Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?  

As a member of the HPE Legal Department Global Regions Collaboration and Efficiency Taskforce, I am collaborating in the implementation of several initiatives aimed at improving communication and efficiency across different teams of the legal department and building a greater sense of connectedness. For example, we have developed a program to improve efficiency through employee-generated ideas, creating a platform for team members to submit and get support for implementing new ideas that create efficiencies in the legal teams’ day-to-day work. We are also implementing specific initiatives aimed at reproducing, as much as possible, the development and networking opportunities that team members would have in face-to-face meetings, without any travel or other cost being incurred by the legal department. For example, we have launched a virtual rotation program which allows participants to be virtually hosted for a certain period of time by a leading member of another legal department team in a different region, as an opportunity to build new relationships outside of their home teams and gain visibility into different professional areas of the legal department. Along the same lines, in the past few years the HPE legal department has also been experimenting innovative virtual reality solutions as a way for team members from different sites to feel as if they were “in the room” with their colleagues from all over the world, increasing the HPE legal team’s interaction opportunities. 

What are some of the main trends impacting the industry sector you work in in Italy?   

Digital transformation is certainly one of the main priorities for the Italian economy. The ICT industry leaders have a pivotal role in driving such transformation both in the private and public sector to accelerate Italy’s innovation and growth, including by supporting their customers in reviewing and, if necessary, challenging their culture, operations, technologies and value delivery. Artificial intelligence is also one of the key trends in the ICT sector: AI is a powerful, transformative technology that can amplify human capabilities, but also presents risks. Investing in AI ethics and its principles is a responsibility that all ICT industry leaders have to take seriously, including by designing appropriate mechanisms and safeguards such as human oversight to prevent misuse and enabling responsible and accountable AI use. 

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?   

I am a member of the WW Legal Department DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Committee and in such capacity, I collaborate in the implementation of a number of initiatives to foster inclusion and diversity in the workplace and achieve the HPE legal department’s commitment to be the most inclusive legal department in the world. Among others, we hold quarterly roundtable discussions in many HPE sites globally to discuss about key I&D topics, we release periodic publications to celebrate the diversity of our legal department team members around the world and we are organising the third HPE Legal Department Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, a global event to be held in September 2023 which will involve all the HPE legal department team members worldwide.