Team size: 12

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

As I was just promoted to my regional role in January 2024, I now have a new team and new responsibilities. I must say that the most significant case I have been involved in lately is having hired my successor for the role of legal director for Brazil years ago when I was a manager in June 2018. It brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction to know that I was the reason Diego Melo joined Abbott in June 2016 and that the affiliate in Brazil is much better served and supported now that he is in charge.

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

Know your business better than anything else! Understand what each product under your responsibility can do for the benefit of your patients. This skill, better than any other, is what differentiates a successful in-house lawyer in the pharma industry.

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

Building trust and understanding the risk appetite of your business counterparts is the best way to foster collaboration with our business colleagues. I believe that if you can do that, everything else will fall into place. However, one needs to keep in mind that building trust takes time and dedication; therefore, one should be aware of the slow pace of this endeavour.

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

Diversity and Inclusion has been one of my passions for a long time. I believe in the creativity, the best solutions, and the innovative capabilities that only a diverse team can produce. Becoming a leader capable of creating an inclusive environment that promotes a feeling of belonging, purpose, and well-being for all members of a team diverse in terms of gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, religion, age, technical skills, and human competencies is no easy task, but it is my personal objective as a team leader.