Team size: 16 in HQ and approximately 150 within the VEON Group

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

The past 12 months presented significant opportunities for VEON and showcased our use of in-house lawyers as problem solvers and business leaders. Our Group’s exit from Russia and reinforced commitment to Ukraine continued to present challenges, including creating the need to resolve debt that remained in Russia via a consent solicitation process and obtain sanctions clearances in multiple jurisdictions, including from the U.S. Treasury Department. Looking back on these challenges, it is even more remarkable that we also executed a delisting from Euronext Amsterdam to consolidated our trading on Nasdaq, launched a US$300 share buyback program, undertook an HQ relocation to Dubai and transferred our tax residence to the Dubai International Financial Center. This does not begin to capture everything, as we also progressed VEON’s asset-light strategy aimed at optimising tower management and service quality in Pakistan and completed a number of other important M&A deals.

But of all these accomplishments, it has been VEON’s steadfast commitment and support for Ukraine that has brought the most gratification. VEON owns Kyivstar, the largest mobile provider in Ukraine, and it is never easy to keep the population connected during a war. This setting presents many unique legal challenges, in addition to practical and humanitarian ones. I am proud to say that we have risen to the moment.

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

As with all innovation, I believe the first priority is to change people’s mindset. Mindset is an tremendously powerful tool. In digital transformation, and use of AI-driven tools, I first bring these topics into our daily dialog. I also celebrate technological innovation within my team, no matter how incremental an improvement might seem. I then cross-pollinate ideas by sharing them throughout our Group of companies. By fostering a culture that embraces change, and then providing the infrastructure to expand on our success, we have launched various in-house tools built on the newest technologies. At the same time, we have ramped up our cybersecurity sophistication and data protection compliance tools to address risk inherent to these types of new technology.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Navigating the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stands out as particularly unique. VEON held mobile operations in both countries, but VEON took the bold decision to exit Russia and stay in Ukraine. That decision, clearly the right thing to do, nevertheless required a strong team of committed professionals to make it happen. Although it was the right thing to do, the international system was ill-equipped to allow companies to leave Russia. We faced many structural and regulatory hurdles, and we solved problems on a daily basis. This achievement not only secured the company’s survival but also transformed it into a more resilient and agile business.

Concurrently, VEON remained committed to Ukraine’s recovery with a US$1 billion investment plan, and offered strategic advice across various legal and commercial matters. These experiences tested and honed my ability to manage complex legal and business dynamics in a high-stakes environment.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

I would name the expanding strategic roles of legal teams in business decisions as a major trend. In-house lawyers should not feel stuck in a legal box. As lawyers working with the business, we are especially well placed to drive solutions and success as part of a broader team. Throughout my career, I have always stayed on top of major developments in the business, regardless of whether it neatly fit under a legal heading.

Of course, there is a rising focus on fostering innovation and implementing new technologies, most prominently in the AI space. We see such tools as enhancements to the work that lawyers do, such as handling legal requests and ensuring compliance, contract management, risk assessment and regulatory tracking

What do you think is the greatest innovation you have enacted in the past year?

Over the past year, the VEON legal team, in collaboration with QazCode – our operating software development company in Kazahkhstan, has successfully developed and implemented two groundbreaking AI innovations.

Firstly, the VEON Assistant, an AI-powered chatbot, which seamlessly integrates VEON’s extensive databases to quickly retrieve and deliver personalised corporate information based on the user’s specific context and authorisation level.

Secondly, we are now progressing with development of an AI tool designed to enhance the daily operations of our headquarters team by improving efficiency in data storage, document drafting and legal research. Once we test and refine the solution, we plan to offer it also to third parties, further establishing VEON as a leader in technological advancements within the legal and AI sectors.