About

Varsha Gupta is a dual-qualified (India and England and Wales) corporate lawyer with 12 years of experience gained from an international law firm and, most recently, consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB). Currently senior legal counsel at IDEMIA, she leads the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Turkey division of the company, advising regional business units and ensuring they comply with the methods and procedures of the group. ‘Due to the regional coverage of my roles’, Gupta says of her current responsibilities, ‘I often have to familiarise myself with the cross-border laws while handling such matters – for instance, I am currently working on a corporate restructuring of various entities in the region. My technical skills, together with commercial acumen and collaboration with the business teams, have enabled me to provide strategic business input in order to facilitate deals and become a trusted business partner and business enabler’. The challenge inherent in supporting such a varied range of businesses is one that Gupta relishes, however: ‘My experience is diverse and spans defence, fast moving consumer goods and now the IT sector. I love to frequently challenge myself and upskill, and moving sectors has allowed me to do this. I am constantly learning new areas and, as a result, my risk appetite is changing and this has had a large impact on my career and personal development’. Gupta is skilled at translating complex legal matters into simple language that the rest of the business can use, and has a good sense of perspective about the wider needs of the company beyond the specific matter at hand.