Global insurance law firm Kennedys has hired AON’s former group CIO Paul Brotzel as its new CIO, and Paul Hastings’ high profile director of innovation and knowledge Catherine Goodman as its first chief knowledge officer.
Brotzel has held CIO roles at insurance giants AON and Allianz. He will lead Kennedy’s team of IT professionals across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia Pacific and is responsible for setting the IT technology strategy for the firm, covering all areas of IT, including infrastructure, applications, operations, and security.
Goodman, meanwhile, developed Paul Hastings global knowledge strategy. Having qualified as a solicitor in 2003, she has previously practiced as a corporate lawyer in London. She is tasked with evolving the knowledge management offering and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing across the firm.
Goodman has received numerous accolades for her contributions to technology and innovation in the legal sector, including ‘Innovator of the Year’ at the 2023 Women & Diversity in Law Awards, and for ‘Most Innovative use of Technology’ at The Lawyer Awards 2022. She is a member of the International Legal Technology Association, and sat on the United Kingdom Law Commission Industry Working Group of experts on e-signing.
Kennedys’ knowledge management team are based in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Dublin and Bermuda.
Commenting on the appointments, Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas says: “These appointments highlight Kennedys’ commitment to investing in our knowledge and technology infrastructures. Catherine and Paul are the perfect choices to lead these functions on a global scale, and both are experts in their respective fields. Together, they will help us harness the power of technology, innovation and knowledge to better serve our people and help our clients to stay ahead in a rapidly changing legal and insurance landscape.”