Team size: 45

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

I work in oil and gas and energy solutions. As such, the key challenge over the last year has been navigating the balance between sustainable energy security and the need to decarbonise the world. My company, like many others, delivers fuels demanded and heavily relied on by the world. On the other hand, we are investing money and resources into new technologies to decarbonise our operations – such as carbon capture and storage, and direct air capture. We are also developing a new business where we hope to take and manage carbon from third parties. It is a challenging time for our traditional business, as we balance customer demands with growing pressure to reduce the world’s reliance on fossil fuels. It is also an exciting time as we are working on emerging technologies which will help Australia and the world meet decarbonisation targets. My team is learning new skills as part of this transformation, and it is a privilege to lead that change.

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

In terms of technological advancements, I see data gathering and reporting as central to an in-house team. This will enable them to track and show the value legal teams add to the business, through various means, such as evidence of savings negotiated, hours dedicated to types of work, setting and measuring targets or predicting trends of workload and resource management.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

An in-house energy lawyer should be resilient to challenges and opportunities created by commodity cycles and have pride in our industry and how we help people carry out daily activities in a sustainable manner. Adaptability is also an essential quality to possess as constant change is part of our work and we enjoy being nimble and facing new challenges.