Ask Holly about her biggest pet peeve: "overlawyering"—using three words when one perfect one will do. It's a philosophy from her first career as a computer programmer in New Brunswick, where she learned that elegant code is simple code. Turns out, the same applies to legal advice. That early programming background taught her something most lawyers never learn: the most powerful solutions are often the most straightforward ones.
From coding to privacy leadership: Holly's route took her from Saint John's Bay of Fundy to Halifax's Schulich Law School, then to Osgoode Hall for her Master's in Securities Law. She cut her teeth as a securities lawyer before discovering her passion for commercial agreements. But it was her decade at RBC—climbing from M&A lawyer to business, sales and risk strategist —that taught her about cross-functional teams and "ruthless prioritization.
The role that changed everything: Global Chief Privacy Officer. Leading a team of privacy officers around the world, Holly learned that the responsible use of personal data can be compliant and profitable. As a Certified Information Privacy Manager, she discovered that compliance isn't just about rules—it's about building the trust that drives business. After switching from compliance to head the privacy legal team in Canada, US and the UK, she navigated international regulations without losing sight of commercial reality. She applies the same precision today, whether she's drafting agreements or managing international teams.
Away from the office, Holly is a mother, wife, daughter and avid skier who carves through mountain slopes and legal complexities with equal finesse. When not hiking trails, working out or knitting, she applies the same patience that creates perfect stitches to practical legal strategies.
Here's what you get with Holly: she cuts through traffic—literally and metaphorically. In a world of legal noise, she delivers signal. Her superpower isn't just knowing law but knowing which parts matter to your business and applying them in ways that make sense.
