Team size:  11  

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?   

I have always been an advocate for leading through example. For a couple of years now, the world has faced crises that have challenged existing paradigms, and we have been able to adapt to such changes with resilience and with extra effort. I believe that crises periods have not been exclusive to Continental; nonetheless, the values of the company, as well as the strong character and adaptability of the complete team have made the difference. I believe that teamwork, trust, and commitment have been values that have helped us navigate through these crises and have enabled both the business and us to overcome these challenges. The business strategy has been adapted and it is the work of a leader to set an example and to bring the rest of the team to navigate through these hardships.   

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?   

As stated before, adaptation has been a key factor; regulatory changes, as well as business strategies, have required adjustments to our operations. In the case of regulatory issues, labour law adjustments have been one of the most pressing matters that have required a vast amount of analysis from the legal perspective. Additionally, a Dumping case versus Chinese tire imports, divestitures, M&A operations, and greenfield projects have been managed by my team and I with successful results, even in extremely limited timeframes and considering Mexican regulatory system, which is a bit more complex compared to other countries in this type of global operations. 

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

Digital transformation has increased its importance worldwide and aligning Mexican regulation along with global guidelines has resulted to being a bit complex, but we have navigated it successfully. Our strategy had to search this balance, which is difficult to reach, not only for data protection matters, but also to ensure the validity of digital records according to Mexican law. Nevertheless, we have managed this balance successfully not only for digital transformation topics, but also for other global initiatives. Continental is a worldwide company and Mexico is the biggest footprint outside Germany (19 manufacturing facilities and 23,000 employees) and Mexico has always been successful in achieving the company’s goals, while adapting to Mexican regulation; the strategy has required a lot of research from our side and continuous education, my goal as general counsel is always to reach this balance to comply with local regulations as well as with global guidelines, having always knowledge of regulation and sharing best practices. 

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

Once again, I am proud to say that Continental is a global company that has extraordinarily strong values and that is always intent on setting a corporate culture aligned with global requirements. ESG principles, along with compliance, are part of our global goals, which implies that they are part of our day-to-day and of our corporate values core. ESG, as well as compliance, should be an important part of our understanding of the world, we always must do what is right not only for ourselves, or for our companies, we should also strive for what is better for all of us, and I believe that having these values as part of our mindset is now a necessity.