Glenn Caligaris just wants to be remembered as brutally honest, down-to-earth and compassionate
When he first found out that he was going to be the new national chairman of principals at McInnes Wilson, Glenn Caligaris was humbled and a little anxious. But as he steps into his new leadership role, he’s also excited to be a mentor to future leaders – and for the late nights.
Caligaris was part of a significant leadership shakeup that included the appointment of two new joint managing principals and the debut of a new COO. The new chairman believes that key to a beautiful working relationship will be “corralling the collective nous” of the executive management committee.
In this interview, Caligaris shares with Australasian Lawyer the challenges he expects to face in his new position, his vision for the firm, and the kind of rep he wants to build in the profession.
How did you react when you found out that you were going to be the national chairman of principals at the firm?
Humbled but excited by the challenge albeit with a tinge of trepidation.
What part of this new role are you most excited about?
Mentoring the future leaders of our business and continuing to build frameworks to facilitate their pathways…oh and the late nights!
What are some challenges you anticipate facing as you commence in this role?
Attracting, training and retaining quality employees; managing frictions that arise when personal and firm interests are at odds; balancing distributable profit expectations with the cap ex spend required to ensure systems are top of the class; and ensuring everyone is along for the ride and re-orientating those that fall off the bus from time to time.
What’s your overall vision for McInnes Wilson?
A spirited mid-tier delivering high-calibre legal services that is known as being a great place to work and to work with.
How do you plan to work together with the rest of the executive leadership to carry out this vision?
Collegiately. The executive management committee is a collection of individuals with fantastic experience, insight and varying perspectives – corralling the collective nous of this group will be key.
What are you hoping to be known for in your tenure as chairman of principals?
A brutally honest, down to earth compassionate person prepared to make tough but fair decisions in the interests of the firm who made a positive difference to people’s lives with no expectations of a meeting room being named in his honour.
