About

ArcelorMittal Brasil is comprised of 27 facilities with over 11,000 employees, and has a steel production capacity of 11.3 million tonnes in addition to an iron ore production capacity of 7.1 million tonnes. Supporting the world’s largest steel producer, the legal function in Brazil is made up of 19 lawyers and five non-lawyers in addition to ten interns. Taking pride in a robust sustainability programme in stakeholder engagement and environmental relationship-building, the legal team has an integrity culture to match. Over the years the legal department has been key in spreading the integrity ethos throughout the company and increasing awareness that such culture leads to a strong reputation and better results. The work of the team has included the creation of the integrity committee and the reputation and sustainability committee with direct involvement and the participation of the top management of the company. Head of legal and institutional relations and compliance officer Suzana Fagundes explains how the team has ‘helped to educate the leadership on the subject and to engage employees to act as ambassadors of the reputation and integrity of the company, to demonstrate that integrity culture could be a competitive differentiation of the company’. The high performing team has overseen several significant transactions, most recently the merger with Votorantim Siderurgia that is estimated to result in a long product steel producer with an annual crude steel capacity of 5.6 million tonnes and annual rolling capacity of 5.4 million tonnes, and the acquisition of 55.5% of Bekaert Sumaré from Bekaert group. These results have come during a time when the steel sector has faced challenging moments including an economic slowdown, a political and integrity crisis and legal uncertainty. ‘In the steel industry, we face the problem of overcapacity, imposition of aggressive trade defense mechanisms. This environment has challenged us to change the way we work to be able to do more with less resources’ Fagundes says. In order to stay abreast of this, the team has had to sharpen its focus and be creative without ever comprising its values. Fagundes speaks of these circumstances as being ‘an opportunity to reinforce our integrity [and] compliance culture inside and outside the company.’