Orrick Hires Padma Elmgart as Chief Technology Officer

• Padma Elmgart, who most recently served as Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Management Committee at KKR’s Global Atlantic Financial Group, will join Orrick as Chief Technology Officer on September 21 and will be based in New York.
• Padma will lead Orrick’s global technology organization and strategy, partnering across the firm, including with Chief Innovation Officer Wendy Curtis, to advance digital transformation and harness technology, data and AI to create differentiated value for clients and transform firm operations.
• A business and technology executive with more than two decades of experience in financial services, Padma led enterprise transformation and modernization initiatives during her six years at Global Atlantic, enhancing growth, scalability and operational excellence across the company.
• Before joining Global Atlantic, Padma spent eight years at Deutsche Bank, where she held senior CIO and technology leadership roles. Earlier in her career, she held senior technology and business roles at Barclays Capital, J.P. Morgan and Citigroup in New York, London and Frankfurt.
• She serves on the Board of Directors of HSBC North America and as Vice Chair of StreetWise Partners, a nonprofit focused on economic mobility through career mentoring and workforce development.

“Having led digital transformation at some of the most sophisticated financial institutions in the world – including many of our most valued clients, Padma knows exactly what clients expect in terms of technology, security, data and innovation,” said Mitch Zuklie, Orrick’s Chairman and CEO. “We are fortunate to have her leadership and expertise as we continue transforming our digital platform and the way we use data to innovate for our clients and in the operation of our firm.”

He added: “We are also incredibly grateful to Justin Graham for 15 years of excellent service to our firm, including leadership of our outstanding team at our Global Operations & Innovation Center in Wheeling, West Virginia.”

“I’m thrilled to step into this role at a firm known for technology and innovation at such a consequential moment for the legal industry,” said Padma. “Having spent most of my career in financial services, including two decades in capital markets, I’ve been part of the profound transformation that technology has brought to industries. I’m excited to bring that experience to Orrick and partner with the extraordinary talent across the firm to explore what’s possible. Together, we have an opportunity to bolster Orrick’s innovation capabilities and harness the potential of technology, data and AI as the firm enters its next chapter.”