Team size: Six

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

As the legal and public affairs manager of DELOSI, I have taken on new duties, which become challenges from the internal and external point of view of the company.

Within the company, I have taken on the role of leading crisis management, which are the unexpected or unforeseeable events that require urgent and special attention, and then the need to implement an action plan or procedure to manage and resolve the crisis to reduce or eliminate legal risks and damage to the company’s reputation. Regarding reputational damage, I strongly believe that reputation is one of the biggest assets of the company, and for Delosi it is crucial because our business portfolio includes the management of different global fast-food franchises who all hold a strong positioning in the retail market. I also took on the role of managing the asset security for all the restaurants operated by the company because risk prevention is essential for us to avoid events that could affect our employees and consumers.

Externally, this year I was elected as vice president of the restaurants committee at the National Society of Industries, which is one of the most prestigious and relevant organisations in Peru. Within the steering committee, we have been assessing and promoting changes in the regulatory framework of the restaurant business, which is very important for the economic development of the country.

Finally, all the challenges I have assumed this year have led me to strengthen my leadership in all the different areas in which I play a role, it has also allowed me to further enhance my soft skills.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

In technology, the future is today. In-house legal teams need artificial intelligence (AI) to help us manage our internal procedures and the administrative aspects of them. We are not only providing legal advice to the company, but we are also involved in the core business. Working today using excel sheets or word templates is not acceptable, so AI must help us collate all the information in a single source, well organised and secure from cyber-attacks. The information must be available to be analysed more quickly for decision-making, to establish performance indicators, what cannot be measured, cannot be improved, or to work with the information using data analytics that allow us to identify legal risks and reduce them in the business.

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

It is definitely the over-regulation that has been increasing in our country, but we see this as a challenge, more than a concern, that all legal teams must work on. Clearly, this over-regulation is because most bills do not come with an economic-financial assessment. For this reason, my team has implemented a system for monitoring draft legislation, which allows us to be aware of possible changes that could impact our business, to adapt it before the law comes into force and to issue a technical-legal opinion, when necessary, through the association that represents us.