Fast-growing legal technology business SYKE has appointed Trayce Marcelle as its first-ever head of US. Marcelle was previously a legal operations management consultant at Axiom, helping clients with process improvement, technology implementation and all areas of legal operations.
Founded in 2016 in Yorkshire, SYKE’s business has become increasingly international. Earlier this year it struck an alliance with flexible legal services provider LOD, and Marcelle will support both SYKE and LOD’s clients in the US. While both say they have a significant US client base, neither has a presence in the region.
For over 10 years, Marcelle has focused on optimisation and pre/post-transaction consulting for in-house legal teams at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, including Dell and Kraft Heinz. She helps clients identify and implement strategies that drive improvement, lower cost, and optimise existing infrastructure (both resources and processes/technologies).
Alistair Maiden, CEO & founder of SYKE, said: “Trayce has a unique skill-set and deep understanding of finance, legal, business, procurement and IT, so has the ability to translate legal requirements into something that makes sense to every area of the business. Our US clients are facing challenges of how to thrive and manage technology-driven change and Trayce has the perfect skills and depth of legal experience to support them.”
Marcelle added: “SYKE has the infrastructure to support all levels of client engagements, which eliminates costly delays and allows for faster return on investment as the plan is built alongside the strategy. I can now work with a client and say, with confidence, that I know what something will cost, how long it will take and assure them of a quality outcome. I don’t think you get that anywhere else.
“They have great people and great ideas with a focus on doing the right thing which is, in my view, the only way to operate in a client environment.”
In the past year SYKE has made a number of senior appointments, including Maximilian Henkensiefken as head of DACH; Tyson Ballard as head of consulting; Amanda Bradley as sales director; Sarah Barrett-Vane as head of legal procurement; and Jonny Badrock as head of data services. SYKE in January officially opened a multi-disciplinary centre of excellence in India, with a team of 25 people.