Matter Stories: Kim West, Senior Legal Operations Manager

Tell us about yourself. Where are you located, what’s been your career journey, and what brought you to this industry?

Hi, I’m Kim West. Based just outside of Denver, CO, I received a dual degree in business and law (JD/MBA) from the University of Colorado and began my career in telecommunications (Level 3 Communications & Zayo Group) before moving into the natural foods space (Boulder Brands), and then on to tech (Fitbit & Matterport). While I've worked in a variety of industries, I've always operated at the intersection of business and law. 

I'm passionate about entrepreneurship, and outside of my corporate career I've owned and operated a business since early 2017 called Navigating the Knot, which provides clients nationwide with clarity and guidance on either end of marriage - from what to know before tying the knot to support surrounding the divorce process. 

My partner, Brendan, works in cybersecurity, and we have 2 brindle pups (Loki and Roux), a 2-year-old daughter named Everyn, and a son due to be born in January. We love to snowboard and rock climb, so CO is the perfect home base for us!

What excites you most about your role?

Far and away, what excites me most about my role is the potential to make an impact within the organization. I feel very fortunate that my work in legal operations perfectly aligns with one of Matterport's major objectives for 2023: increasing operational efficiencies. As a result, it is exciting, fulfilling, and rewarding for me to witness how the projects I'm working on, such as the rollout of Ironclad (the company's new contract management system), are having a positive impact on the organization as a whole.

Tell us about your biggest accomplishment or favorite project at Matterport? What was it, were there any challenges, and how was it successful?

Back in July, just 3.5 months into my tenure at Matterport, I had the opportunity to give an hour-long presentation to Matterport’s Executive Leadership Team (MELT) in a bid to win their support for the implementation and rollout of a new central contract management system organization-wide. Challenges included the company's legacy investment in other systems and processes, change management amongst the workforce, and getting buy-in from the leadership team to adopt a new approach to our contract initiation and storage process going forward. It was a critical opportunity to garner leadership support early in my role, of which it was ultimately a success, with MELT strongly backing a swift rollout, even granting me the opportunity to present the update at the company's next All Hands meeting.

Are you involved in any programs such as EMERGE, Matterport Cares, ERGs etc., if so why? What’s been a memorable experience?

I had the opportunity to participate in the Fall 2023 EMERGE (Elevating Matterpeep’s Empowerment, Retention, Growth, and Excellence) program and found it to be invaluable from a career development perspective. Not only did the program provide incredible exposure to Matterport's leadership team and access to their mentorship and advice, but it also enabled me to connect with fellow Matterpeeps that I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet in my day-to-day work. I was fortunate to be part of an incredible group, and not only was our final presentation to the executive leadership team positively received, but - much to our excitement - our recommendation was implemented!