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

The two most significant matters we were involved in were: (a) integrating and unifying acquired businesses to the Diligent standard; and (b) fostering a culture of transparency to meet with evolving client needs to successfully close deals and renewals.  

Our legal team has been at the forefront of unifying and integrating acquired businesses and products into Diligent. Our role has been to ensure that the integration process is legally sound but also ensuring change management ran smoothly and in alignment with “customer-first” principles, which include reconciling legal structures and entities, understanding IP and trademark frameworks, and ensuring a unified approach to transacting with customers. By harmonising diverse business entities, employee cultures and products, we have aimed to create a cohesive and strengthened SaaS product offerings, all of which is centred on GRC and ESG.  

Additionally, our team has been key to successful closure of deals, by evolving how we engage with customers through an increasingly complex legal landscape and economic downturn. Throughout negotiations, we have maintained our commitment to transparency and anticipating client needs to ensure sales deals are not just transactions, but partnerships built on trust.  

Clients seeking SaaS products are increasingly discerning and demanding more value for their investment. In addition, the constant change in laws is directly impact clients’ demands as well. Our legal team has prioritised staying ahead of the curve, constantly updating our legal knowledge, and understanding clients’ concerns about their internal compliance. Further, with our training conducted across the business to engage in transparent conversations, during sales deal closure or renewal time, we have fostered a culture of ethical and honest behaviour that has strengthened client relationships and successfully retained key accounts. Our focus on keeping abreast of regulatory changes and aligning our solutions with clients has also been instrumental in maintaining the trust and confidence of our clients. 

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?  

I am deeply committed to increasing ESG compliance within the business world. The definition of success for businesses has traditionally been tied to profit margins. I challenge this concept as businesses have a profound impact on society and communities, especially given their access to networks and resources. Ensuring they are operating within an ethical landscape means greater and more beneficial social impact.  

Further, ESG compliance is not a checkbox or a feel-good exercise. Laws governing social and corporate governance issues have been around for decades and it is a basic and fundamental commitment to sustainable practices that all businesses should adhere to. As a lawyer, I believe we should hold our businesses accountable to be responsible global citizens to foster an international culture of ethical leadership and innovation. It is crucial that we change the mark of success for businesses to understand ESG is a strategic long-term imperative.