Raul Fernando Lopez Blanquet – GC Powerlist
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Mexico 2024

Food, beverages and tobacco

Raul Fernando Lopez Blanquet

Legal manager | Sigma Alimentos

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Mexico 2024

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Raul Fernando Lopez Blanquet

Legal manager | Sigma Alimentos

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

There is a common saying that “information is power.” So, the first step before taking any action is to gather all the relevant data available, and if time permits, define a strategy to approach the crisis or make the most informed decision for any specific action. At Sigma, we are very proud of our culture, which helps us improve as individuals, as teams, and as a business. Our legal strategy is aligned with our culture, general guidelines, and related KPIs, ensuring that every decision and action supports the resilience of the organisation. This alignment guarantees that legal measures are always consistent with the broader business objectives, thereby ensuring the organisation’s ability to withstand challenges effectively. 

 

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently? 

Recently, we have been very active in defending our intellectual property (IP) rights, which is a significant focus for us. We have also taken a more active role in local commercial chambers, which has provided us with a better understanding of business trends and strengthened our relationships with the Mexican government. This engagement not only protects our business interests but also allows us to influence industry standards and regulations that affect the wider market. 

 

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with Mexico’s data protection laws? 

As legal professionals, we recognise that digital transformation is essential for every department and every service provider. As an in-house legal team, we work closely with our IT department to ensure that our technological developments align with industry standards. Partnering with IT experts not only ensures compliance with cybersecurity protocols and other IT considerations, but also that we are well-prepared in areas such as data privacy and related legal matters. Furthermore, collaborating with leading technology providers, who often have robust data privacy policies and confidentiality obligations, helps us maintain a strong IP culture and ensures that we stay compliant with Mexico’s data protection laws. 

 

How do you manage and motivate your legal team to ensure high performance and professional growth? 

At Sigma, we embrace a very human-centred vision, which helps us manage the various initiatives and demands within the company. In the legal department, we create opportunities for both fun and learning, with specific meetings led by internal or external experts to strengthen our relationships and expand our knowledge of legal and non-legal topics. Additionally, we hold monthly meetings where team members share relevant cases, allowing everyone to contribute opinions and suggestions on how to address complex matters. Quarterly meetings are held to review annual objectives and ensure they align with the company’s overall strategy. One of my favourite phrases is, “Build a team so strong that you don’t know who the boss is,” and I am continuously working on myself and my team to achieve this goal. 

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