Jonathan Cullen’s passion for the law started at an early age. In Grade 3, his class was asked what they want to be when they grow up — “… a laywer” was Jonathan’s misspelled answer. Growing up in Quebec City, he was a fan of Law and Order, a popular TV show.
After completing an undergrad degree in science at McGill, Jonathan headed to Université de Montréal, not only to study law but to up the challenge by studying law in French, increasing his chances for success in a bilingual environment.
Jonathan worked in patent litigation at Ogilvy Renault (now Norton Rose) and simply loved it. “I ended up working in the courts I used to see on TV and often came up against more experienced partners. I knew I had to be better prepared than anyone and applied my well-honed research techniques to build my advantage. And I also did patent work for Pfizer very early on.”
Jonathan made the move to in-house counsel by joining Pfizer. “It soon became clear that as outside counsel, I was only being told what I needed to know. Once you work in-house, you become part of the business. That’s when my interest in leadership and management exploded.”
A lifelong learner, Jonathan is an avid reader and podcast enthusiast who also usually has several audio books on the go at a time. He even got an opportunity to collaborate with author Greg McKeown on the New York Times bestselling book, Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. He won the CCCA Up and Comer Award, which allowed him to attend the 2017 cohort of the CCCA-Rotman Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel.
“I had just started in my GC role at Pfizer Canada and directing a very experienced team requires leadership, negotiation, and management skills, which are not usually taught in law school. I was already interested in those topics and when I saw the CCCA Rotman course outline, I knew it was what I wanted — insights from professors and executives — and going levels deeper, getting different perspectives on topics, working in groups. All this goes beyond the books and podcasts. It literally comes to life,” adds Jonathan.
While taking the course, Jonathan benefited from the learning and advice of experienced professors and peers, who helped him successfully negotiate a nine-figure risk exposure.
With a few weekends away from his family in this hybrid course, Jonathan spent his 40th birthday with his new friends in his cohort, though his wife sent over some sweets and favourite foods to enjoy.
“The exchange of my time was an investment for me, my family, and for the business long term. And what a great experience to walk away with an immediate bunch of new relationships with peers who are probably solving the same issues you are,” says Jonathan.
Jonathan attended several CCCA events, including the event to accept his Up and Comer Award in Calgary. “I remember thinking…. these are my people. I feel connected and a commonality where we can dive into a conversation easily and compare general legal events.”
“I think my approach is very humanistic — I have met very senior counsel, and over the years, have tapped them for advice. For example, we wanted to develop a first ever strategic plan for our legal team and had lots of academic ideas but no real life examples. In speaking with David Allgood, former EVP and GC of Royal Bank, he said he’d be happy to guide me and even look at the proposal. This is someone who is God level for me. We had chats about it and since then, he has become a mentor. Nothing replaces meeting someone and talking,” says Jonathan.
Jonathan feels strongly about giving back and growing people. He volunteered on the CCCA Board of Directors to help advance the profession. For several Rotman sessions, Jonathan was an executive in residence, observing classes and often called upon to contribute practical examples of what was being discussed. “My dad was a teacher, and I really loved being close to the action at Rotman, helping the next cohort and giving back.”
Jonathan also volunteered on the board of a special needs community organization to support his son, who has Down Syndrome.
“Volunteering is learning — making an impact with small resources versus working for a multinational with effectively unlimited resources. It challenges your way of thinking.”
A lot of people think about their own development but beyond that is developing others — CCCA was the seed, the beginning for Jonathan to coach and likely the greatest, most rewarding experience. “I owe a lot to this program. I’ve seen so many people on my team blossom.”