Member Profiles

Jeremy combines business transformation expertise, leadership know-how and commercial success as an international CEO and executive board officer in the UK and Asia, with his experience as a corporate learning and human capital professional of over 25 years. He has operated on an international basis to launch successful businesses and to turn underperformance into excellence. This has included a 7-year period as CEO for an international consultancy company based in Singapore, operating from India to the Pacific. Jeremy is proven at all stages of the business lifecycle, from start-up to internationalisation, raising profiles and profits throughout. Jeremy helps boards, leaders and managers, across multiple industry verticals, in defining strategies to implement digital, leadership and human transformations for the modern workplace, through annual research, consulting, modern facilitation and leadership exploration techniques and operational coaching. He and his team engage executive boards, senior leaders, and senior management, to develop fit for purpose plans that also enable culture change at operational level, to embed the required values and behaviours for successful modernisation across the organisation. In parallel, Jeremy produces and hosts his own multi-platform ‘Rethink Leadership’ Podcast, also available to watch on YouTube, bringing new leadership and transformation next practices from global experts to an international audience. Jeremy core purpose is to champion diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces at all levels, everywhere. As an example, Jeremy is a noted male ally advocating for greater gender balance in boardrooms, leadership suites and senior management. He does this through delivering male allyship programmes across corporate enterprise for male leaders particularly, in Asia and Europe, moving words into positive action. “Jeremy Blain embodies the spirit and actions of a thoroughly ‘now’ leader, who understands the stakes for businesses and people everywhere, as they navigate an increasingly unpredictable future. He does this by harnessing his own expertise and that of his impressive business network, to help others strategically and at very human levels operationally… … His effortless relationships and value add across borders, cultures, genders and business verticals impress. Moreso this is rare among the senior-most leaders globally we assess. Constantly challenging himself, his business, his partners and clients to embrace new ways of working, collaborating and communicating…Congratulations Jeremy Blain, International Gamechanger of The Year, Winner, 2023.‘ Jeremy is also a global authority on empowered working and backed this up with his 2021 critically acclaimed, triple-award-winning, international #1 best-selling book: ‘The Inner CEO – Unleashing leaders at all levels’.  The book and supporting offering provide a blueprint to make leading at all levels in our organisations a reality, ushering a bold new age of distributed leadership to support business health, speed, and growth.   “Jeremy has long been well ahead of the curve in transforming businesses to be led by everyone, not just its leaders, and if ever there was a time to accelerate that process, it is now.” Paul Hargreaves, CEO, Cotswold Fayre, UK; author of Forces for Good: Creating a better world through purpose-driven businesses Jeremy is a regular Keynote speaker, researcher, and author of over 30 industry white papers. He is also a regular media commentator and has received coverage in high profile publications including Forbes, CEO Today, Medium, The Times of London, Dialogue by DUKE CE, Business Matters, HRM, HR Online, and more.

Jeremy combines business transformation expertise, leadership know-how and commercial success as an international CEO and executive board officer in the UK and Asia, with his experience as a corporate learning and human capital professional of over 25 years. He has operated on an international basis to launch successful businesses and to turn underperformance into excellence. This has included a 7-year period as CEO for an international consultancy company based in Singapore, operating from India to the Pacific. Jeremy is proven at all stages of the business lifecycle, from start-up to internationalisation, raising profiles and profits throughout. Jeremy helps boards, leaders and managers, across multiple industry verticals, in defining strategies to implement digital, leadership and human transformations for the modern workplace, through annual research, consulting, modern facilitation and leadership exploration techniques and operational coaching. He and his team engage executive boards, senior leaders, and senior management, to develop fit for purpose plans that also enable culture change at operational level, to embed the required values and behaviours for successful modernisation across the organisation. In parallel, Jeremy produces and hosts his own multi-platform ‘Rethink Leadership’ Podcast, also available to watch on YouTube, bringing new leadership and transformation next practices from global experts to an international audience. Jeremy core purpose is to champion diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces at all levels, everywhere. As an example, Jeremy is a noted male ally advocating for greater gender balance in boardrooms, leadership suites and senior management. He does this through delivering male allyship programmes across corporate enterprise for male leaders particularly, in Asia and Europe, moving words into positive action. “Jeremy Blain embodies the spirit and actions of a thoroughly ‘now’ leader, who understands the stakes for businesses and people everywhere, as they navigate an increasingly unpredictable future. He does this by harnessing his own expertise and that of his impressive business network, to help others strategically and at very human levels operationally… … His effortless relationships and value add across borders, cultures, genders and business verticals impress. Moreso this is rare among the senior-most leaders globally we assess. Constantly challenging himself, his business, his partners and clients to embrace new ways of working, collaborating and communicating…Congratulations Jeremy Blain, International Gamechanger of The Year, Winner, 2023.‘ Jeremy is also a global authority on empowered working and backed this up with his 2021 critically acclaimed, triple-award-winning, international #1 best-selling book: ‘The Inner CEO – Unleashing leaders at all levels’.  The book and supporting offering provide a blueprint to make leading at all levels in our organisations a reality, ushering a bold new age of distributed leadership to support business health, speed, and growth.   “Jeremy has long been well ahead of the curve in transforming businesses to be led by everyone, not just its leaders, and if ever there was a time to accelerate that process, it is now.” Paul Hargreaves, CEO, Cotswold Fayre, UK; author of Forces for Good: Creating a better world through purpose-driven businesses Jeremy is a regular Keynote speaker, researcher, and author of over 30 industry white papers. He is also a regular media commentator and has received coverage in high profile publications including Forbes, CEO Today, Medium, The Times of London, Dialogue by DUKE CE, Business Matters, HRM, HR Online, and more.

