Mark Smolik, Vice President General Counsel & Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, DHL Supply Chain Americas, leads his company’s legal, commercial contracts management, compliance, and economic development teams. He’s a proponent of establishing strong operational disciplines and working closely with the business in support of their shared interests. He’s been in his current role for 8 years following successive in-house roles at three name organizations since 1990.

Covered in this LeftFoot podcast See more +

Mark Smolik, Vice President General Counsel & Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, DHL Supply Chain Americas, leads his company’s legal, commercial contracts management, compliance, and economic development teams. He’s a proponent of establishing strong operational disciplines and working closely with the business in support of their shared interests. He’s been in his current role for 8 years following successive in-house roles at three name organizations since 1990.

Covered in this LeftFoot podcast episode:

Corporate Lawyers: take a business approach to the practice of law; your demeanor should be that of a business person.

Build Internal Equity: offer a supportive approach to the business.

Provide Meaningful Value: your perceived value to the business is key.

Be prepared: take the time to learn about the organization, the industry, the legal department, and the people on the legal team.

Tie the services you offer to the needs of the client: show that what you have to offer is relevant.

Ask for the business: reach out proactively and provide relevant information.

Competitive Advantage: clearly state what you have that is a competitive advantage and why we should work with you.

Advice: ask for the business; make a strong impression, don’t assume panels are locked down. Things change. They are always looking for additional talent. See less -