Team size: 11 

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense? 

A couple of years ago, my company decided to embrace the lean methodology focusing on better defining processes, clear roles and responsibilities with attention on continuous improvement and, in that frame, I saw an opportunity to extend this approach to the people of the Legal&Compliance Department.  

This methodology is usually applied to functions other than legal; however, the legal department is strictly connected and involved in the business and has a fundamental and strategic role in achieving the company’s objectives. For this reason, I invited my team members to join the training.  

To date, about half of the team is certified. Some people became so passionate that they have even achieved the second-level certification dedicated to problem-solving, which relates very well to our activities. Now, the team is working more effectively following Lean principles and maintaining high quality and attention concerning the activities and the projects to be carried out. The team has also solved many cross-departmental critical issues, adding value beyond the in-house counsel’s classic work.  

Although this opportunity was not t explicitly born for the Legal&Compliance Department, joining the programme offered and supported by the Headquarter was exciting. Sometimes, it is sufficient to think out of the box, observe what is happening, take advantage of opportunities that surround us and learn something surprisingly valuable. 

Can you foresee any key developments in the way general counsel work in the next five years? 

In the last years, several new critical issues globally have occurred. Suppose we want to take the positive side of this complex situation by looking at the future. In that case, we assume that challenges often develop innovations and bring opportunities, for example, the digital transformation that strongly accelerated from 2020 onwards in all areas.  

In such a dynamic environment and a lively legal and regulatory landscape, it is already possible to glimpse how the role of the general counsel might evolve over the next five years. We can start looking at the future Artificial Intelligence European Regulation, which will have strong ethical effects with impacts on content and how general counsel and their teams work.  

Another topic becoming prominent and strictly linked to digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence is protecting and securing personal data due to continuous innovations and relevant purposes in data processing and increasing cyber-crimes. The future general counsel needs to be technologically competent and drive a team able to support, prevent, face and manage all relevant risks and guarantee the integrity of the processes.  

In addition, sustainability and ESG will continue to be areas where the general counsel can strongly contribute to implementing and achieving the company targets and become crucial on different dimensions. One of them is external communication, where the correctness and transparency of the contents and data shared are important to avoid possibly dangerous situations like greenwashing.  

It will also be key for the success of the Legal & Compliance Department that the general counsel can drive the team through relevant change management. Finally, the general counsel must keep attention to costs, internal  — understanding how to optimise the team’s structures and leverage people competencies — and external — selecting the proper professional support.  

In this context, the general counsel of tomorrow is expected to be more than ethical, competent, well-organised and able to influence. They will also need to be technologically advanced, able to work on different platforms and new strategic topics and be essential, fast and an engaging leader for the team. 

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment? 

Luckily, diversity, inclusion and equity have been part of my company’s DNA for several years. I care that in my team, there is a climate of sincere inclusion concerning everyone, internal or external to the Legal&Compliance Department, and this is also the result that comes from the annual GEOS survey that has been reporting for several years the highest rate to the question on D&I of the team.  

As of today, most of the L&C Department members are female colleagues. All the team members have different backgrounds and experiences: there are also people with technical engineering backgrounds in the team who are involved in HSE. All team members have equal development, economic and career opportunities.