How Do You Become a Law Firm CMO? Leadership Lessons (with Koree Khongphand-Buckman)
What does it really take to become a Chief Marketing Officer at a major law firm?
For Koree Khongphand-Buckman, the answer isn't a title. It's earning the trust, credibility, and influence to help shape the future of a firm.
“The title of CMO was more about, what do you get to do? I wanted the opportunity to impact and drive particular things within a firm, and to work with leadership at the highest levels.”
In this episode of So Much To Say: A Legal Podcast for People, legal marketing strategists Megan Senese and Jennifer Ramsey sit down with Koree, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Foley & Lardner LLP, to discuss her journey from an accounting background to one of the most respected leadership roles in legal marketing.
From surviving her first week in legal marketing to building firmwide client feedback and lateral integration programs, Koree shares the lessons that helped her become a trusted advisor to firm leadership and why the best legal marketers think like business leaders.
Whether you're an aspiring CMO, a legal marketer looking to expand your influence, or a lawyer interested in how firms grow, this conversation is full of practical leadership advice you can apply immediately.
In this conversation, you’ll hear:
How Koree moved from accounting into legal marketing
What it takes to progress from marketer to strategic business leader
Why relationships often open more doors than titles
How to position yourself for leadership opportunities before you feel fully ready
Why owning your work changes how firm leaders see you
How Koree built client feedback and lateral integration programs from the ground up
Why the best CMOs ask better questions instead of pretending to have every answer
How to become a trusted advisor to lawyers and firm leadership
Why leadership does not have to be lonely
How great leaders create opportunities for the people around them
Why legal marketers should stop waiting for permission to grow their careers
About Koree Khongphand-Buckman:
Koree Khongphand-Buckman is chief marketing & business development officer (CMBDO) at Foley & Lardner LLP where she is responsible for leading the firm’s business development, marketing, client service and branding efforts across all practices, industries, sectors and offices to help the firm achieve its strategic objectives. With 20 years of professional services marketing experience, Koree is adept at crafting and implementing growth strategies for new and existing clients. Learn More:
Connect with Koree
This episode is brought to you by Lateral Hub:
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