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

First, you need to know the business, not in general terms, but understand how the company works, its strong and weak points, and the challenges it faces, both commercially and technically. I have always been curious about the other parts of the business, about the technology involved. Without a broad knowledge of all sides of the business, you will never be able to support the business in an expert manner. Second, you need to be a partner to the business, the part of the team. I never liked the concept of internal clients, because I never felt like a service provider for the business. I always acted as part of the business, as part of the team.

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

This is a daily challenge you need to be aware of and work with a lot of intention to gain their trust. Obviously, there is not one single thing that will do it. You need to build a relationship with them. Learn to talk and understand their language and avoid any legalisation at all costs. Help them understand your perspective and the risks you see, and ultimately understand their needs and challenges and help them find the best legal solution available.

Knowing the business and talking their language. Avoid at all costs using legalese or technical law terms to explain a situation or case. Be available and interested in the business needs and goal. You need to be part of the team and play a collaborative game.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

It is not exactly a passion, but gender equality in general, and especially at work, is something that has occupied my mind lately. As the father of an 11-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, this subject is becoming more and more relevant each day. I think there is much more that corporations and society in general can do about it. We still live in a society that treats women not equal to men and that needs to change. At SGRE we have been implementing several measures globally to address the issue, but each country has its own challenges, so we will have to put much more effort to really solve this issue.