Team size: Eleven

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

Our legal department was not spared from the severe impact of the pandemic years. Our team functioned with considerably less people and a disproportionate increase in workload while striving to record the best sales years in the history of BCD Travel. The team suffered talent loss, faced high demand and coped with a lot of stress. While our company was recognised to be well positioned for recovery, there was also an inevitable sense of exhaustion.

My goal in 2022 – next to delivering my own legal tasks – was to overcome these challenges. This involved restructuring and rebuilding the legal team with our general counsel, welcoming and onboarding new team members and creating back-up systems to better distribute tasks. It also involved organising regional and global presidential team meetings and restoring team spirit and morale.

Do you have an example of a time when you have come up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works that did not result in a large expense?

During the first recovery year post-pandemic, we had no budget for employee learning and development. Hence, we learned from each other’s experiences and trained by attending free master classes and workshops organised by our partner law firms. In monthly team meetings, we had brainstorming sessions, facilitating knowledge sharing.

Another initiative was our colleague back-up system – which involved appointing alternative counsels for the most overworked legal counsel. We were able to create a more efficient task redistribution system, cope with absences, shorten response times and reduce stress levels.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

As in any industry, a successful in-house lawyer must act as a trusted legal advisor and as a true business partner. Understanding the business and its inherent risks enhances the quality of legal advice. Working as part of multifunctional teams, in-house counsel provides different perspectives, enriching discussions and producing viable results. Other key skills for success are great communication skills, understanding client needs and rapport building.