How Leading Firms Prepare for IBA: Strategies for Relationship-Driven Growth

With nearly 15 years of experience in the professional services sector, Barbara Koenen-Geerdink is a highly passionate, ambitious, and driven professional who consistently seeks strategic and innovative solutions to drive business growth. A proven leader of award-winning marketing and business development teams, Barbara thrives on supporting individuals to succeed, ensuring that business objectives are consistently met—and often exceeded. Known for her strategic mindset, she excels at transforming ideas into impactful initiatives that align with a firm’s overarching goals and strategy.

Dedicated to making a meaningful contribution to the industry, Barbara is the author of the business book Beyond Billable Hours and the creator of an e-learning platform for fee earners in professional services: beyondbillablehours.com

Believing strongly in the power of collaboration, Barbara embraces the idea that greater achievements are possible when people work together toward a shared purpose.

Judith McKay is the Principal and Strategic Advisor of JEM3 Consulting, helping law firms to accelerate business development through strategic growth projects, practice-building coaching, and brand development.

For over 10 years, Judith was Chief Client and Innovation Officer with McCarthy Tétrault, a top tier law firm of 800 lawyers, where she helped drive revenue growth and expand the firm’s client base. Judith forged deep ties within the in-house counsel community, spearheaded innovative growth initiatives, and led programs to enhance the client experience. She devised and led groundbreaking programs for general counsels, including workshops and thought leadership programs with over 200 GCs attending. Through her leadership, the business development and marketing team evolved into more effective business advisors to the partners, supported by streamlined operations.

Prior to her role at McCarthy Tétrault, Judith was a US-based Vice President and General Counsel for a global division of DuPont. Judith and her legal team provided strategic solutions to the business in collaboration with a select panel of prominent global law firms.

Judith holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University and an LLB in Law from the University of Toronto. She is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Lumenus Community Services, one of the largest mental and developmental health agencies in Ontario. Judith is also an avid artist and art appreciator.

Rachel Kennedy is a BD Director at Kinstellar, based in London. Her role is to develop and maintain client relationships including the PE houses, investment banks, intermediaries and referral law firms. Rachel has 20 years’ experience of working in law firms. Her career started as an oil & gas corporate lawyer in London before she moved into business development. She has worked at UK and US firms and has been based in the UK, Europe and Asia. Rachel is also part of the IBA’s Law Firm Management Committee as vice-chair of their subcommittee for Marketing and Business Development. She is also part of the High Tide committee which organises an annual conference at the IBA annual conference exclusively for BD and Marketing professionals.