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

The disruption caused by the war in Ukraine and having to deal with the termination of our managed hotels and franchised hotels in Russia has been a notable challenge that impacted me. It has also been difficult to navigate the unprecedented growth in the mixed use and residential hospitality sectors.

Do you have an example of a time when you have come up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works that did not result in a large expense?

We looked internally to extensively utilise the language skills and legal knowledge of legal team members in every jurisdiction.

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

It is important to be adaptable to changes in the industry and thoroughly understand business needs. A successful in-house lawyer must also be result oriented, with the ability to clearly communicate solutions and issues to business counterparts.