What are the projects that you are most proud of working on over the past 12 months?

The IKEA Foundation is growing rapidly, and we’re currently ‘an organisation in transition’, developing a new strategy and re-designing our operating model. I’m leading the “Governance and risk” work and I’m a member of the overall project steering committee. This project touches every part of our organisation, our governance, our work, and provides ample opportunity to make improvements in the design of how we work and explore different perspectives and different ways of working. Keywords: ‘responsible’. ‘effective’ and ‘efficient’. This is a great opportunity to set the organisation up for success in the years to come.

What do you think sets you apart from other in-house counsel?

I started my professional career as an account manager. My LLM degree was my second university degree, and I was already working full time when I obtained it. To have such a basis in a ‘relationship management’ role helps tremendously when building internal and external relationships, an ingrained habit of considering different perspectives, needs and expectations. In addition, I worked as in-house counsel in both a commercial and a non-profit environment, with a scope of responsibility that includes Risk Management and ‘Integrity’, extending beyond the typical ‘legal’ responsibilities as such. This gives me a nice all-round perspective. What strikes me is that even in seemingly very different environments many things are not that different at all, and in the end a large part of the success of an organisation or department depends on its people.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Active listening skills, genuine interest, analytical skills, agility, persuasiveness, tenacity.

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

Genuine support of ESG principles starts with ‘genuine interest’ in ESG topics across the organisation. And the best way to get people on board is by having them understand the added value of paying attention to ESG. Ten years ago, ESG was often approached as a ‘tick-box topic’. The requirements were considered burdensome, and many people did not see the added value. Thankfully, we have come a long way since then. Consumers, employees, investors and other stakeholders nowadays place significant value in ESG practices and expect companies to take action. As a result, there is much more genuine interest in ESG principles, requirements and compliance, across the entire value chain. Even in the current climate, however, it is not a given that any company or organisation will have a culture that truly supports and embraces ESG principles across all levels of the organisation. Achieving this is about having the right people on board, and making sure ESG is embraced as an opportunity, not a burden.