He will take over for Dr Andrew Blattman on 1 July
Wotton Kearney board chair Tony O’Malley is set to lead IPH Limited as managing director and CEO.
He steps into the dual roles on 1 July, replacing Dr Andrew Blattman. According to IPH chairman Peter Warne, O’Malley’s appointment followed a “comprehensive global search”.
“[O’Malley’s] calibre and broad professional services experience position him well to lead the next phase of the company’s growth strategy”, Warne said. “Tony is a highly experienced global professional services leader with over 30 years’ experience. He’s worked across the Big Four advisory firms at a global level, major law firms and large corporations in complex multi-jurisdictional and highly regulated environments”.
Warne highlighted O’Malley’s experience with large-scale business transformation, especially in relation to his early embrace of AI-enabled legal technology.
O’Malley has been leading Wotton Kearney as board chair since 1 July. He made the jump to Wotton Kearney from King & Wood Mallesons (now Mallesons), where he was Australia managing partner.
He was also global legal services leader at PwC, where he spearheaded the review, trialling and global deployment of generative AI platforms. In addition, he logged a stint at Telstra as deputy general counsel and regulatory counsel; he advised the company on strategic options to establish a separate InfraCo business and helped NBN Co to negotiate the accelerated rollout of a national broadband network with Telstra.
“I am excited to join IPH at a pivotal point in its transformation. Under Andrew Blattman’s leadership, IPH has built a leading position across international IP secondary markets, and I look forward to building on that platform to deliver further growth and shareholder returns”, O’Malley said.
Blattman had announced that he would be stepping down as IPH managing director and CEO in November 2025. He will remain with the organisation through to 30 November.
“Andrew has made an exceptional contribution to IPH over a remarkable 30-year career with the group, including nine years as managing director and CEO. IPH has established itself as the market leader in international IP secondary markets under his leadership, with top practices in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Southeast Asia. We are pleased he will continue to support the Company through the CEO transition”, Warne said.
