Women in Technology - Jenny O'Brien

This blog is part of our ongoing Women in Technology series.

Jenny has been working in eDiscovery for the past 15 years. She currently focuses on Talent Management for Consilio’s Review Solutions. Prior to that, she supported clients facing a wide variety of needs in complex, multi-district litigation and government investigations throughout the review process, from early case assessment and the use of analytics to issue and witness preparation. Over the years, she has transitioned from being in the documents side to focusing on the people. She loves to build teams with the right skill sets to meet client needs for cost-effective, efficient, and top-quality projects. She recruits, identifies, trains, and retains top talent. Jenny recognizes that eDiscovery works best if the team has expertise in making legal decisions, institutional familiarity with the client, and the specific technology leveraged in the matter.

How did you get into this industry?

I transitioned to eDiscovery when my children were young thinking that I would have more control over my time. I quickly learned that eDiscovery is an intense, high-demand industry, but I loved it and made it work! I got hooked on eDiscovery while working on a complex matter spanning five years that involved government investigations, multidistrict litigation, multiple product liability cases, and other litigation, defending against claims filed by a variety of individuals and organizations. While my role has changed from documents to people, I still cannot resist a good document hunt!

What were some pivotal moments in your career that helped to get you to where you are today?

In 2015, I joined Counsel On Call to lead the review center in Atlanta. This change was pivotal because I transitioned from simply focusing on legal review and strategy to also recruiting and developing great people. Effective eDiscovery review requires people with a diverse set of skills and qualities, including legal expertise, technical proficiency, attention to detail, quick decision-making, excellent communication skills, and critical thinking. Recruiting great people and helping them develop these skills is my favorite part of the eDiscovery process.

COVID-19 also had a dramatic impact on my career. We had to revolutionize the way we approached eDiscovery and quickly transition from working together in an office to remote work. We immediately ensured that our secure, remote environment was the very best to keep company and client data secure while allowing our teams to work efficiently. We also implemented additional technology tools to encourage frequent and seamless communication across all teams. Most importantly, we focused on recreating our culture in the remote world to mirror the benefits of working together in person and offer support and solutions for the many challenges that our teams faced both personally and professionally.

Most recently, I have been participating in the Consilio Leadership Academy. The program offers insight on our personal leadership style and strengths while providing additional training to take our leadership skills to the next level. The last few years have involved changes to our process in response to Covid and the integration of Legility Review into Consilio’s Review Solutions. CLA has been an excellent way to transition from the focus on solving problems and implementing process changes to more strategic initiatives to benefit our Consilio teams and colleagues as well as our clients. One of these initiatives involves brainstorming and implementing the latest developments in AI to streamline and enhance the eDiscovery process from start to finish. It has been exciting to learn about the most recent innovations in AI and how they can improve our lives.

Have you ever noticed a time in your career where your gender proved to differentiate you?

Yes, the best teams are diverse and function at their highest when everyone participates. I am more inspired when I work on teams when everyone is encouraged to bring their past experiences. I have found the work to be more innovative, creative, efficient, effective and rewarding. Teamwork with individuals from different backgrounds and expertise collaborating to achieve the best possible outcomes is essential in eDiscovery review.

What is your advice for someone working in a predominately male workplace?

Be confident in yourself and all that you bring to the table. Know that your experiences and perspectives are valuable to the team. It is essential for everyone to be an active participant by contributing their ideas and opinions. Connect with others for support and encouragement to help you address any challenges, especially if you encounter any bias or stereotypes. Be curious and embrace opportunities to learn new things and challenge yourself. Everyone deserves to be respected and treated fairly in the workplace so work with others to promote an inclusive and supportive culture and accept nothing less!

What do you think companies could do to motivate more women to pursue careers in technology?

In order to encourage more women to pursue careers in technology, companies should create a culture that values and celebrates diversity and embraces each person so that everyone will feel supported. A culture that encourages and rewards curiosity is also essential in helping employees grow their technical skills and develop the confidence to embrace new innovations. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are essential to provide the entire company with learning opportunities and foster empathy. The best work environments offer flexibility and encourage a healthy work/life balance so their employees can maintain strong relationships, tackle responsibilities, and pursue activities outside of work. The strongest companies are comprised of diverse teams at every level. If a certain team or role does not reflect diversity, companies should take a deeper look at what is impeding diversity and act quickly to solve the problem. Finally, companies should participate in community programs that create and support opportunities for women to participate in a wide variety of technical careers. These strategies will create a welcoming and supportive environment that will attract and retain diverse team members who will contribute to innovation and take the company to the next level.