Robert Ambrogi Blog
Rian Gauvreau, who in 2008 cofounded practice management company Clio with Jack Newton, has left the company, where he most recently held the position of chief people officer.
He continues to serve on the company’s board of directors.
A company spokesperson said that Gauvreau decided to step down from his position at the company in order to spend time with his family.
“Rian decided to step down from his role as chief people officer to spend time with his growing family,” Sasha Perrin, Clio’s director of communications, said in an email. “He will remain an integral part of our future as an active member on our board of directors.”
Last week, Clio announced that it had achieved unicorn status with a valuation of $1.6 billion, news CEO Newton described as “a coming of age for legal tech.”
Gauvreau had worked as a legal technologist at a Vancouver law firm when he and Newton, lifelong friends, concluded that legal practice software was clunky and expensive, and decided to develop a cloud-based alternative.
Gauvreau and Newton exhibiting Clio for the first time at ABA Techshow in 2008.
In 2008, Newton and Gauvreau launched Clio as the first-to-market cloud-based practice management program. In the years since, Clio has grown to become the 800-pound gorilla of practice management, culminating in last week’s valuation news.
Until 2017, Gauvreau was Clio’s chief operating officer. That year, he moved into the role of chief people officer.
In 2017, Fastcase named Gauvreau to its Fastcase 50, which honors the “smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders in the law.”
A recent Clio biography of Gauvreau credited his leadership as having been critical in driving and sustaining Clio’s award-winning culture.
During his time as chief people officer, the company received numerous awards for its workplace culture, including Canada’s admired corporate culture, Canada’s top small and medium employers, Canada’s top employers for young people, and British Columbia’s top employers.