How has the increasing consciousness of climate change and sustainability affected your company and the team’s priorities?

As a leading global technology and mobility company primarily serving the automotive sector, Aptiv designs and manufactures vehicle components while also providing electrical, electronic, and active safety technology solutions to the global automotive and commercial vehicle markets. Our growing portfolio of solutions makes vehicles safer and greener, enabling the future of mobility more connected and sustainable.

Climate change and sustainability have always been core to Aptiv’s business, values, and culture. We provide effective solutions to our customers’ toughest challenges while delivering innovative mobility technologies that help the industry and the world become safer, greener, and more connected, and thereby more sustainable. With that mission in mind, Aptive announced aggressive plans to ensure that all our operations in 44 countries are 100 percent powered by renewable energy by 2030. We also expect Aptiv’s entire product portfolio, from source to disposal, to be carbon-neutral by 2040; this is a newly implemented plan which is ten years earlier than our previous target. Our commitments to the environment and sustainability are made based on our belief that the long-term success as a business and our ability to create value for stakeholders are strongly linked to the positive impact our products have on people and the planet.

Aptiv’s focus on climate change and sustainability has resulted in the company innovating at the intersection of some of the most disruptive trends in the mobility industry. The legal team collaborates in supporting the development and launch of technologies designed to help reduce emissions, increase fuel economy, and minimise the environmental impact of vehicles.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Success in the modern in-house industry could be summarised as enabling the business growth of one’s company while protecting its reputation. A corporate legal team will need to be agile, adaptable, and closely aligned with the relevant business priorities. Everyone on the team must think and act like a joint owner of the company, with integrity in everything. This means looking beyond the legal and compliance risks in any given situation. A high-performing corporate legal team will need to maintain exceptional communication skills and be highly collaborative across functions, cultures, and geographies to deliver solutions.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

With the increasing government regulation in areas such as vehicle safety, autonomous driving systems, fuel efficiency and emissions control, I see growing opportunities for in-house lawyers to work on a greater variety of dynamic legal areas and to develop deep specialist expertise in some of those areas.