About

Frédérique Berthier has been instrumental in the successful completion of over 50 M&A projects over a period of seven years covering over 40 countries. ‘Mergers and acquisitions are an absolute growth pillar for Imerys and by setting up processes I am considered a “deal accelerator!”’. Overcoming the daily legal encounters Berthier concludes that the biggest challenge is ‘volume’, indicating that the legal department is ‘potentially a victim of its own success’. Managing a team of 19 lawyers located in eight different offices, representing nine different nationalities and with a diverse range in age and experience, Berthier has succeeded in reorganising the team to increase the profile of the EMEA commercial legal team and transforming the Asia Pacific team in conjunction with the company’s operations in China. Moreover, she initiated the Toward Transformation project aimed to support the Imerys’ predicted growth plan over the next three-to-five years, by increasing agility and resourcing of the team. The project is transforming the mission of the team ‘from a hands on business partner – which was perfect for a certain cycle of life of Imerys– to a trusted advisor at the right level of value added’. Looking back through the rear-view mirror Berthier highlights that ‘today versus before 2009, the crisis is that our business time horizon has shrunk: midterm used to be three-to-four years ahead, now one can only think 18 months max’, this means that ‘sometimes [we have to] to fly without instruments. This has required an even greater flexibility and agility from the lawyers – hence the need for our “Toward Transformation” project’’. Conveying great enthusiasm for the profession, Berthier truly enjoys being in-house and considers managing a team as an ‘amazing’ experience.