What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

In Argentina, we have several challenges and opportunities as a legal department. I would like to highlight the following:

Volkswagen Argentina — we jointly developed the complete digital business program for gearbox plants. This allowed Volkswagen Argentina to achieve a significant increase of their production. The role of the legal department was to enable the business.

Audi Argentina — we have a strategic agreement as an official partner of solutions for e-mobility. Under this framework, electric chargers are being installed in Audi dealerships throughout the country, generating the largest private charging infrastructure for electric cars in Argentina. We are replicating this agreement with Volkswagen and Volkswagen trucks.

Arcor — the company started an internal project called “Factory of the Future” and invited us to develop a program for its digital transformation that allows them to improve manufacturing operations.

Lithium-leveraged mining projects — Argentina is currently the world’s fourth largest producer of lithium. Siemens has entered a contract with one of the most important lithium producing companies in the country for the expansion of the project providing engineering and panel boards.

What will be the main focus for the company in the next 12 months and how do you intend to assist with this?

Our main focus will be in the field of industry 4.0, e- mobility, and providing support for technical education. Siemens supports the operating businesses and the company’s corporate functions in all aspects of legal and compliance relevant topics. The legal team acts as business partner of the Siemens management and supports them in achieving the business targets, the development and implementation of legal strategies, and “integrity” – the adherence to the law and to internal regulations.

For the following months we have some internal projects for the digitalisation of the legal department. We already have some tools that we are using such as LISA – Legal and Compliance Information and Search Assistant, that provides fast access to the latest and up-to-date legal and compliance related content, tools, and support. Its easy-to-use interface contains a search field and a chatbot function.

What do you feel is the best way to get more women into in-house legal leadership positions?

At Siemens, we are committed to equity and inclusion. Inclusion is one of the six fields of action that drive our sustainability strategy that we call DEGREE to foster diversity, inclusion, and community development to create a sense of belonging. The target set up at a global level is to have 30% female share in top management by 2025. Currently, we have 42% of female leadership in the South America and the legal department in Argentina has 60% of women.

The chief diversity office was established in November 2008. Its objective is to increase diversity within the company worldwide. Every position must be filled by the best person, no matter their gender, background or ethnicity.