In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn speaks with Shanti Ariker, Chief Legal Officer at JFrog, about her unconventional journey from taking a six-year career break to leading legal teams at Salesforce, Twilio, Zendesk, and beyond. Shanti shares lessons on reinvention, resilience, and empathetic leadership — from returning to work as a contracts manager to navigating billion-dollar acquisitions and leading through global crises.Whether you’re building your in-house career or leading a team, this conversation offers practical insights on growth, adaptability, and finding purpose in every chapter.Read detailed transcript: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-115        Topics Introduction and career overview – 00:00Stepping away from full-time work and returning after six years – 02:41Re-entering the legal workforce in Canada and taking a step back – 05:47Breaking into Salesforce through networking and early contributions – 12:50Building the Salesforce Canada legal team and launching pro bono work – 15:30Becoming General Counsel at salesforce.org and leading through learning – 19:20Innovative legal models and lessons from the salesforce.org structure – 22:17Transitioning back to for-profit legal roles and rebuilding GC credentials – 24:56GC role at Zendesk: From steady start to activist investors and take-private – 33:44Managing governance, communication, and morale during high-stakes transitions – 37:35Joining JFrog and leading through the Israel crisis – 43:03Evolving leadership style through personal and professional challenges – 47:07Rapid-fire Questions – 51:45    Connect with us: Shanti Ariker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanti-ariker/ Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.