Having specialised exclusively in family law since qualifying as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1991 and trained as a mediator in 1997, Jackie is ranked as one of the UK’s leading individuals in divorce and family law by the legal directories. Recognised as “ranking with the best London solicitors” in the Legal 500 (2015), Jackie’s expertise lies in cases of substantial value and financial complexity. She enjoys the diversity of her client base which includes professional clients based both in the UK and internationally., owner-managers, technology entrepreneurs, celebrities, landed estate owners, ex-pats or their spouses. Jackie believes that investing time in understanding what matters most to each individual client is key to her team’s success and its reputation for “outstanding client care and first rate service.” A robust litigator when that’s what is called for, Jackie also gets great job satisfaction out of her mediation practice. Whether acting as a lawyer or as a mediator, clients appreciate the breadth of Jackie’s expertise and her common sense approach. Accredited by Resolution as a specialist in cases involving substantial assets and pensions, Jackie is also a trained mediator and collaborative family lawyer. She is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and is in the Citywealth Leaders’ List.

Lloyd is an experienced employment lawyer, advising clients across numerous sectors on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. Lloyd became a partner in 2015, having joined Stevens & Bolton in 2013 from an international law firm. He advises on tricky employee relations matters, strategic HR projects, senior executive disputes, restructurings and reorganisations, employee/worker/contractor status, sensitive discrimination matters, TUPE and outsourcing, restrictive covenants and protecting business interests, defending employment tribunal claims and employee data privacy/GDPR issues. He has a focus on the technology, media and retail sectors. Lloyd has strong links with international law firms around the world as a result of his role on the firm’s International Practice Group (responsible for international business development and strategy). He is also part of the firm’s inward investment team, which assists overseas businesses with setting up and growing their operations in the UK. Recent highlights include: Advising a public-listed international gaming business on the departure of its CEO and negotiating favourable exit terms Advising a food preparation business on an executive restructuring programme Advising a senior partner in a professional services firm on claims of race and age discrimination and securing favourable settlement terms Supporting numerous US-based legal and HR teams with their UK employment law issues, from first hires and effective performance management to separations Defending a financial services company from high-value and potentially high-profile allegations of whistleblowing and discrimination against its CEO Advising a global IT outsourcing and consultancy business on its UK employment law issues, including TUPE and Agency Worker Regulations advice on transactions, IR35, modern slavery obligations and employee relations issues Advising a London media agency on IP ownership, GDPR compliance, freelancer and worker status issues Advising a banking solutions and retail technology business in relation to GDPR compliance and TUPE contract negotiations in the context of outsourcing Lloyd is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association, the European Employment Lawyers Association and the International Bar Association.

Penelope Warne is The Senior Partner and Chairman of the UK Board. She is also Head of Energy. Penelope, an oil and gas specialist, joined the firm in 1993 to set up the Aberdeen office and has a strong growth track record. In 25 years, she has transformed CMS’ practice in Scotland from one person in Aberdeen to the market leading practice in Scotland due to the combination with Dundas & Wilson in 2014. As the Energy practice group leader, she opened offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Brazil, Mexico and Dubai. Her practice spans the globe advising clients in the oil and gas industry in the North Sea, the US, Norway, Brazil, EMEA and Russia. Penelope is at the cutting edge of oil industry issues, she is active in thought leadership and trains oil industry lawyers in her role as an Honorary Fellow and Trustee of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at Dundee University. She is also a member of the Foundation Board at IMD, the highly acclaimed international business school based in Lausanne, Switzerland. CMS runs its Partner Induction Programme in conjunction with IMD and also runs a scholarship programme for associates to secure places on IMD’s Building on Talent programme. Penelope is ranked as a Leading Energy Expert in both Chambers and Legal 500. She was also ranked in “The Sunday Times Britain’s 500 Most Influential” in 2015 and also in 2016 as one of only 20 in the law category, and was recognised as a leading innovative individual by the Financial Times in 2015. She was awarded 'Best in Energy, Natural Resources and Mining' at Euromoney's Europe Women in Business Law Awards in 2012 and 2013, and has been recognised in The Lawyer's Hot 100. Penelope works globally with governments, energy industry specialists and academics and is a member of the Oxford University Vice Chancellor's Circle. Penelope is a great supporter of Diversity & Inclusion and is proud to lead the fundraising in her firm for War Child, who provide safe havens and education for children in war zones.