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Overview

As chief transformation officer, Joanna leads the firm’s evolution—translating enterprise priorities into measurable outcomes that elevate client service, strengthen business performance, and position clients for long-term success.

She plays a central role in executing the executive board’s strategic plan, leading the firm’s Transformation Office across three core verticals: strategic delivery, practice innovation, and data science & artificial intelligence (AI). Working closely with firm leaders and clients, her team integrates analytics, technology, and new service models to modernize legal service delivery—turning complexity into clarity and opportunity, while laying the foundation for the firm of the future.

In addition, Joanna oversees the service lines of Husch Blackwell Consulting, the firm’s non-legal subsidiary, which provides advisory services in higher education and AI, extending the firm’s ability to deliver integrated legal and business solutions.

Joanna views transformation as more than continuous improvement; it is about delivering entirely new ways to create value. By combining data-driven insight with strategic perspective, her teams anticipate industry trends and organizational needs, enabling clients to see around corners—spotting emerging legal and business risks before they ever become material issues.

In prior roles as the firm’s managing director of Integrated Client Services and U.S. director of business development for a multinational firm, Joanna developed a deep understanding of the people, processes, and priorities that drive the client-attorney relationship. She led teams and operations, overseeing budgeting, performance management, and talent in alignment with evolving client and business needs. Today, she draws on this experience to pair strategic vision with operational discipline, empowering teams to deliver innovative solutions that drive sustainable growth for the firm and its clients.

Recognition

  • Shortlisted for Legal Services Innovation, American Lawyer Industry Awards

Education

  • Executive Education Program, Vanderbilt University
    • Strategic Communication for Leaders
  • Marketing Analytics and International Marketing Management, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies
  • J.D., Indiana University Maurer School of Law
  • B.A., Indiana University

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • TR Institute’s AI & Future of Legal Practice, Advisory Board Member
  • TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium on Law and Courts
Outside the Office

With a young son and daughter, Grant and Vivian, Joanna can often be found outdoors exploring nearby parks, playgrounds, soccer fields, and swimming pools—she will be the one with the snacks hiding in the shade. She and her husband also love checking out the newest Thai, Chinese, or Laotian restaurants in the D.C. area or returning to neighborhood favorites in Alexandria.

When she has time away from work, Joanna never says no to a girls’ trip or a family adventure. She and her family enjoy traveling and becoming Airbnb connoisseurs in the U.S. and abroad.

Community Leadership
  • The Spitfire Club, Board Member