Major legal advisers: Baker McKenzie, Lloreda Camacho & Co.

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

In-house counsel need to constantly explore alternatives or mechanisms aimed at reducing workloads to have more time to focus on what adds value to the business. With that in mind, I have found opportunities to involve my internal clients on certain legal tasks, such as drafting pre-approved legal documents or contract templates. It has been a process that includes training, updates when necessary and, of course, being available to give support if required. Nevertheless, I can say that this kind of innovations have had a profound impact on the way our team works as well as on the image and appreciation that the business has of the legal team.

What are some of the main trends impacting the industry sector you work in in Colombia?

One of the most important trends impacting the pharma industry in Colombia is the government’s proposal to modify the current healthcare system. Apart from that, technology is always on the agenda, and, particularly for this sector, I could mention the benefits that technology brings on the collection, storage, and analysis of real-world evidence. Besides, there is a need for fully capitalising on digital interactions with stakeholders across a variety of channels such as emailing, social media, virtual or hybrid events, among others. Therefore, we will continuously explore the latest technological tools.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

In our legal team, we offer a safe environment to express ideas, innovate, challenge the status quo, and bring our best selves to work. I am immensely proud to say that I engaged in a pilot project aimed at helping women to be prepared to effectively manage pregnancy at work as well as parental leave and return to work. It involved training for future parents and their managers through a specialized platform as well as coaching. The pilot program was a complete success and when we presented it to the whole legal community at Takeda, it evolved to consider diverse caring responsibilities, not just for future parents. At the end, every member of the team felt that they could be part of a similar program, considering that, in a certain way, it is highly likely that everyone will have caring responsibilities someday.

What is a cause, business-related or otherwise, you are passionate about, and why?

Working in the healthcare sector has given me a new sense of purpose. I have always loved being an in-house lawyer and I particularly enjoy getting to know the business and to be able to support them anticipating risks and offering innovative legal solutions. However, here I can feel that with my job I am contributing to help people to have better health, which motivates me to keep learning and to do my best every day at work.