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?

Focus on the most reasonable and achievable outcomes at the time, allowing the team to work as independently as possible (i.e., the broader team within the company). Given that the automotive market has been highly volatile since 2020, ad-hoc requirements must be addressed with a strong commitment to sustainable business cases. Legal expertise, combined with a deep economic and technological understanding of the industry, is key to ensuring strong alignment between the legal and broader business strategy.

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

It would be the negotiation of long-term supply agreements with automotive OEMs, as well as various settlements related to these agreements, including warranty and/or product liability cases along the supply chain.

What role does the legal department play in promoting and ensuring corporate social responsibility in your organisation?

The legal department plays a key role in educating and supporting the newly established ESG department on relevant regulatory requirements, as well as assisting in the day-to-day execution of these requirements along the supply chain.

What do you see as the major legal challenges for businesses in Germany over the next five years, and how are you preparing to address them?

Agreement on and/or renegotiation of business models and, in my industry, related long-term supply agreements with automotive OEMs and the underlying supply chain, ensuring that all involved stakeholders can secure a sustainable business despite an industry in the midst of a transition with an unknown outcome. This is less about legal skills and more about the ability to partner and negotiate deals that benefit all stakeholders. It involves an ongoing transformation of entire business models and organisations, ensuring they enable individuals to thrive while navigating the uncertainties of the unknown—without risking burnout. Ultimately, it’s about securing a sustainable future for the business.