Team size: Eleven

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

Over the past year, the collective challenges that have most impacted me and my organisation are the external disruptions caused by the post-Covid ‘new normal’, inflationary pressures, and the war in Ukraine. As a general counsel, my role has been crucial in navigating the legal implications of these disruptions and ensuring business continuity amidst the uncertainty and volatility.

As we transition back to the workplace following the lifting of Covid-19 protection measures, our focus has been on cultivating a positive and supportive company culture. We recognise that the pandemic has taken a significant toll on the mental health and well-being of our employees, and we want to create an environment that fosters collaboration, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging. To achieve this, we have implemented policies and initiatives aimed at promoting work-life balance, flexibility, and personal development.

Furthermore, inflationary pressures and the ongoing war in Ukraine have resulted in unpredictable market conditions, supply chain disruptions, and increased regulatory scrutiny. As a result, we have had to take a more strategic approach to risk management and monitor legal and regulatory changes carefully to ensure compliance.

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?

In the last year, an impactful yet simple innovation we implemented to improve our legal team’s efficiency was the development of a self-service NDA delivery process. While we had previously automated the process to some extent, we renovated again to allow internal colleagues to direct-send an NDA to a third party.

This process reduces the time and effort required to complete an NDA request while allowing our legal team to focus on more complex legal matters. The implementation of this innovation did not require a large expense, as we were able to leverage existing resources and technologies within the company to create the questionnaire and automate the NDA delivery process.

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

Successful in-house lawyers in any business-to-business environment must have a solid understanding of the company’s operations, goals, and markets. In addition to legal expertise, they must possess business acumen and a strategic mindset to be able to add value to the organisation. In-house counsel should align their priorities with corporate objectives and possess knowledge of corporate financial concepts. These qualities are essential for creating innovative and practical solutions while mitigating legal risks. In short, in-house counsel must not only serve as legal specialists but also as business managers tasked with creating value for their enterprise.