate about,” the new director added. “What also attracted me is that this is a brand-new role – not quite a blank canvas, but a strong foundation on which to build the kind of workplace that will cement Kennedys’ position as a law firm of choice, both for those seeking their services and the next generation of talent looking for a great place to work.”
Kennedys’ appointment of Peskett-Hall comes after the firm hired Alan Demirkaya as global HR director in May, a release said.
