Vera leads the legal and compliance team at Nestlé in the Middle East and North Africa which includes 19 countries of the region. She has extensive experience in FMCG sector with a total of 15 years as general counsel and compliance officer. Vera focuses on developing and executing a business oriented legal and compliance strategy, forming highly motivated, effective and future-ready legal teams with strong talent pipelines. She has built advanced compliance organisations in Nestlé in different regions of the world.

Prior to moving to the Middle East in 2021, Vera held the role of general counsel and compliance officer in Nestlé Russia and Eurasia, where she was responsible for 11 countries of the region with 250 million consumers. During her tenure in Nestlé Russia and Eurasia, Vera led complex M&A, business transformation projects and litigations. She was one of the founders of the Nestlé group compliance programme. In 2011, she led the launch of the first compliance hot line for Nestlé in Russia and Eurasia.

Vera graduated Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO) and holds PhD in international and European law from the Institute of State and Law, Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1998-2002 she held a position of research fellow in the same Institute and taught international law in several leading universities. In 2004 – 2007 Vera worked in Ernst & Young CIS.

Vera is regularly invited to speak at industry and legal events. She also collaborates with the University Paris II Pantheon-Assas in the UAE where she teaches international company law practicum.

Vera is married and has two kids. She speaks Russian, English and French.