Law firm Cripps has appointed former operations director Jo Owen as its first CIO as well as Head of Central Services Division, and has promoted former IT director Mike Burton to the role of CTO.
The move signifies the promotion of the firm’s IT function to a board-level issue, as Owen takes on the role of divisional head with a seat on the partnership board – one of the firm’s two boards, and the one responsible for strategy.
She will take over responsibility for innovation and transformation initiatives from former COO and director of innovation. As CTO, Burton will be reporting directly to her.
“Our focus is on driving efficiency and achieving quick wins from business process reengineering, using technology to do that,” said Owen. She also commented on Burton’s promotion, saying “Mike lives and breathes the technology, makes sure everything works and I am focusing on furthering the business strategy. Our skills complement and work well together.”
Owen was CIO at Vertex before it merged with Cripps in 2013, at which point she became deputy head of IT. She moved to Clyde & Co as head of IT service delivery in 2014 before returning to Cripps as Operations Director in October last year.
“With over twenty years’ experience in the legal sector, I have a deep understanding of how law firms operate, enabling me to focus on ensuring efficiency and effectiveness,” she said. “I am passionate about engaging with the business to understand the operation of our legal and support teams, ensuring the right processes and systems are in place to deliver the best possible service to our clients.”
