The firm’s Australia country head explains why his new role “feels more like a natural evolution”
Earlier this month, Norton Rose Fulbright announced that Australia consumer markets head Marshall Bromwich would be the global firm’s new Australia country head, succeeding Alison Deitz on 1 June. Australasian Lawyer caught up with Bromwich shortly after the announcement of his appointment; in the first part of this interview, Bromwich shares his definition of leadership and his approach to leadership roles.
How did you react when you learned that you would be the firm’s new Australia country head?
I am genuinely flattered that the firm is trusting me with this role, particularly at such an exciting time for the business. I have spent my entire professional career (and half of my life) at this firm, having started as a junior lawyer in Melbourne in 2003, relocated with my family to Brisbane in 2013, and being promoted to the partnership in 2015. Since then, I have taken on leadership of our Australian corporate team, as well as leading our consumer markets team and more recently our Asia Pacific corporate strategic initiative.
Over the years I have been part of the firm’s expansion journey around the world and its transition to the elite global business it is today. To now have the opportunity to lead our partners and teams in Australia and contribute to our broader regional firm leadership group in service of our clients is something I am very grateful for.
Was this leadership role something you had been actively working towards, or did the appointment come as a surprise?
I have always been a strong believer that leadership is about behaviours rather than titles, and it’s for others to judge your effectiveness as a leader. I had some very good mentors early in my career that stressed the importance and benefit of working collaboratively and building long term trusted relationships, both with clients and colleagues.
As my career has progressed and I have held different leadership positions, I have continued to focus on where I can add the most value and have the greatest impact, internally and externally. In that sense, my appointment to the current role feels more like a natural evolution.
What is the biggest challenge you anticipate in this role?
Managing the impacts of change is a constant and a primary challenge for any business leader. The rapid pace of change we are currently experiencing, from the high-speed advances in technology being driven by AI to a range of geopolitical issues, makes that challenge all the more acute.
We are in the fortunate position of approaching those challenges from a position of strength, having created a strong platform for our business, driven by a diverse team of talented people and a clear strategy for future growth.
