Claudine Chastain helps fuel World Wide Technology's rapid growth
Claudine Chastain's role as chief counsel at World Wide Technology fits with the global ambitions indicated in the Maryland Heights-based company's name. In her role, Chastain provides legal support to WWT's Global Enterprise segment, assisting in its efforts to work with customers globally. WWT, with $17 billion in annual revenue, provides technology products and services for large businesses and government entities.
Chastain said her position as chief counsel includes helping WWT close on its business deals. For her, working for a technology company requires her to remain agile, helping the company pursue its rapid growth as it navigates constant changes in the technology sector. Chastain, 51, is one of eight attorneys that work with WWT's Global Enterprise Segment.
Prior to joining WWT in 2012, Chastain worked in child advocacy as a prosecutor of child abuse and neglect and in a non-profit organization.
What does your job entail? As chief counsel at World Wide Technology, I support our $12 billion Global Enterprise segment, which spans all business industries worldwide. As a value-added reseller and systems Integrator, WWT sits in a vital place in the IT industry, connecting IT manufacturers and service providers to our customers and providing innovative solutions for technology growth. Each day, I work closely with our attorneys, our business teams, our partners, and our customers to close business transactions that achieve these goals.
What professional accomplishments are you most proud of over the past couple of years? WWT began as a small startup in 1990 and is now the largest tech integrator in the enterprise space, with No. 1 partnerships with the largest IT manufacturers and thousands of customers - including many Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies - and over 9,000 employees. Under the strong leadership and mentorship of our general counsel, Erika Schenk, the legal team supporting the Global Enterprise segment has also grown to support this expansion, with eight attorneys in three countries. Over the past years, I have worked closely with our sales organization and our services organization to grow WWT's offerings, significantly expanding our global capabilities.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced as in-house counsel? Our executive leadership's values-driven approach and their focus on the health and well-being of our employees carried the company through the challenges of the past years and WWT continued to see substantial growth through the Covid pandemic, with Jim Kavanaugh, our CEO, receiving recognition by Glassdoor as one of the most highly rated CEOs during the pandemic. Leading the team of attorneys who support our Global Enterprise segment over the last years and maintaining our culture and values as we grow in a flexible working environment continues to be an exciting challenge and accomplishment.
What I find challenging is also what I love about my job. Practicing law within the tech industry requires a lot of flexibility and willingness to embrace the change that comes swiftly in this space. WWT encourages a culture of innovation and collaboration, and we are doing truly amazing things to support our customers in aligning business and technology. This requires me to remain open to new ideas and to continue to learn and grow – both within the field of technology and the practice of law.