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?  
 
I am responsible for preparing the monthly legal and regulatory reports for Telstra’s Board and Audit and Risk Committee, acting on behalf of our group general counsel. Alongside our innovation team, I led the development of an online portal that incurred no cost to the business apart from internal labour.  
 
This portal has many benefits, including moving from approximately 500 emails per Board report to a single, centralised source for all interactions. This in turn led to an uplift in the accuracy and efficiency of reporting as all essential information was in one location. The portal increased alignment among several types of legal and regulatory reports submitted to the Board, and it has since received excellent feedback from users, who have commented on its usefulness regarding communication, tracking legal matters, and centralised repository. The portal has fostered a continuous improvement mindset within the team involved in the reporting process.  
 
What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  
 
Telstra’s legal team comprises approximately 140 lawyers and paralegals who handle a wide range of matters to support the global operations of Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company. Our team utilises an agile chapter structure, which separates work and people leadership. I serve as the people manager for roughly half of the team’s people leaders, and my indirect team is responsible for a diverse array of legal work, including contracting, sourcing, product, marketing, transactional, corporate, M&A, finance, property, employment, disputes, and regulatory matters.  
 
Our team is primarily based in Australia, with additional presence in Asia, America, and Europe. Over the past year, some of the most significant cases and transactions have involved acquisitions, infrastructure projects, regulatory investigations, enforcement activities, and disputes, influencing the regulatory landscape, alongside the completion of Telstra’s complex restructuring process.  
 
What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?  
 
I grew up in South Africa and I am looking forward to taking my three young children there for the first time later this year. My family and I have been supporting the work of the Lukhanyiso Safe House in Knysna, my hometown, for some time. This small grassroots home provides refuge for children who have no other place to go, offering both short-term stays and long-term care. They believe that “every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” I fondly recall a visiting with my friends and family from Australia where we shared school bags filled with classroom essentials, toys, and sweets with each of the children on Christmas day.