Can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

Our current key focus areas are compliance, sanctions, acquisitions and corporate. As I was appointed to my current position at the beginning of this year, one of my key focus areas is modernising and improving our compliance management, and in introducing a risk-based compliance approach. Also, due to the Ukraine war and the fact that some of our major customers are Russian-owned oil and gas companies, we provided a lot of guidance on sanctions in the last weeks. Furthermore, we have a subsidiary in Russia.

Our business is also constantly looking to acquire (used) railcars to enlarge our existing fleet and evaluating opportunities. Last year, for example, we were working on a sale and leaseback opportunity regarding 4000 railcars. Additionally, we are reorganising our European group of companies. After a demerger in 2020, we completed a cross-border merger from Austria to the Netherlands in 2021. We are currently evaluating an entity consolidation in Germany. We are also providing advice on the use of telematics devices and sensors on our railcars and technical developments such as the “Digital Automatic Coupling.”

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

Our code of conduct stipulates the following “Adhering to the code, and doing things the right way, ethically, with integrity, and in full compliance with the law, is not just a policy at GATX, it is ingrained in our culture.” I truly believe that when you face tough decisions during your work, you should make ethics and integrity your highest priorities and demand the same from those around you. No matter what your role in a company is, you should be honest, fair, and treat others with dignity and respect.

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or general counsel, what would it be and why?

A general counsel should understand how the company’s business works and what its key drivers and risks are. Only if the GC understands what drives his business colleagues and speaks their “language” will he be able to provide legal solutions that help them achieve their goals and objectives. This will help him build his credibility and influence. Furthermore, general counsel should proactively build relationships with the different functions and departments and make sure that they understand what value legal contributes to the business. As legal is not a revenue-generating function, it is important that the general counsel regularly communicates the great work his team does; if possible, using data like his business colleagues. A report on a favourable settlement should, for example, include an overview on how much money it saves the company.