The Modern Global GC: Risk, Velocity & Trust at scale

Meet the Speaker: Tracee Thomas

We are pleased to feature Tracee Thomas, the Global General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Incora. Tracee’s career is a masterclass in global legal leadership, spanning nearly 20 years across the aerospace, energy, and tech sectors.

Before her current role, Tracee built a foundational expertise in contracts, which informs her "business-first" approach today. She describes herself as a "Legal Unicorn" (an attorney who refused to narrow her focus, instead developing a wide breadth of knowledge across multiple jurisdictions and legal areas, from environmental health to high-stakes commercial negotiations).

Key Insights from the Conversation

How does being a global GC shift your lens from execution to strategy?

Tracee views global leadership through a "broad legal lens" where nothing is looked at in a vacuum. Her strategy centers on "risk layering" (designing systems that manage aggregated global risk while enabling local business needs). By streamlining similar processes across regions, she moves legal from a reactive function to a strategic one that anticipates what is coming around the corner.

Risk is no longer binary. How do you find a "creative yes"?

In growth-oriented businesses, Tracee argues that legal's job is not to say no, but to find the "creative yes." This involves moving away from just reviewing contracts to structuring deals upfront. The goal is to reach a "sweet mark" where business teams understand risk tolerances so well they can help structure the solution before it even reaches the legal department.

What does "Good" look like for contract velocity?

For Tracee's "lean but mighty" team of six, "good" looks like upfront education. She identifies the primary bottleneck as "chasing for information" during the review process. Efficiency is achieved when procurement, HR, and sales are trained to provide a complete package at the start, ensuring legal maintains speed without sacrificing control or impacting revenue.

AI through a GC lens: Where is human judgment non-negotiable?

Tracee categorizes AI as a tool for scale and speed. It is highly effective for first-pass reviews, playbook comparisons, and large-scale document triage. However, she maintains that human judgment is "non-negotiable" when it comes to risk tolerance, legal strategy, and high-stakes privilege decisions. For Tracee, AI is a part of the equation, but it must be built into a process where human oversight remains the final word.

What governance questions should a GC ask before adopting AI?

Tracee utilizes a rigorous collaborative approach before approving AI workflows. Key questions include:

• Purpose & Use Case: Why are we using it and what is the specific goal?

• Data Inputs: Does the data contain PII or PHI for employees or customers?

• Data Residency: Where is the data housed, and how do we manage cross-border risk?

• Human-in-the-Loop: Especially in sensitive areas like hiring or employment decisions, how is human judgment integrated?

Speaking the Language of Business: Metrics that matter

To communicate impact to executives, Tracee focuses on two primary categories:

• Revenue Enablers: Metrics like contract turnaround time that support "speed to revenue."

• Revenue Protectors: Cost reduction metrics, including managing outside counsel spend and ensuring compliance to avoid penalties. By using a CLM system to track these trends, legal can demonstrate its role in both bringing money in and holding onto it.

Rapid Fire Round

• One Essential Skill: Tech Literacy (understanding the true value of AI to apply it in the right places).

• Speed vs. Certainty: The business consistently asks for Speed, though they are usually satisfied with "reasonable certainty."

• Underestimated Risk: Data Rights (specifically where data is housed and whether proper consent is in place).

• Worst Habit to Stop: Gatekeeping. Legal must stop being a "dumping ground" for tasks that belong in other departments to focus on high-value work.

• Advice to Younger Self: Take a deep breath. Embrace being a "unicorn" with broad expertise rather than feeling pressured to narrow your focus.

About "The Counsel's Code" Podcast

"The Counsel's Code" is your go-to podcast for exclusive interviews with top legal executives. Discover the strategies they've employed to cultivate their careers, excel in their positions, and emerge as true leaders in their organizations.

Throughout our discussions, we delve into the challenges of leadership and how these accomplished professionals manage the pressures that come with it. Our mission is to provide valuable insights and support for in-house counsel, fostering mutual growth and development.

Tune in for engaging and enlightening conversations with legal leaders who share their experiences, wisdom, and advice, creating a community where in-house counsel can thrive together. If you want to get featured, contact marketing@volody.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are the speaker’s personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the podcast, Volody, or any current or former employers.