A senior Partner at Kenndy’s global law firm, was asked to take ownership of the firm’s early-stage data agenda alongside their legal responsibilities. While highly experienced as a lawyer and business leader, they were operating in an organisation with low data maturity and no dedicated internal data capability.

The firm’s data estate was fragmented and heavily siloed across departments, with most activity limited to management information and basic business intelligence reporting. There was no unifying data strategy, limited governance, and little alignment between data activity and wider business objectives.

Despite being the internal sponsor and champion for change, the Partner themselves did not have a data background and needed expert support to move the organisation forward with confidence.

Prior to engaging us, the firm had attempted to appoint this role independently and later through a Preferred Supplier List (PSL). While both routes progressed activity, neither delivered the right outcome. Internally, the organisation lacked the data leadership experience required to fully articulate what the role needed to be, not just in title, but in scope, capability, and impact. As a result, the brief focused on what was visible rather than what was necessary for an early-stage transformation.

The PSL search was faithfully executed against that brief and progressed a candidate to the offer stage. However, the offer was ultimately declined, and it became clear that the process had surfaced a deeper issue: the organisation didn’t yet know what it didn’t know. Both the internal team and external supplier optimised for the role as it was described, not for the role the business actually required. Without the experience to challenge assumptions, recalibrate expectations, or advise on the realities of building data capability in a legacy environment, the search delivered exactly what was asked for, but not what was needed. This created delay, frustration, and uncertainty, reinforcing the need for specialist guidance that could bridge the gap between ambition and practical execution.

The Global Head of Data Strategy role carried responsibility across the firm’s operations in approximately 68 countries, requiring the ability to navigate regional variation, regulatory complexity, and differing levels of data maturity. Despite its global remit, the role needed to be UK-based, with a strong preference for London or Manchester, to ensure close alignment with senior leadership and the firm’s strategic decision-making hub. This combination of global accountability and local presence significantly narrowed the viable talent pool and increased the importance of appointing a leader with proven experience operating at scale—without losing sight of practical, on-the-ground delivery.

Orbition was introduced to the Partner through a recommendation from another company, providing immediate credibility at both leadership and board level. The introduction was supported by Orbition’s established track record operating at senior levels within Data, Analytics and AI, alongside the strength of our long-standing community relationships and market access.

However, the real value we brought went beyond reputation or reach.

During our initial assessment, it became clear that the organisation’s previous hiring attempts had been shaped by a fundamental mismatch between what they were looking for and what they actually needed. The firm had optimised for an advanced technical profile, despite being at a very early stage of data maturity.

We reviewed the profile and presentation of the candidate who had previously been taken to offer. While technically strong, the individual was effectively a data scientist—focused on advanced analytics and modelling—at a point where the organisation was still struggling with foundational issues such as data access, structure, ownership, and alignment. In short, the business was several stages away from being ready for that level of capability.

Orbition’s role was to challenge assumptions and course-correct early. We worked closely with the client to:

• Reframe the problem the organisation was actually trying to solve

• Shift the focus from technical execution to strategic leadership

• Redefine the role around roadmap creation, stakeholder influence, and foundational capability-building

This resulted in a deliberate change in both role title and remit, moving from Head of Data to Head of Data Strategy, alongside a rewritten job description aligned to the organisation’s true starting point and long-term ambition.

By advising on need rather than want, Orbition helped the firm avoid a costly mis-hire and instead appoint a leader capable of meeting the organisation where it was, while guiding it towards where it needed to go.

Role Delivered

The initial and primary mandate was the appointment of a Global Head of Data Strategy, a single, senior leadership hire designed to establish credibility, direction, and momentum for the firm’s data agenda.

This was intentionally positioned as one critical first hire, rather than a volume recruitment exercise. Following the successful appointment, Orbition was subsequently engaged to deliver additional ‘Head of’ roles that reported directly into the Global Head of Data Strategy, supporting the next phase of capability build-out.

The data capability was designed as a small, centralised function, operating as an enterprise-wide enablement team rather than being embedded within individual business units.

Functional Model

• Centralised data leadership function
• Enterprise-wide remit across all regions and practices
• Designed to serve, influence, and enable the wider organisation
• Built for scale, not short-term delivery

This model ensured consistency of strategy, governance, and prioritisation across a globally distributed business.

Delivery Timeline

• 5 shortlisted candidates presented within one week
• End-to-end process completed within 6–8 weeks
• Role filled without expanding beyond the defined geographic scope
• Minimal disruption to the business during the process

The pace of delivery was critical in maintaining stakeholder confidence following earlier unsuccessful hiring attempts.

Strategic & Commercial Impact

The appointed Global Head of Data Strategy brought deep, relevant experience from senior roles within UK Government, including DEFRA and central digital services. This background proved critical. He was already accustomed to operating in legacy, highly regulated, and politically complex environments—closely mirroring the reality of a global law firm.

From day one, he focused on building the foundations the organisation lacked. By designing and executing a global data strategy, he materially improved the firm’s ability to use data to inform decision-making at both operational and leadership levels.

Beyond strategy, there were tangible commercial outcomes. One notable area of impact was the use of data to improve visibility and performance around lawyer billable hours, directly supporting revenue optimisation and more informed management conversations.

Placement Feedback

Feedback from the candidate has remained consistently positive. The role aligned closely with what he was seeking at that stage of his career, and the mandate was well-defined and appropriate for his experience.

He continues to be a strong advocate for the work carried out and remains a trusted professional contact—reinforcing that the appointment was right on paper and in practice, even where broader organisational factors ultimately shaped the pace of transformation.

Total hires: 3
Average turnaround time: 6 weeks
Retention rate: 100% (as of 2025)

“Orbition was recommended to us. Always a great start. I can only now recommend them to others myself. Orbition is more than a recruiter; they bring their own deep sector expertise and knowledge to the party. For us, they were a guide through a challenging and nascent market, getting to the real need, finding the right people, and matching role, organisation, and candidates perfectly.

We engaged them halfway through a process in which we were looking to resolve a new and key strategic role in our business. It was important to us to get this right, and get it done. Orbition did all of this and more.

They listened. They heard our requirements as we set them out. But more than this, they spent time understanding our objectives and our business a little more. They heard our requirements but recognised we needed something different. They guided us and corrected our course. Orbition identified people with the right expertise and who would also fit us. Any company hiring, and any candidate taking a step into the unknown, can trust Orbition to look after them.”