Team size: Around 30 collaborators

Can you discuss your or your company’s efforts relating to renewability, sustainability, or other environmentally-friendly activities?

At ATENTO, sustainability is deeply embedded in how we operate. Our efforts focus on reducing our environmental footprint while leveraging technology responsibly and efficiently. One of our key priorities is improving energy efficiency and reducing our carbon emissions. To achieve this, we work with suppliers that generate their services through renewable energy—Microsoft’s Azure servers being a notable example. We also optimise the energy use of our own servers and equipment through virtualisation and efficient cloud computing.

In line with our commitment to lower emissions, we have implemented home office programmes, which not only provide flexibility for our teams but also reduce the need for daily commuting, contributing meaningfully to our overall carbon footprint reduction.

We are equally focused on sustainable technology development. Across our operations, we prioritise the use of next-generation hardware made from recycled materials. We also encourage the development and use of energy-efficient software that demands fewer computing resources. This kind of innovation helps us to further minimise energy usage while maintaining high performance.

Another important area of our sustainability strategy is the responsible management of electronic waste. We have recycling and reuse programmes in place for electronic devices, including a partnership with Samsung—also one of our clients—to recycle mobile phones. This initiative helps to reduce the environmental impact of the short lifecycle of electronic products.

Within our offices, we promote a paperless culture and encourage the use of electronic signatures to minimise resource consumption. Beyond our internal practices, we actively support environmental initiatives, collaborating with NGOs involved in reforestation and carbon offset programmes to help counterbalance our environmental impact.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

In-house lawyers are in a uniquely powerful position to influence meaningful change, particularly when it comes to environmental sustainability. With a comprehensive understanding of environmental laws and regulations, we not only ensure compliance but help our organisations adopt forward-looking practices that anticipate and align with future legal developments.

At ATENTO, my role on the Executive Committee has allowed me to advocate for ESG programmes as an integral part of our business strategy. We have actively collaborated with the UN Global Compact and championed green corporate policies across the board.

Legal teams are also crucial in managing environmental risks, helping the company avoid regulatory penalties, legal disputes, or reputational harm. From a commercial standpoint, we negotiate contracts that include sustainability clauses, ensuring that our suppliers and partners adhere to environmental standards—reducing impact across the entire value chain.

We also recognise the opportunities that sustainability presents. Our team keeps a close eye on government incentives and regulatory advantages that can benefit the business, whether in Mexico or abroad, reinforcing sustainability as a strategic, not just ethical, priority.

It can be challenging to measure a company’s track record in environmentally friendly behaviour. What, in your opinion, has mostly been missed in discussions about how green a company is?

In the business sector I operate in, one of the most overlooked aspects of environmental impact is the footprint of software. While discussions often focus on physical waste and emissions, the hidden cost of poorly optimised algorithms and excessive use of servers—especially in big data environments—can be immense. Improving software efficiency is, in many ways, as impactful as switching to renewable energy sources.

Another commonly missed issue is the short lifespan of electronic products. Driven by both obsolescence and consumer trends, items like mobile phones contribute significantly to electronic waste. At ATENTO, we are addressing this by recycling devices wherever possible, but there’s also a pressing need for more durable, modular, upgradeable, and repairable product design industry-wide. Tackling these challenges is key to creating a truly sustainable future.