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Executive Leadership Team

Meet the Visionaries Driving CEB Forward

Our executive leadership team brings deep expertise in legal technology, content innovation, and business transformation. With a shared commitment to serving California’s legal community, they guide CEB’s mission to empower legal professionals with trusted research, practical guidance, and digital solutions.

Kelly Lake

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director

Kelly Lake is CEB’s Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, with responsibility for running all facets of the business, including strategic planning, revenue management, new product and technology development. As CEB’s CEO, Kelly is leading CEB’s digital transformation from print to digital to platform in response to an increasingly demanding and commercial marketplace. Prior to joining CEB, she was vice president of platforms for Thomson Reuters and was responsible for implementing a global content and technology transformation program working, globally with multiple business units in the scientific, financial and legal information spaces. She also spent 12 years with Thomson Reuter’s UK and International businesses working on business transformations, acquisition integrations serving in a number of product and technology leadership roles, most recently as Chief Technology Officer of Thomson Reuters UK and Ireland. She earned an LLB from Keele University and read for a master’s in international business law at the University of Manchester.

Executive Team

At CEB, our leadership team is dedicated to advancing legal research and education through innovation and expertise. With decades of combined experience in legal technology, publishing, and business operations, they work together to enhance the tools and resources that legal professionals rely on every day.


Each leader brings a unique perspective and a deep commitment to supporting California’s legal professionals. From digital transformation to customer engagement, our team ensures that CEB remains the trusted authority in California law.

CEB’s Chief Operations Officer – Content & Product, leading CEB’s development and production of content across five content types. Casey is an attorney with a unique mixture of law practice and SaaS start-up experience. Before joining CEB in August 2019, she was a practicing attorney, and prior to that she directed professional programs at an early-stage legal start-up. She is also a certified mediator. She has a bachelor of arts degree in American studies from UC Santa Cruz and a law degree from UC Davis. 

Casey Hatton

COO – Content & Product
CEB’s Chief Operations Officer – Enterprise. Christine has over 30 years of financial experience in technology companies, most recently as VP of Finance for iPass, Inc., a global provider of software enabled connectivity services for mobile workers. Before that, she held finance leadership roles at Verisign and Network Equipment Technologies as well as several startups. She has a bachelor of science degree in managerial economics from UC Davis.

Christine Gardner

COO – Enterprise
CEB’s Chief Operating Officer – Organizational Development & People, brings over two decades of strategic HR leadership experience to the organization. In her role, Katrin oversees the People and Culture function for CEB. With a proven track record in change management, organizational development, and strategic planning, Katrin has consistently driven employee engagement across diverse teams. Her passion for fostering employee engagement is reflected in the transformative practices she has implemented, shaping workplace culture and enhancing productivity. Prior to joining UCLA in 2014, Katrin spent 10 years in multinational private sector organizations in Europe. Katrin holds a Master’s degree in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and is a Senior Certified Professional by the Society for Human Resource Management. Beyond her role at CEB, she is a key note speaker and serves on the Board of Trustees at Goethe International Charter School.

Katrin Kaehler

COO – Organizational
Development & People
CEB’s Chief of Staff and Portfolio Management Office Director. Valerie is responsible for developing, implementing, and standardizing CEB’s operational priorities and programs in support of CEB’s strategic business initiatives and goals. Prior to joining CEB, she worked at Amazon as a Senior Strategy & Operations Manager, responsible for driving the rhythm of the business, building scalable global mechanisms, three-year business and financial plans, organization-wide portfolio management, and internal communications. Valerie also has over fifteen years of Human Resources experience from the commercial, aerospace, and government industry. Valerie has a master’s degree in HR Development from Webster’s University and a dual bachelor’s degree in Operations and HR Management from the University of California, Long Beach.

Valerie Bullinger

Director of Staff and Portfolio
Management Officer

CEB’s Head of Sales – Suzanne has over 30 years of sales and sales leadership experience, managing sales organizations at the national level. For more than half of her career, she has been committed to CEB customers, earning recognition as an award-winning sales leader within the California law library community. By maintaining focus on the voice of the customer, Suzanne helps CEB best understand and meet the evolving needs of the California legal community and continues to strengthen our customer relationships.

Suzanne Smith

Head of Sales & Renewals
As CEB’s Director of IT Transformation, Nicholas leads enterprise-wide modernization initiatives, focusing on print production and distribution technology, back-office systems, digital marketing, customer experience platforms, and cloud infrastructure optimization. Nicholas is an IT executive with 20+ years of experience leading digital transformations across ERP, CRM, business intelligence, and cloud platforms. He specializes in aligning technology with business goals to drive efficiency, security, and innovation. His background spans manufacturing, retail, financial services, engineering, software, and product development. Nicholas holds an MBA in IT Management, a PMP certification, and multiple industry-recognized certifications. A lifelong learner, Nicholas continually advances his expertise to remain at the forefront of emerging technologies.

Nicholas Pietrangelo

Director of IT Transformation
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