What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our global legal team is focused on the delivery of Bupa’s new 3 x 6 strategy. This new strategy implies a strong focus on our pillars — customers, growth, transformation, and sustainability — enabled by agile culture and data. Our legal team is adapting to the changing external environment, transforming Bupa to meet changing customer expectations.

Some of the most important projects we have been involved in recently concern supporting the global rollout of digital health solutions through our Blua platform. The latter brings exciting new digital services to our customers’ mobiles and digital devices. It allows us to strengthen the connection between our consumers and us, and Bupa and its networks of doctors, hospitals, and partners. Telehealth solutions also have the great potential to reduce carbon emissions, avoid superfluous journeys, and save power in buildings — essential for Bupa’s sustainability ambitions.

We have also taken part in eco-Disruptive, a global talent and innovation programme aimed at bringing together three elements of the new strategy — agile culture, transformation and sustainability. Through this, Bupa teams in Australia, Spain, Chile and the UK worked with eco start-ups to develop solutions to meet environmental and human health challenges.

The legal team has had a crucial role in supporting the arrangements for Bupa to become the official healthcare partner of the British Paralympics Association, working together with the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024 and beyond. This complements our relationships with the Paralympics associations in Poland, Spain and Chile.

As part of Bupa’s new strategy, our CEO asked our people to ‘run and change’ – which means that we need to run Bupa and continue to deliver high standards of service for our customers at the same time. The legal team has shown enthusiasm and energy on this journey through initiatives related to legal functional digital transformation, access to legal services, and continuous improvement of our processes and contracting arrangements.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house legal world? 

An innovation and transformation mindset – we are on the brink of a major transformation in the legal service industry, and the next decade will see a critical change in digitising access to legal processes. Our business partners are empowered to act without the intervention of in-house legal teams. Imagination, bravery and a willingness to run and change at the same time are critical to success.

Understanding the role legal teams will play in the sustainability agenda – is becoming increasingly fundamental for businesses to stay on top of ESG requirements. Knowledge and understanding in areas relating to ESG is critical, particularly given the role and responsibility that in-house teams play in connecting the dots across the business.