Q&A with Higher Logic Chief Legal Officer Lisa Gilley
For this Q&A, we sit down with Lisa Gilley, who was recently promoted to Chief Legal Officer at Higher Logic, to discuss her career journey, advice she would give to others and a little quickfire to learn a few fun facts.
Lisa Gilley was recently promoted to Chief Legal Officer after more than three years as General Counsel at Higher Logic. We sat down with her to discuss her career journey, advice she would give to others and a little quickfire to learn a few fun facts.
What got you interested in the legal field?
When I moved to DC after college, I worked on Capitol Hill. Although I spent my days getting coffee and answering phones, I was surrounded by fascinating people doing interesting work. Eventually I realized that a lot of these people had something in common… they were lawyers. That’s all it took for me to want to become a lawyer too.
Tell us a little about your role as Chief Legal Officer at Higher Logic and the career path that led you to Higher Logic.
As the Chief Legal Officer at Higher Logic, I provide legal and business advice to teams across the company. Whether advising senior leadership, streamlining legal operations, negotiating complex sales deals, collaborating with cross-functional teams, or engaging with customers, I lead the legal department with a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach that maximizes business impact.
My path to this role includes 20 years of in-house legal experience in companies ranging from start-ups to publicly traded corporations. In the large corporate environments of AOL and Discovery Channel, I learned to effectively partner with business teams. Later, as a consultant and executive, I honed my entrepreneurial skills and developed a customer centric mindset that enabled me to solve problems and accelerate business growth. Throughout each stage of my career, I have been passionate about mentoring, legal innovation, and the role of lawyers as business leaders. As CLO of Higher Logic, my commitment to each is stronger than ever.
What has been the most fulfilling aspect of working at Higher Logic?
In my role, I have a unique opportunity to collaborate with teams across the company as we grow our business and deliver for our customers. Every day, I am blown away by the knowledge, creativity, and determination of our teams. Without a doubt, that teamwork makes all of us better – and it makes the work a lot of fun. Mentoring, training, and helping teams to become their best is the best part of my job.
What was your first ever job?
After college, I worked on Capitol Hill answering phones in my congressman’s office. I handled the constituent complaint calls (a job no one wanted!). I spent hours talking to people about their problems and trying to help them find solutions. I loved it!
Who is someone that influenced your career and who you are today?
My children have influenced my career more than anyone else. Early in my career, before work-life balance, flex time, and robust parental leave, I struggled to balance parenting with the demands of an in-house legal role. Without a roadmap, I had to get creative and design my own path forward. I started a consulting business (which meant drafting contracts at night and taking client calls during naptime). The tradeoffs were real, but that leap of faith and the unconventional path that followed enabled me to build a career that is unique and fulfilling.
When you were a child what was your dream job and why?
I never thought about a dream job as a child. Since I never had a preconceived idea about what I wanted, I have always been pretty open to following my instincts and finding my path.
What advice would you give a first-year law student?
Take the internship! Real-world experience is the best training for any law student. My law school internship at a pro-bono domestic violence clinic taught me more than anything I learned in a classroom.
As a woman in leadership, what advice would you share with other women looking to have a seat at the executive table?
Be proactive about your career. Don’t wait for opportunities to present themselves and don’t ask for permission to grow. Instead, ask questions, offer to help on new projects, step into the gaps, help solve problems, be generous with your time, and find ways to share your knowledge. This type of initiative and teamwork is all within your control and can be a roadmap as you develop your personal leadership. Putting yourself in a position where you can thrive and grow in this way is your responsibility – and it is something you can do at every level of your career (from an entry level job all the way to the executive table). The more curious, engaged, and generous you are with your ideas, the more of a leader you will become. The good news: since there is no one “right” path to leadership, you have unlimited opportunities to create a unique path that will work best for you. The seat at the table will follow.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I love travelling with my family, skiing, hiking, cooking, and practicing yoga. A favorite day would include all of the above!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Italy! I love everything about it: the food, the history, the art, the natural beauty, the language, and the people.
Quickfire:
Ice cream or cake? Ice Cream
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Summer, fall winter or spring? Fall
Morning or evening? Morning
TV shows or movies? Movies
A night out or a night in? Night in
Cannonball into the pool or dip a toe in first? Dip a toe first
Have your own Netflix account or use somebody else’s? My own account.
Go-to karaoke song? Sweet Caroline
Drive or fly? Fly
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn.
