Silvia J. Rueda-Serrano is a law graduate with a major in commercial law from Universidad de los Andes. She is currently Bimbo de Colombia’s legal and compliance head, a position she has held since 2017 and to which she was appointed after five years of starting her career at this company. Grupo Bimbo is a Mexican FMCG global company with over $17bn in sales per year. It is the leader in the Colombian baking industry. It extends its presence across 33 countries.

Since joining the Company, Silvia has always handled legal matters and M&A. Recently, she led the acquisition of “Procesadora de alimentos El Paisa”, allowing Bimbo to enter the significant arepas market in 2021. Silvia is currently directing an international merger between 3 companies owned by Grupo Bimbo to provide cost and processes efficiencies.

Silvia’s team is also responsible for giving legal support in complex legal matters and providing advice daily. The legal area works with all business units on various topics, including business development and conflict resolution. A lawyer’s input is valued in these matters since it provides a holistic view of each analysed case and the consequences and risks for the organisation.

The pandemic has brought unexpected challenges over the past two years for the team. Digital adoption has been crucial in facing such challenges. Silvia has used technology to enable the legal department, which is now better connected and more present in the company through different platforms. The team has generated new efficiencies by streamlining processes, proof of the legal department’s creativity. This is a crucial skill since the business constantly requires delivering safe, minimum-risk legal solutions that can only be achieved through interdisciplinary work and a holistic vision of the organisation.