Team size:  21

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?

We are evolving in a world in flux – geopolitically, digitally, environmentally, and socially. The conceptual frameworks of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) and BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) aptly illustrate the challenges and uncertainties we face.

Our approach goes beyond responding to isolated periods of instability or crisis. We focus on building resilience mechanisms that are integrated into the legal department’s operating model, enabling us to anticipate and navigate these complexities effectively. This dynamic and structured model fosters a proactive, agile, and flexible legal function.

Our operating model clearly defines our mission, strategic pillars, and management tools, shared with our internal stakeholders via the legal department’s SharePoint, where policies and resources are available in real-time. This transparency ensures a smooth and efficient collaboration, especially during critical moments.

In the “eye of the storm”, time management becomes crucial. Decisions must be made swiftly, often in high-pressure environments. The robustness of our operating model helps us meet these challenges, allowing for rapid adaptation and execution.

I strongly believe in the importance of the human element during turbulent periods. Transparency, trust, and open communication foster collaboration across all functions and build collective intelligence. The quality of these relationships must develop over time, through a continuous culture of legal exchange and sharing. We use an annual satisfaction survey from internal clients to gather feedback that helps us better meet their expectations and drives continuous improvement in the legal department.

More broadly, our role is to ensure that the legal department’s strategy is aligned with the company’s overall strategy and, conversely, to detect emerging legal trends and controversies that may impact the company’s strategic direction. This alignment is achieved through close collaboration with other departments, a strategic legal watch system, and effective business and legal planning.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am convinced that our worldview must change. The collapse of biodiversity, climate change, and the finite nature of resources compel us to rethink our lifestyles, our organisations, and our strategies. Business as usual is no longer an option.

Law is crucial in this transformation, balancing hard law with soft law to shape the rules that govern or influence our society and economy. Positioned at the intersection of morality, ethics, economics, and science, legal frameworks guide companies through complexity while ensuring strategic alignment. Contractual engineering, in particular, is essential for building strong relationships and navigating today’s ever-changing landscape.

This conviction fueled my commitment to tackling these challenges. I founded an ESG-CSR scientific group within AFJE (the leading French association for in-house counsel) to equip legal professionals as key players of this transformation. I also joined a Master of science “Strategy and Design for the Anthropocene” to deepen my understanding and help anticipate future changes.

The question that motivates me is: ‘What can I do, given who I am, what I know, and who I know?

As Head of Legal Affairs, it is my responsibility to integrate ESG-CSR issues into our legal operating model to strengthen the company’s resilience while helping my team grow to face these complex challenges.