Lawrence Peters
Director of Technology - EMEA
Latham & Watkins
Lawrence Peters is a Director of Technology for the European and Asian regions at corporate law firm, Latham & Watkins LLP. With many years of experience, he has helped support the growth of technology services across these regions. Additionally, he heads the technology communications, training, and change management functions on a firm-wide basis.
Learn more about the UK & Ireland CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
After years of aspiring to become an accountant, my first interaction with Excel completely changed my perspective. This ignited my interest in technology, which grew through various service roles and eventually led to consulting for EDS, a large American technology services company. Changes in ownership and a desire to move away from a "Road Warrior" lifestyle prompted me to join Latham & Watkins, a startup in the London legal scene. Since then, my role has expanded to include multi-regional service delivery and change management.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Invest time in getting the right people the first time. Then make sure the right people are in the right roles. Doing these things right requires transparency, sincerity, and a most radical candor.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CIO role going in the next 1-2 years?
While I am not currently in a C-level role, I anticipate the increasingly rapid change brought about by the untethering of AI capability. Preparing my colleagues and partners for the next generation of digitally driven disruption to the industry operating model will be an important part of providing a solid blend of services to our clients.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CIO?
From what I have seen - be curious, committed, ready to learn, and find a good mentor.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
- I have organized and managed a music festival that featured a diverse range of genres, including calypso, country, and dance floor hits performed by a brass band.
- I began selling my first photographic prints just nine months after embarking on my journey to learn photography.
- The Tottenham Hotspurs team once saved me from a sticky situation.
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