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‘I enjoy it most when the company successfully achieves a goal through cross-divisional collaboration,’ Mariko Mimura says. Mimura heads a 27-strong team, including Japan and foreign-qualified lawyers. ‘I changed legal department culture from reactive legal check of transactions to proactive business growth support,’ she adds, on changes she has brought during her time at Novartis. In particularly, she feels she has instigated a move towards more structured and effective risk management. Mimura has also been actively engaged in industry groups outside of the organisation. On positive changes law firms can make, she points to providing more ‘strategic’ and focused, rather than purely legalistic, advice.