How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Addressing the management of legal processes during times of crisis is a complex task that requires deeper analysis, as we are faced with an unfamiliar scenario. Consequently, I must implement a comprehensive strategy, reviewing the company’s current processes in relation to the unstable situation, focusing on covering each legal, financial, regulatory, and communications aspect. This demands active collaboration across all departments within the company to monitor and assess risk and the specific situation, applying organisational resilience with the aim of collectively overcoming the crisis in a transparent manner. This approach involves adapting not only in the legal and regulatory sphere but also within the company’s cross-cutting policies, ensuring strict adherence to established parameters and aiming for minimal impact.

On the other hand, I firmly believe that during periods of crisis, it is crucial to remain calm, act strategically, and view them as opportunities for business growth. My approach to adapting is to work closely with other departments within the company in pursuit of the best comprehensive and cross-functional strategy. This involves evaluating current processes, presenting concrete ideas, and simultaneously generating cost-saving mechanisms, as a crisis can undoubtedly destabilise a company. Therefore, it is essential to automate processes and anticipate any events that could significantly impact the company’s assets. Additionally, I would designate leaders, assigning them greater responsibility and guidelines, enabling them to guide the rest of the team. This allows senior management, alongside other managers, to focus on addressing the crisis and safeguarding the company’s interests through active participation in risk assessment, planning, renegotiations, policy development, and objective-setting, ensuring regulatory and legal compliance throughout the process. By doing so, we can minimise any potential disadvantages, penalties, fines, or negative impacts that may arise.

Aligning with the business strategy is equally vital. I am strongly convinced that teamwork across various departments is the essence of resilience and overcoming a crisis. It is also important to emphasise the need for effective communication, as in a crisis situation, clarity in our words, directives, and action plans is paramount.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

The company continuously incorporates policies aimed at the efficient use of resources, active recycling, and the development of technologies designed to implement systems that optimise processes with the lowest possible energy consumption, promoting the use of clean energy and environmental care. Among the measures adopted is the implementation of a circular economy through the creation of the “Equipment Recovery Laboratory,” where decommissioned equipment is brought in to be given more than one useful life. Additionally, we have installed and use solar panels across our HUB plants throughout Chile, enabling some of them to be fully energy self-sufficient. We have also carried out a full technological upgrade of our network, migrating our national customers to fibre optics. This allowed us to shut down all our HFC service plants, thereby avoiding the high energy consumption they entailed.

My role as a lawyer, together with my legal team, is to ensure regulatory compliance through continuous updates on laws and regulations, along with active training across the company. We also focus on developing contingency plans and action protocols to mitigate potential legal risks in the event of an incident. This is complemented by the agreements and contributions made by the company, which enhance our social standing and positively impact our public image.

In your opinion, what are the main trends that are salient in your country currently (these can be legal, political, economy or business-based)?

Chile is nearing the conclusion of a constitutional process aimed at modifying the 1980 Constitution. However, as the process ended without the required quorum, the current constitution will remain in force, consequently providing legal and economic certainty for various entities and business owners. On another front, in the areas of cybersecurity and data protection, Chile has begun to significantly move towards regulating protection policies. This is crucial as the country is positioning itself as a hub for data centres, creating a need for institutions that ensure strict compliance (both public and private), safeguarding data and the integrity of information algorithms.

Moreover, I would like to highlight that Chile is on the verge of achieving full digitalisation, reducing the digital divide. This brings with it technological advancements, sustainability, equity, greater access to information, increased foreign investment, and the promotion of a circular economy. It’s also important to note gender equality, as legislative progress has been made, leading to changes in recruitment processes, the selection of board members, equal pay, and even policies concerning labour-social processes such as unions.

To conclude, I would like to emphasise that these trends reflect a period of change for Chile, with significant impacts aimed at equitable, economic, and sustainable development.