Team size: 10

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?   

During a crisis, adapting legal priorities is crucial for the company to effectively navigate the period of instability. My approach as general counsel focuses on two key areas: managing immediate legal issues and preserving the long-term legal strategy.  

Firstly, the legal department needs to be actively involved in the crisis committee. This committee addresses the crisis from multiple perspectives – social, reputational, financial, and legal – and requires a collaborative approach to ensure that all dimensions are considered. The role of the legal department in this context is to provide expert guidance and support informed decision-making, ensuring that every action aligns with the company’s overall strategy.  

Operationally, we must prioritise resolving urgent legal issues that arise during the crisis. This may involve quickly reviewing and adapting our policies and procedures, as well as managing any immediate risks. However, it is also crucial not to lose sight of our long-term legal strategy. This requires careful planning and implementing measures that, while focused on the short term, do not compromise our future strategic objectives.  

In summary, while addressing immediate legal needs with the necessary speed and effectiveness, we must maintain a conscious balance to ensure that current decisions do not interfere with achieving our long-term legal goals. This integrated approach allows us not only to effectively overcome the crisis but also to strengthen our position for the future. 

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?   

As general counsel, fostering a corporate culture that embraces ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles and compliance involves a multi-faceted approach that integrates these values into the very fabric of the organisation. Hence, me and the team shall be prepared for a multidiscipline strategy, that includes, leading by example, embedding ESG into corporate governance, developing comprehensive policies and procedures, promoting education and training, encouraging open communication, incorporating ESG into performance metrics, engaging with stakeholders, and monitor and report progress.  

By implementing these strategies, as general counsel, I can help embed ESG principles into GP’s corporate culture, ensuring that they are embraced and practiced consistently across all levels of the organisation. This not only enhances compliance but also contributes to the long-term success and sustainability of the company. 

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with Mexico’s data protection laws?  

To ensure a successful digital transformation of our legal department while maintaining compliance with Mexico’s data protection laws, as General Counsel, we shall implement Legal Assessment and Compliance Planning, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the Federal Law on Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties (LFPDPPP) and its regulations. This involves reviewing current compliance and identifying areas that need adjustment considering our new digital initiatives.  

Promote and draft a Compliance Strategy, by developing a detailed compliance strategy that aligns with both the LFPDPPP and GP´s digital transformation goals. This includes creating a roadmap for integrating legal requirements into our new systems and processes, while also, implementing measures to mitigate identified risks, ensuring that GP´s digital transformation does not compromise compliance with data protection laws.  

However, along with having rigid policies and procedures updates, that actively respond to a risk management with third parties’ relationships, while managing compliance records and regular audits.  

By adopting these strategies, we, as the legal department will ensure that digital transformation is not only effective and efficient but also fully compliant with Mexico’s data protection laws. This approach will help safeguard personal data, mitigate legal risks, and maintain the trust of GP clients and stakeholders.