Honigman, a business law firm with offices in Michigan, Chicago and Washington, D.C., has made two significant additions.
Uma Reddy has joined the firm as its new chief financial officer, based in Detroit. Thomas Gaughan is the firm’s new chief operating officer, based in Honigman’s Chicago office.
Reddy most recently served as an executive vice president and managing director of global finance for marketing and communications giant WPP’s VMLYR agency in Dearborn, Michigan, where she spearheaded a business model shift for WPP|Ford, streamlining and strengthening operating companies.
As chief financial officer, Reddy will assume the financial and reporting duties previously held by former Honigman chief operating officer Robert Kubic, who retired this year.
Reddy is the founder of the nonprofit Ashray Akruti – USA, a group focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities and marginalized sections of society. She was recognized by Bill Gates Sr., father of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with the Global Social Entrepreneurship Award for her innovative ideas to address hearing disabilities. Reddy was also honored with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance Award.
Reddy is also a recipient of WPP’s Winning Women Award for extraordinary contributions and inspirational leadership.
Prior to WPP, Reddy served as a senior manager of risk finance, financial accounting and reporting, and capital planning/special projects for Ally Financial in Detroit. Reddy started her career as a financial executive for PricewaterhouseCoopers in India.
Gaughan joins Honigman from ArentFox Schiff LLP, where he served as co-chief operating officer following the completion of the merger earlier this year between Arent Fox LLP and Schiff Hardin LLP.
Gaughan joined Schiff Hardin LLP in 2018 after having held earlier C-level law firm roles as a COO at Baker McKenzie and Chief Financial Officer for DLA Piper and Locke Lord. Gaughan also served in financial and administrative leadership roles for a privately-held group of technology companies — Systems Resources Consulting Inc. and Cosatech Inc. — and Baxter Healthcare.
