You might have caught her live on Sky News or lighting up the stage at Legal Geek, but how much do you actually know about Jaeger Glucina, Luminance’s dynamic MD and Chief of Staff? We sat down with Jaeger to find out more about her eclectic career journey, her thoughts on the rise and impact of legal AI, and her top tips for women in tech.

So Jaeger, what did your career look like before joining Luminance?

I actually started my career as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand, representing earthquake victims against insurance companies. I found my work really rewarding, but I also experienced the challenges felt so widely across the profession, first-hand. This sparked my interest in legal innovation, as I was keen to be a part of the movement driving the highly traditional legal profession into the future.

I knew that I wanted to be at the centre of the latest developments happening in the industry, and when I saw an early version of Luminance it completely blew my mind. As a lawyer myself, I instantly knew that this could be the solution to the seemingly endless piles of documents that were taking up so much of my time. Convinced of its potential, I decided to join the company, and haven’t looked back since.

Can you talk us through your time at Luminance?

I joined Luminance back in 2017, when it had just graduated from an idea on a whiteboard in Cambridge into a real product that had the potential to totally transform the legal scene. I found that I thrived in my initial sales roles, using my personal experience to help law firms and businesses around the globe to tackle their own challenges. Six months into the role I was promoted to Team Lead, and soon after became Luminance’s Global Head of Sales, where I oversaw a sales team of over 70 people across Luminance’s global offices. After almost five years of throwing myself into work at Luminance, I welcomed my first child, and in 2022 I returned from maternity leave, and a few months later I was promoted to a role with a broader strategic focus, Chief of Staff.

Tell us a bit more about your current role…

Chief of Staff is a fairly broad role, but one of my key responsibilities is acting as an advocate, educator and spokeswoman for the power of AI. Some of my wider responsibilities include the execution of Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, spending critical time with our customers, supporting weekly company-wide training and spreading the word about Luminance and legal AI more broadly.

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend major industry conferences, such as the Economist GC Summit and the FT’s Innovative Lawyers Summit, as well as global trade missions. A highlight for 2023 was appearing on Sky News’ Ian King Show to speak about the launch of our chatbot, ‘Ask Lumi’. Luminance’s cutting-edge technology is completely transforming the way that businesses work, and I am proud to be working for a company that I’m so passionate about.

With so much on your plate, how do you manage your time?

Organisation and preparation are key to managing a diverse, busy workload and making sure I’m as effective as possible in every meeting – this is particularly important for me as a working mum! Every Monday, I block out an hour in the morning so that I can review and re-prioritise my to-do list for the week and get a clear picture of what I need to achieve. While I might not always get every item ticked off (does anyone?!), this certainly helps me to prioritise my time. On a more personal level, I always make sure to build time into my schedule for exercise, getting outdoors, and being home with my family for dinnertime – balance is key!

What has your experience been as a woman working in tech?

Although I’m aware this isn’t everyone’s experience, I’ve been lucky that I haven’t encountered any major challenges as a woman in the legal or tech industry (apart from the odd prospective client who has underestimated me, only to have completely changed their perception by half way through the meeting - an incredibly satisfying feeling!) Working at Luminance has been a really positive experience, as the environment here is so supportive. Even from day one, as a new joiner in a brand-new role and out of their comfort zone, I always felt confident speaking up and asking questions. I feel lucky to have been offered plenty of opportunities right from those early days, which I’ve always embraced! This kind of culture is especially important when working in a male-dominated industry, and one which I try very hard to foster even now, almost 7 years later.

I’m particularly proud to be part of Luminance’s senior leadership team which is comprised of 60% women – that’s incredibly motivating for all women working within the company! Now, I’m at a point in my career where I have the opportunity to act as a mentor for other young women entering the tech industry for the first time.

What is your advice for women looking to pursue a career in the tech sector?

I believe that the lack of visibility feeds into the outdated yet common perception that tech is ‘just for men’, and this stereotype can intimidate some women. BUT… things are changing! Thinking back to some of the events and panels I’ve participated in, although the number of men still edges out women, the gap is definitely shrinking. I have found speaking alongside more and more female business leaders extremely inspiring; it’s so important to me to elevate women’s voices in the legal and AI sectors. By boosting visibility, we can break the stereotype that industry experts and founders are mostly men.

I am also determined to make everyone at Luminance feel like they can succeed, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, age, or level of experience. We recently launched a breakfast series for women and non-binary employees at the company, providing a supportive space for team members to share their experiences and expertise, as well as learn from one another and forge new connections. The idea is for small groups to come together to discuss their passions and ambitions, learn from each other and hopefully feel as though they have a strong support network coming together around them. And what better setting to do this than over a coffee and a stack of pancakes!

Looking back at your own journey, what has been the most valuable career lesson?

Most importantly, I want to dispel any fears about feeling stuck on a set path or making ‘wrong’ decisions early on in one’s career. There’s no such thing! Although pivoting from a traditional established career path in law to the new world of AI and sales seemed hugely risky at the time, it has undoubtedly paid off. I think it’s important for people at any stage to realise - if your current career doesn’t align with your vision for the future and it doesn’t excite you, there’s always space to change to find a role that speaks to both your strengths and interests. We’re in a different world to the one that existed 20 years ago – a degree doesn’t restrict you to a set path any longer, but acts as a foundation to explore so many different avenues. I do think that stickability, loyalty and persistence are still some of the most highly rated qualities that employers look for though, so my advice for graduates would be to choose a first job that you can see yourself in for at least 2 years.

What’s next for Luminance and the world of legal tech?

We keep hearing about the rise of AI, and, with more and more developments being made at lightning speed, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Now, even the legal sector, traditionally (or stereotypically) slow to change, is recognising the power of AI for improving lawyers’ work-life balance and delivering better results. So, I’m very confident that Luminance’s game-changing technology will continue to play an extremely important role for many businesses and go from strength to strength over the next few years. And I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Luminance team for this journey!