Nezrha Lazrak was praised highly for her ‘faultless’ legal and strategic support to Holcim’s planned merger with Lafarge, which was formally approved in 2014. Since becoming the world-leading cement provider’s national legal head, Lazrak has made many changes to the function, bringing greater levels of specialisation to the team.

Heading all legal, real estate and compliance functions, Lazrak has developed a 360-degree view of the regional business. It is this variety, she says, which she enjoys most in her current role. Law firms could sometimes plan ahead, she suggests, in order to anticipate client needs ahead of time, and also offer greater fee flexibility.