Team Size: Nine 

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?  

Every major organisation will potentially go through periods of instability or crises, and the way its legal team reacts to this is paramount to ensure that whatever the risk is, its effects are minimised. In my case, this will undoubtedly include a comprehensive assessment of the situation to properly understand the potential threats, the key issues to be addressed, the jurisdictions in which the risks are likely to have an impact, and an estimate of the severity should these threats materialise. Structuring an action plan including relevant stakeholders is critical and preparing a communication strategy is also relevant. In any case, focus should always be kept on the business so weighing out the commercial needs with the legal musts is also important. Lastly, making sure there is a crisis management plan with key stakeholders in the organisation trained and prepared to tackle crises, and having this plan regularly updated based on upcoming circumstances will also help close any gap that may arise in the process. 

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?  

Given the change in the regulatory landscape of sports betting and online gaming that Latin America has experienced in recent years, many of the countries in the region have fostered a favourable ground for the expansion of the industry. Because of this, Betsson Group’s entry into the Latin American market has been based on successful and high-impact transactions, ensuring sustainable commercial growth. As the head of the legal department for the Latin-American region, I have led the legal team in key commercial transactions successfully structuring major global sponsorship deals with some of the most iconic football teams in the region such as Boca Juniors and Racing de Avellaneda in Argentina, and Atletico Nacional in Colombia. Furthermore, I have also led legal discussions on the naming rights deals for the Peruvian and Chilean first division football championships. From a compliance standpoint, the most significant transactions I have worked on with my team refer to the renewal of the operating license for the Colombian market and the successful application for six different operating licenses for the Betsson, Betsafe and Inkabet brands in the Peruvian market. 

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? 

When recruiting for my legal team, prioritising women and people from different regions has proven to be a winning combination; their different backgrounds, personal experiences and points of view help enrich the spirit of the group. Expanding your team disregarding prejudices has surely helped my teams to grow stronger together, to respect each other’s position and to value their own personal values. This paves the road for the team to focus on providing high quality legal work for the organisation. Also, providing everyone with equal access to resources and opportunities makes inclusion real.