Galilee Solicitors welcomes new executive team members

National law firm Galilee Solicitors has bolstered its executive leadership team with the creation of its first-ever Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Sales Officer roles.

Lara Paholski will expand her current role as CEO of Galilee owned technology company thelawstore.com.au, to Group CEO; while Blake Albones will lead the sales function for the firm.

Ms Paholski has already cemented her proven track record as a highly respected leader across the industry during her time with Galilee’s companies, including leading the development and go-to-market strategy for biometric signing solution Livesign, in addition to her decade of experience in digital identity.

Mr Albones brings a wealth of industry experience to the firm, with over 20 years of experience in financial services, most recently as the Head of Lending Distribution at MyState Bank.

Outgoing Managing Partner Simon Duke, who will now move into an Executive Director role, is looking forward to a new stage of investment and growth for the firm, saying:

“This new structure reflects the Group’s decision to unify Galilee’s companies under one umbrella to deliver greater efficiencies and a dynamic, centralised leadership team. As Group CEO, Lara will be responsible for driving growth, leveraging the synergies that come from the Group’s complementary offerings in mortgage fulfilment, digital mortgage software, and biometric signing.

“The investments we’ve made in building proprietary technology solutions to help our clients stay ahead are absolutely the right investments. But while the technology continues to accelerate and with it the expectations of customers, the critical success factor is unchanged: building deep client trust and alignment.

“Lara and Blake have an unparalleled ability to build and strengthen relationships. That ability is key to helping our clients to fully harness the potential of our offering, in order to differentiate and better serve their own customers.”

Ms Paholski said “To have the opportunity to lead the Galilee Group is incredibly exciting, and I’m looking forward to leading the passionate and dedicated team and building on the strong foundations already paved by the Directors and leadership teams.

We’ve got over 100 hardworking individuals across the country, delivering superior solutions and customer service to some of Australia’s leading businesses, and I look forward to working with each of them to maintain and grow the high standards they set for the industry.”

Mr Albones will use his considerable financial services expertise to ensure Galilee continues to provide innovative, market-leading solutions to the Australian property and finance industry.

“It’s no secret that we’re in challenging times in the financial industry, a sentiment that echoes across the other industries we service – legal, conveyancing and real estate. So I’ll be working hard to get to the bottom of what each sector needs to remain competitive, and how Galilee can support them to get there.” Mr Albones said.