Allison Hoffman, '95: Leading When Everything is "Big, Unprecedented, and Multifaceted"
If given the chance to join a new Alphabet-funded company, what would you say? Allison Hoffman, ’95, said yes. After more than three years at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she was executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary, Hoffman made the decision to join the booming technology and media company Intersection as its chief legal officer and chief talent officer.
Intersection was acquired in 2015 by Sidewalk Labs, which is part of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. (Daniel Doctoroff, ’84, is the founder and CEO of Sidewalk Labs.) Intersection’s broad mission is to improve life in cities worldwide by integrating digital technologies with physical urban spaces. In its first major project, LinkNYC, the company is replacing 7,500 New York City phone booths with kiosks that offer free high-speed Wi-Fi, phone calls to anywhere in the United States, a tablet for web browsing, USB charging for mobile devices, wayfinding tools, and connections to city services. Supported by advertising, the kiosks are expected to generate more than 500 million dollars in revenue to the city over 12 years.
Intersection, which has more than 700 employees in offices across the United States, is the largest municipal media company in the US and has also developed touch-screen information systems for transit systems and iPad food-ordering systems for airports. “We’re just in the early stages, just getting started,” Hoffman says. “Virtually every day another jaw-dropping idea comes across my desk, and the team here has the skill, the vision, and the backing to make those ideas into reality.”
Earlier in her career, Hoffman joined American Lawyer Media after four years at Skadden Arps. She became general counsel before she was 30 years old, and remained with the company (which later became ALM) for over 13 years, participating in much of its growth into the wide-ranging international enterprise it has become today, with more than 30 journals and magazines, a book publishing arm, and many other products and services in fields that include law, real estate, insurance, and consulting.
“I had a big portfolio at ALM,” she recalls. “At one time or another I led the human resources function, did some big licensing deals, managed facilities and was global chief counsel after we expanded into Europe. Every time I would think that my job was becoming routine, something new would come along.”
She wasn’t underutilized at Martha Stewart’s company, either. “There was always something new happening,” she says. “I loved the products; the people were great; and I had an excellent working relationship with Martha, so I was deeply involved.” When the human resources manager resigned, Hoffman stepped into that role. “I very much enjoy the HR side of things,” she says. “At many companies, HR can be just a reactive function, but deployed properly it can be a major factor in defining the organization’s culture. I felt that we made a big difference by proactively defining career paths, clarifying roles and accountabilities, setting up performance management systems—giving people the information and guidance they need to be at their best.”
As the chief talent officer at Intersection as well as its chief legal officer, she has the opportunity to define the HR practices for a new organization, which she says is one of the many great opportunities she’s currently enjoying.
“Skills I learned at the Law School have been fundamental to everything I’ve been able to accomplish,” Hoffman says. “Particularly thinking skills—the ability to take in a broad range of information, pull it together, see what’s really important, and make a concise recommendation that advances strategic goals. Almost everything that Intersection does is big, unprecedented, and multifaceted—new products, systems, services, and experiences in every project. Clear, quick analytical thinking is crucial. That was a great gift the Law School gave to me, one I appreciate every day and that is going to keep on giving.”