Company secretary, legal counsel | International Breweries
Dr. Marian Reginald-Ukwuoma
Company secretary, legal counsel | International Breweries
Dr. (Mrs.) Marian Reginald-Ukwuoma brings nearly two decades of experience in both government and corporate environments. She has a solid background in regulatory affairs, government and stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, company secretariat functions, compliance, legal advisory services, and community relations. Marian is a strong advocate for fostering a proactive and agile mindset, as well as promoting diversity and fairness in the workplace and beyond.
With her extensive expertise, she has successfully managed stakeholder and community relations across Nigeria’s diverse geopolitical zones for a multinational corporation. As Corporate Affairs Country Lead, Marian oversaw Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Managers in four operational regions – South-South, South-East, South-West – ensuring alignment with corporate objectives under her guidance.
After completing her Ph.D. in Law, Marian was promoted to Company Secretary/Legal Counsel, a senior leadership role. In this capacity, she led the legal department, drafted and signed legal documents, managed board-related matters, ensured corporate governance compliance, and provided strategic legal counsel to the entire BU Nigeria business. Marian is also an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, and an Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.
Her expertise in regulatory compliance was particularly demonstrated in the challenging environment of Rivers State, where she ensured compliance across multiple facilities, even amid local unrest, without any regulatory infractions. Marian has been a key delegate in discussions with government officials, advocating for the ease of doing business in Nigeria and engaging with critical stakeholders.
As a senior manager in a multinational company, Marian collaborates with colleagues across Ghana, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, sharing best practices and working on projects related to regulatory compliance, government relations, and stakeholder management.
Marian’s commitment to public service extends beyond her corporate duties. She has worked pro bono as a legal advisor to the wife of a former Commissioner for Power and Energy in Rivers State, gaining valuable insights into the workings of the Ministry of Power and Energy. She also provided informal legal assistance to the commissioner himself.
With Post Graduate Degrees in Labour and Industrial Relations, Dr. Marian possesses a deep understanding of the dynamics between management and employee relations. Beyond her professional and academic achievements, her experience as the spouse of a political officeholder has further honed her stakeholder engagement and management skills, allowing her to leverage her connections to build and maintain effective relationships.
Dr. Marian Reginald-Ukwuoma’s expertise in industrial and government affairs, combined with her corporate, regulatory, and stakeholder management skills, positions her as a consummate professional in her field.
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?
Managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises requires a proactive, strategic, and flexible approach. To ensure organisational resilience, the first step is crisis preparedness and response. This involves identifying potential legal risks that could arise during a crisis, such as regulatory compliance issues, contractual breaches, or disputes. By developing contingency plans to address these risks in advance, we can better prepare for unforeseen challenges. A rapid decision-making framework is also essential, enabling quick responses to fast-evolving situations.
Aligning the legal strategy with the business objectives is equally important. It is crucial to understand the organisation’s immediate and long-term priorities, ensuring that the legal team’s actions are in sync with these goals. By working closely with business leaders, the legal team can provide clear guidance on mitigating risks while still supporting strategic objectives like cost-cutting or other business priorities.
Ensuring regulatory and ethical compliance is another critical component. This requires staying vigilant in monitoring regulatory changes, ensuring that the organisation complies with evolving laws even in times of crisis. Additionally, maintaining the company’s integrity is vital, and legal counsel must always advise on ethical considerations, even when faced with pressure.
In managing contractual and dispute issues, it’s important to review agreements and proactively manage potential disputes. By leveraging technology and external expertise, the legal team can enhance its processes, making it more efficient in dealing with crises.
By embedding the legal function into the broader business strategy, the organisation is better equipped to navigate crises. Legal teams should not work in isolation; they must collaborate across departments to anticipate challenges, provide actionable solutions, and ultimately reinforce the organisation’s capacity to adapt and thrive under pressure.
In your opinion, what are the main trends affecting your work now (these can be legal, political, economic or business-based)?
The main trends affecting the legal profession and the broader business landscape today stem from a combination of legal, political, economic, and technological factors, all of which require legal professionals to be adaptable, strategic, and proactive.
One of the primary challenges is business uncertainty, driven by risks of recession, high inflation, interest rate volatility, and ongoing geopolitical tensions. These factors are forcing many organisations to focus on cost optimisation. Economic instability has also led to increased renegotiations of contracts, disputes, and a higher reliance on force majeure and hardship clauses to address unforeseen challenges. Furthermore, companies now face a growing risk of litigation, particularly around environmental and social issues, such as greenwashing claims or climate-related lawsuits. At the same time, global tax reforms are prompting businesses to reassess their tax structures.
Investor expectations have evolved, with shareholders pushing companies to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices to maximie profits while contributing positively to society. Additionally, the shift towards remote and hybrid work models has created new legal challenges, particularly in terms of compliance, employee rights, and data security.
To navigate these trends, legal professionals must embrace flexibility, work collaboratively across departments, and prioritise innovation – all while staying grounded in strong ethical and legal principles. The ability to anticipate changes and provide strategic, forward-looking counsel is more critical than ever.
What strategic priorities are guiding your legal team into 2025?
As we approach 2025, my team will adapt to the rapidly changing landscape, balancing organisational demands while navigating an increasingly complex environment. Our strategic priorities include strengthening compliance and risk management, enhancing efficiency through technology and retained external legal firms, and advancing ESG and sustainability strategies. We will also focus on strengthening cybersecurity and data protection, improving collaboration across the business, and managing talent and diversity within the legal team to optimise deliverables. Additionally, we will manage litigation and dispute resolution, prepare for globalisation and political risks, and protect intellectual property.