Jenna Hsieh – Dialpad

Some people watch the Super Bowl for the game and others for the commercials. On Feb. 12, 2023, Jenna Hsieh was part of the latter, interested in one particular advertisement: Dialpad’s.  

The day before the kickoff, the software company’s chief marketing officer sent a company-wide e-mail with the full commercial, but Hsieh waited to watch it live. For an added bit of fun, the ad, titled “The Good AI: All Benefits, No Psychotic Red Lights,” included 42 easter eggs, like an image of the original artificial intelligence car in Knight Rider.  

Like the rest of her colleagues, she was extremely excited. This airing would mark Dialpad’s first time trying to reach such a wide audience and spread more awareness about its services. 

“After all, who isn’t thrilled about seeing their employer participate in such a well-known, well-publicized event?” Hsieh, who’s been senior corporate counsel since June 2021, says. “The commercial aired only regionally, not nationally—unless you were watching the game on YouTube TV—but it was a wonderful moment all the same.”    

Jenna Hsieh | Senior Corporate Counsel | Dialpad

Established in 2011, Dialpad is an artificial intelligence-powered customer intelligence platform that manages calling, messaging, meetings, sales and customer support for businesses throughout the U.S. This includes everything from video conferencing, screen sharing, call recording and voice transcription.  

With services designed for companies, Dialpad hadn’t previously attempted to market its products on such a grand scale—not until the COVID-19 pandemic made its teleworking and completely digital services more valuable and imperative than ever. Quarantines and remote work led to previously public-facing and internal business operations becoming increasingly dependent on technology, automation and digitalization.  

In 2021, Dialpad gained further momentum, receiving, among many other accolades, two Product of the Year awards in customer service and unified communications from TMC, a publication focused on contact center professionals.     

“We’re transforming how businesses of all sizes use AI across any of their channels,” Hsieh says. “I’m delighted that my legal team and I are playing an important role in supporting Dialpad’s platform and its continued expansion and evolution.” 

Acquiring human and artificial intelligence   

A major part of that legal support involves providing guidance on mergers and acquisitions. In the two years Hsieh has been at Dialpad, she’s assisted with two significant deals.  

In September 2021, barely three months after joining the company, she played a vital role in the acquisition of Kare Knowledgeware. The London-based software company developed a platform that allows self-service for customers.  

Although Dialpad integrated AI into its platform five years ago, purchasing Kare notably expanded its AI capabilities, Hsieh explains. She adds that it elevated client experience, enabling them to easily access and use their data through deep searches and data organization. The Kare software also improved Dialpad’s abilities in automating data capture as well as in the analysis and applications of that data.  

Heading up the transaction internally, she collaborated with external counsel in the U.K. and conducted due diligence. This involved scrutinizing all merger agreements before the deal closed, then coordinating with finance, human resources and other teams to integrate the new company.  

Meanwhile, the legal department was undergoing team transitions, like the general counsel departing for another opportunity. Hsieh didn’t hesitate to take on more responsibilities in the process.  

“I stepped into the transaction in a quarterback position instead of just an offensive lineman,” she says.  

Her acumen, broad legal expertise and willingness came in handy in October 2021, when, less than a month after completing the Kare deal, Dialpad acquired Koopid. Dialpad combined Koopid’s omnichannel support software with its existing contact center software to provide clients with enhanced options for their customers. Now, instead of just calling in, customers can e-mail or message through a company’s website or any of its social media accounts. 

“Yes, we only cater to companies, but we spend just as much time thinking about customer service as them,” Hsieh says. “Our products assist our clients in creating the best digital communications experiences for their customers and employees.” 

Visibility and volunteering 

Legal and business savvy, Hsieh understands all Dialpad can offer its clients to help them achieve success, which is why she was so excited about the Super Bowl commercial and the associated visibility.  

While she doesn’t play a large role in the advertisement and marketing side, she does enjoy dipping her legal toe in this realm. For instance, she helped secure the placement of official patches on the Sacramento Kings NBA team jerseys. The Kings are a Dialpad partner.  

She also had a notable hand in drafting and reviewing the endorsement agreement Dialpad entered into with the King’s power forward and center, Domantas Sabonis, as its ambassador in April 2023. 

Apart from her legal responsibilities, Hsieh tries to remain aware of other matters occurring across the company. Being more involved with all departments and colleagues is one of the reasons she was keen to switch over from associate at a legal firm to in-house counsel at a company. She did, however, enjoy being a summer associate for Fenwick & West during the two years she was a law student at University of California, Berkeley; she joined the firm as an associate after graduating in 2017.  

At Dialpad, she’s been appreciating the connectivity that comes from an in-house role and has even attended volunteer events with coworkers.  

Volunteering holds a special place in her heart. Her aunt’s prior journey with cancer led Hsieh to become involved with the American Cancer Society, and she now drives patients to and from their medical appointments. She’s also training to become a CASA. These court-appointed special advocates help children in the foster care system.  

“Law is infused into every part of my life, ironic as I’m from a small, rural town in California and didn’t even meet a lawyer until my senior year of undergrad,” Hsieh says. “I love the career path I chose and can’t wait to see what I can accomplish now and in the future.”    

View this feature in the Vanguard Summer III 2023 Edition here.