Q and A with Zander Lurie
"One of the most valuable skills that a good lawyer brings to the table in the tech space is a partnership mentality."
Lurie jokes that to find out how many of his peers know he is an Emory-trained lawyer, you would have to survey them. (He acknowledges that he uses this joke a lot.) He stepped in as interim CEO at SurveyMonkey in 2015 after the death of his close friend and then-CEO Dave Goldberg. When the CEO hired by SurveyMonkey’s board resigned after a few months on the job, Lurie returned to the helm, this time without the “interim.”
You came to Emory to become a lawyer but quickly realized you wanted something different. What motivated you to cross the street to Goizueta for a joint degree?
I was enamored by the classes and faculty during my first semester at Emory Law. There were a few concepts and principles I never mastered, though. The whole blue-booking exercise confounded me. Once people started asking me what kind of law I wanted to practice, I had to ask myself some tough questions ... starting with which degree would complement my JD.
What were some memorable moments at Emory Law?
I wasn’t a particularly great student, but I took some favorite classes I’ll never forget, including Real Estate by Professor Frank Alexander. I’m pretty sure I would have failed Civil Procedure but for the charity of my professor who let me claw back to a passing grade. It was a humbling experience in many ways.
Were you interested in technology back then?
I was very interested in technology and innovation. That was back in the day when we would check email, like, once per day. While I was at Goizueta, many of my close friends were moving into tech jobs, and everyone was inspired by all things World Wide Web. Jim Lanzone 98B 98L started a business with two classmates called eTour. I invested a tiny bit of money and had fun watching them develop the product, marketing plan, and business model. My passion for investment banking stemmed from growth in companies like Netscape, Yahoo!, and Amazon. The IPO boom led to mergers and acquisitions and then consolidation when the market tanked. My tenure at JPMorgan was defined by my passion for helping internet companies with strategic advice and capital raising. I was fortunate to start my career at the dawn of such an important industry.
How has your legal training helped you in your career?
I have never deposed a witness, billed a client for an hour of work, or appeared in court, except for jury duty, but legal training has definitely helped me. Investment banking is a deals business, and law school helped me be a better reader, negotiator, and analytical thinker. As CFO at CNET Networks, I had public-company responsibilities where being trained as a lawyer was helpful. And serving on boards of directors constantly involves awareness of the regulatory environment.
Do you use your legal training in your current role at SurveyMonkey?
I try to go toe-to-toe with our general counsel, but I can’t even carry her briefcase. While I am not touching a lot of the day-to-day legal matters, I work closely with our legal team on strategic matters as they relate to company policies, M&A financings, and commercial contracts.
What do lawyers bring to the tech space?
One of the most valuable skills that a good lawyer brings to the table in the tech space is a partnership mentality. When businesses work through important decisions, you want your legal team to make sure you’re protected and managing risk, but not at all costs. If you’re on offense, you need to move forward.
