LATAM countries your role covers: Together with the Zone general counsel for Zone Latam, to whom I report, we provide services to all markets in Latin America and the Caribbean

Could you please share the most significant cases or transactions in the LATAM region that you or your legal team have recently been involved in?

We are actively involved in a wide range of cases and transactions in the Latam Region. However, I would like to highlight a specific topic that I have been engaged in since 2018, where Nestlé has been at the forefront.

At Nestlé, we are fully committed to promoting SDG 16 and believe that businesses have a crucial role to play in promoting business integrity and preventing corruption. In collaboration with the World Economic Forum, Transparency International and other key stakeholders, we have actively participated in this cause as part of the WEF’s community of chief legal officers. Together, we have developed a toolkit for SMEs, compromising best-in-class tools and updated practices to foster a culture of business integrity. This initiative serves as a tangible contribution to combat corruption. By leveraging the power of the business supply chain, SMEs will be empowered to promote business integrity, while large companies reinforce their commitment to integrity. This exemplifies the immense power of business supply chains.

We are proud to be part of this great initiative, which has been successfully launched after extensive hard work. Personally, I take pride in contributing to this project, leveraging my experience on this topic since my time in Ecuador, my home country.

What strategies do you employ to ensure your legal advice is effectively aligned with the unique regulatory environments and cultural nuances of different LATAM countries?

In my opinion, one of the key strengths of the Zone Latam L&C Team is our recognition of the value of talent and expertise within our L&C teams across the region. We understand that each country has its own personality, with distinct legal and institutional frameworks. However, by fostering a collaborative approach, we have found the way to add value to our role in the Zone. We also recognize the valuable talent and expertise of our colleagues in the global L&C function. This is the beauty of working in a multinational. From the Zone, our focus is on strategically connecting the needs of our markets in Latam with the tools and expertise of the center team. We actively learn from experiences in the markets and share valuable insights and learnings, both to the markets and also to our colleagues working in the global team.

In addition, we are dedicated to maintaining a balance between addressing core and traditional areas of L&C and expanding our scope of expertise and services to meet the demands of emerging areas, such as AI and ESG-related matters. We understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve and being prepared to provide legal solutions in these evolving fields, many times dealing with uncertainty and evolving scenarios.

Furthermore, we work closely with our business colleagues to understand their needs and concerns. This allows us to be proactive in addressing their requirements through legal advice and solutions (trying to incorporate as much as possible automation and new technologies) and fostering a strong compliance culture within the organisation.

Overall, our strength lies in our collaborative approach, continuous learning, and adaptability to meet the evolving needs of our Markets and our business colleagues, as well as the challenges faced while working within the L&C Function.