Head of legal division | ENAMI – Empresa Nacional de Minería
Lorena Barrientos
Head of legal division | ENAMI – Empresa Nacional de Minería
How do you approach managing during periods of instability or crises, and how does legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?
Crisis management requires strong leadership, effective communication, and a well-defined plan. During periods of instability or crisis, a company’s plans and priorities must be adaptable to address immediate challenges. Understanding the nature of the threat and its potential impact on the company and its stakeholders is essential.
The role of a corporate legal team extends beyond mere legal oversight; it involves being an integral part of the business team to ensure that the company’s core activities are not only executed but done so correctly from both a legal and socially responsible perspective. In a crisis, legal priorities must be quickly adapted to align with the company’s strategy for addressing immediate concerns. This necessitates a highly collaborative approach with the rest of the company’s teams.
The challenge for both the company and the legal team during difficult times lies in managing urgent crisis-related issues without completely sidelining the company’s broader strategic objectives.
How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?
I am deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, particularly in addressing the gender gap, and have actively championed these values throughout my career. For me, this commitment is a meaningful way to give back to the legal and business communities while promoting social change. One of the proudest moments of my career came in December 2021 when I received the Chambers and Partners D&I In-House Lawyer of the Year Latin America award.
Since 2018, I have been a member of the Female Lawyers’ Committee of the Chilean Bar Association, where I played a key role in advocating for gender quotas on the association’s board of directors. After several months of dedicated work, this initiative was approved in January 2019, ensuring that at least 40% of the board members represent each gender. This milestone made the Chilean Bar Association the first professional body in Chile to incorporate gender quotas into its internal regulations. Additionally, since 2019, I have been involved with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Chilean Bar Association, where I focus on increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ legal community in Chile.
Beyond my work with the Chilean Bar Association, I am also a member of Red de Mujeres Alta Dirección, an organization composed of professional women and business leaders committed to enhancing public and private organizations through the inclusion of female talent in senior management roles. From 2021 to 2022, I served as a board member of the Chilean Chapter of Women in eDiscovery (WiE), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing women with opportunities in legal technology education, networking, and leadership.
General counsel | ReSimple