Reflecting on his career thus far, Benoit Ternon is pleased to have been able to operate in diverse roles at a number of different organisations, and places this as both a significant professional highlight and a dynamic that has characterised his time as a lawyer. Originally working as an external lawyer and first moving in-house in 2012, he says he has ‘experienced almost everything possible’ as a lawyer. Both his internal and external legal roles have taken place internationally, and his in-house roles have taken place at Verbund, Technip and now Philip Morris France; not only do these companies differ in the market they operate in, but Ternon was engaged as an international counsel with responsibility for India, Africa and the Middle East while with Technip.

Utilising his experience in this area, Ternon gave the following advice for adapting to working within a new culture or working environment: ‘My first advice is to listen. People love talking and expressing themselves, and you can learn a lot from them through this. When entering a new culture, it is a lot better to listen, and learn as much as you can from those around you. Even if everybody speaks English, the culture is different, and through taking stock of others around you, you can pick up on this’. When comparing external and in-house legal work, Ternon enjoys the increased business involvement that corporate counsel roles bring: ‘Obviously you are more important to the decision process when you go in-house.

Depending on the importance of legal in the company your voice is more or less heard by the management, but in every case you need to adapt to be a business partner as much as possible’. Ternon joined Philip Morris at something of a transitional phase for the company (given its increased reliance on reduced risk products – RRPs – which do not burn tobacco), and mentions this as something that attracted him to the company initially. ‘What I like about PMI’, he explains, ‘is that it is now looking to transform massively. As such, the company is looking to offer smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking, alternatives such as RRPs’.