Axiom Strengthens Board of Directors with Key Appointments

Newly composed Board positions Axiom for accelerated growth

NEW YORK – October 17, 2019 – Axiom, the global leader in specialized on-demand legal talent, today announced changes to its Board of Directors following the recent investment from the Permira funds.  Comprised of industry leaders with experience at high-growth companies, members of the Axiom Board will leverage their extensive operating knowledge to help the company expand in the US and internationally, launch new service delivery capabilities, and capitalize on the legal industry’s ongoing shift to flexible talent models. 

Elena Donio, Axiom’s CEO, and Kathleen Philips, former Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of Zillow Group, will remain on the Axiom Board. The Board welcomes two new independent members, as well as three Permira executives, who are all passionate about supporting Axiom as it transforms the legal industry by accelerating growth, deepening its service proposition for clients, and providing even greater career opportunities for lawyers.

The new Board members are:

• William “Bill” McNabb III, former CEO and Chairman of Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment management companies. McNabb joined Vanguard in 1986, served as CEO from 2008 through 2017, and became Chairman of the Board in 2010. During his tenure as CEO, Vanguard grew to serve more than 20 million investors around the world, and assets quadrupled from $1 trillion in 2008 to more than $5 trillion at the end of 2018. He attributes that success to putting client interests first, and working hard to earn and maintain investors’ trust. McNabb currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Philadelphia Zoo, and is a member of the Board of Directors of UnitedHealth Group and IBM.

• Jacob Silverman, President of Duff & Phelps, a global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients. Silverman was appointed President and a member of the Board of Duff & Phelps in 2013, and has been an integral part of the firm’s expansion from 100 to 3,500 employees globally.

• Dipan Patel, Partner at Permira and Co-Head of the firm’s consumer team, who also currently serves on the Board of Directors of LegalZoom and The Knot Worldwide. Patel has a track record of identifying promising tech-enabled businesses and working with them to accelerate growth. Examples include several of Permira’s software and consumer internet investments, such as Ancestry, Informatica, LegalZoom, Renaissance Learning, and The Knot Worldwide.
• Tom Eggemeier, Partner at Permira, focused on value creation in the technology sector. Prior to joining Permira, Eggemeier served as President of Genesys, a Permira fund portfolio company and global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center software. During his time at Genesys, he focused on developing and implementing strategic and operational initiatives aimed at driving value creation across the business.
• Daniel Brenhouse, Principal at Permira, focusing on investment opportunities in the financial services sector. Brenhouse has worked on a number of the firm’s transactions, including Atrium Innovations, Arysta, Duff & Phelps, Freescale, Intelligrated, and Magento.

Elena Donio said, “Disruptive industry innovation. It’s who we are; it’s what defines Axiom. That innovation has driven the industry’s transformation toward a more flexible and nimble approach to the law. But that transformation is not nearly complete. We must accelerate the pace of change in order to build a better Axiom for our lawyers, a better legal model for our clients, and a better industry for all. The collective expertise on this board will help us do just that. It’s a board composed of innovators and operators. Thinkers, doers, and growers. I’m excited and honored to work alongside them.”

Bill McNabb added, “If there are two business drivers that excite me, it’s industry transformation and company growth. I experienced both during my tenure at Vanguard – leading the transformation of the mutual fund industry to make it far more accessible to more investors, which in turn drove tremendous company growth. I see the same transformational and scale potential at Axiom, and I am thrilled to bring my experience to this next chapter of Axiom’s evolution and legal industry leadership.”

Kathleen Philips said, “Almost a year ago, I joined the Axiom board because I believe there is no greater journey to be on than that of scale and expansion. The recent investment by the Permira funds makes that journey even more attainable and exciting. I’m excited to work with new peers to help Axiom navigate both the challenges and opportunities resulting from growth. And I continue to be thrilled about being a part of a company that shares my passion for disrupting the status quo, and shares my vision for workforce modernity and flexibility.”

About Axiom

Axiom, the global leader in specialized on-demand legal talent, is disrupting the way legal teams and lawyers work. Axiom enables clients to access over 2,000 talented lawyers through a curated platform and build more dynamic teams to drive better business outcomes. Axiom empowers lawyers across industries and practice areas to thrive while pursuing more of the work they love. The company is deeply committed to gender equality and diversity and prides itself on having one of the most diverse employee populations in the industry. Axiom works with over half of the Fortune 100 companies, and currently operates in North America, the U.K., Continental Europe and Asia Pacific. www.axiomlaw.com. 

Contacts

For Axiom:

Holly Rees, Articulate Communications (UK)
hrees@articulatecomms.com
+44 7821797275

Yonah Burstein, Articulate Communications (US)
yburstein@articulatecomms.com
212.984.2475