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?

During periods of instability such as the recent ones (from the Covid 19 pandemic to the energy crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine), our work has been a continuous balancing act between legitimate preservation requirements and vital needs for rapid adaptation to change.

Periods of crises and instability require swift actions as well as adaptive and proactive approaches at all levels of the company’s management. Whatever the nature of the crisis is, EGPF’s in-house lawyers are constantly dedicating their performance to minimising risks and ensuring compliance. The legal department is immediately mobilised to conduct a thorough risks assessment, involving external legal advisors if necessary. We review contracts, regulatory requirements, and internal policies, creating a road map that addresses potential legal challenges sensitising business leaders thereof thus ensuring all legal aspects of the crisis are covered suggesting the consideration of renegotiation of the contracts, triggering FM or MAC clauses. I strongly believe that reinforcement of the company resilience, especially in times of uncertainty or rapid changes, remains in synchronisation of legal and business objectives.

And crises do not exempt us from everyday challenges: ensure uniformity of protection while preserving local legal complexities and supporting the business in the need for change. Being part of a multinational company on the one hand guarantees the support of a solid legal structure, on the other hand it requires enormous effort to adapt to the local legislative framework and the ability to support the business by ensuring group policy compliance.

In my role as both in-house lawyer and manager, I personally devote a significant attention via functional analysis, sharing experience and above all learning from experience, to integrate such feedback to our routine legal tasks thus ensuring a continuous improvement of the legal risks management.

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

A cause I am passionate about, and which resonates deeply with my values is mental health awareness. Promoting mental health awareness at work is essential for creating a supportive and productive work environment. I advocate a work-life balance to help my team manage stress and avoid burnout, a normalisation of open and honest conversations which help to create a culture where my team feel supported, thus enhancing individual and organisational resilience. 

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?   

The Eni group is going through a period of profound transformation. Unlike other groups operating in the energy sector, Eni has bet on the energy transition through what is called the satellite model. That is, the creation of autonomous companies dedicated to the development and management of energy projects in line with European decarbonisation policies. In this context, Eni Plenitude Società Benefit, the holding company of the group active in retail business, in the production and sale of energy from renewable sources and in the installation and management of charging stations for electric vehicles, recently opened its share capital to the entry of a minority shareholder, Energy Infrastructure Partners, a Swiss fund specialised in energy transition investments.

The operation required many months of support, between due diligence and negotiation activities, in which my team and I were also involved for aspects relating to the Plenitude group’s activities in France.