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COUNSEL COLLECTIVE · EDITORIAL SERIES
TRANSITION TIER · 2026 · NOMINATIONS OPEN

The PivotSeries

Every leader here changed direction — on purpose.

Careers rarely move in a straight line. The Pivot Series follows the leaders who changed direction — a new function, a new company, a new kind of leadership — and did it with intention. Not a ranked list, but a growing collection of turning points, each one a study in how reinvention actually happens.

NewSeries · 2026
AnyFunction or Stage
RollingNew Chapters
OpenNominations
STORIES OF CHANGE
The Pivots
Each entry is one leader’s turning point — where they came from, where they went, and what the move actually took. The series is being written now, story by story.
Catherine Budzynski
Cover Story · What GCs Actually Need
Catherine Budzynski
Founder & CEO, Larimar Management
In-house GC & CLOFounder & CEO

She has been the general counsel with two minutes to read the memo, and the associate who wrote it. Now she helps law firms become the call a general counsel makes first — and says plainly what that actually takes.

Read her pivot →

Your turning point could be the next story.

The series grows as leaders step forward — nominations are open and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Nominate a Pivot
THE BAR
What makes a pivot worth telling
I.

A real inflection

A deliberate change of direction — a new function, company, or kind of leadership — not a title bump or a lateral step.

II.

Told with candor

The honest version: why they moved, what it risked, what it cost, and what the change actually unlocked on the other side.

III.

Useful to the next leader

A turning point that reads like a map — something the next person standing at the same crossroads can actually learn from.

Read the series
A profession in transition

Every Pivot story lives alongside the rest of Counsel Collective’s cover features. Explore the leaders rewriting what the next chapter of legal and business leadership looks like.

Explore the stories →

Know a leader who changed direction?

The best pivots are quiet until someone tells them. Put a name forward — it takes two minutes, and recognition often turns on one person deciding to share the story.

COUNSEL COLLECTIVE
The Pivot Series · Transition Tier · The leaders who changed direction, and what it took
🔀 Tier 3 · Career Evolution Series

The Pivot Series

When the path changes, leaders adapt.

The Pivot Series profiles executives who made bold career transitions—from law firm to in-house, from legal to operations, from corporate to startup, or across industries entirely. These leaders prove that the most powerful careers are rarely linear.

Career Pivots
Focus
Cross-Industry
Scope
All Levels
Seniority
Rolling
Cadence
About This Series

What Is The Pivot Series?

The Pivot Series celebrates the leaders who made unconventional career moves and emerged stronger. Whether they left a partnership for an in-house role, shifted from legal to business operations, or made a cross-industry leap, these executives demonstrate that career pivots aren’t detours—they’re strategic advantages.

Why It Matters Now

The myth of the linear career is fading. Today’s most impactful leaders bring diverse experience from multiple roles, industries, and functions. This series provides a roadmap for executives considering their own pivots and validates the courage it takes to change direction.

Who Belongs in This Series
  • Made a significant career transition (industry, function, or role type)
  • Demonstrated success in both the pre- and post-pivot roles
  • Able to articulate the strategic reasoning behind the career change
  • Leveraged transferable skills to create unique value in the new role
  • Willing to share lessons learned to help others navigate transitions
Why This Series Exists

Why It Matters Now

The myth of the linear career is fading. Today’s most impactful leaders bring diverse experience from multiple roles, industries, and functions. This series provides a roadmap for executives considering their own pivots and validates the courage it takes to change direction.

Our Approach

How We Tell These Stories

Each featured leader is profiled through an in-depth editorial interview exploring the pivot moment, what drove the decision, and how they built success on the other side. Every story is told with editorial independence—no pay-to-play, no gatekeeping.

Step 1
Nomination received and editorial review begins
Step 2
Series placement and interview scheduling
Step 3
In-depth editorial profile and content creation
Step 4
Publication with multi-channel amplification
Ongoing
Permanent archive placement — your story grows with you

Shape This Series

Know a leader who belongs in The Pivot Series? Nominate them today — or explore how your brand can be part of this series through strategic sponsorship.

Counsel Collective
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