Career biography:

Sheila Jassies serves as the legal counsel for COFCO International Netherlands, a company that is part of the COFCO International group, one of the world’s leading agribusiness companies. A highly respected lawyer with extensive expertise and experience, she plays a vital role in managing legal risks across COFCO International’s regional and global operations and providing strategic legal counsel to the company’s senior leadership.

Since joining Nidera in 2014 — later fully acquired by COFCO International in 2017 — Sheila has taken on responsibility for legal and compliance matters across Europe, Black Sea, Caribbean, and Africa. She leads a team of dedicated lawyers across the company’s regional offices, offering guidance on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues, with a particular focus on the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe. The scope of her work is vast, yet Sheila navigates these responsibilities with exceptional skill and experience.

With a career spanning several decades, Sheila has built a distinguished reputation as a corporate lawyer, having worked at prominent firms and organisations such as Baker McKenzie, Unilever and Coca-Cola.

Beyond her legal expertise, Sheila is deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. She actively advocates for workplace representation and is a member of various professional organisations, including the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS) and the Dutch Bar Association.

Recognised for her strategic thinking, sound judgment, and unwavering commitment to ethical business practices, Sheila Jassies is a highly accomplished legal professional. Her contributions to COFCO International have been invaluable, and she remains a key figure within the company’s leadership team.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

Championing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. I firmly believe that a truly effective legal industry must reflect the diversity of the world it serves, ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds have the opportunity to contribute, lead, and succeed.

In my role as legal counsel at COFCO International Netherlands. I have witnessed firsthand the value of diverse perspectives in driving strategic decision-making and strengthening ethical business practices. A legal team enriched by different experiences, cultures, and viewpoints is not only a moral imperative but also a business advantage, leading to more comprehensive solutions, stronger risk management, and greater innovation.

Beyond my corporate responsibilities, I actively advocate for greater representation in the workplace. Through mentorship, I strive to support the next generation of diverse legal professionals.

Creating an inclusive legal field requires commitment from individuals and institutions alike. By championing policies that promote equal opportunities, fostering environments where all voices are heard, and challenging barriers to entry, we can build a profession that is more reflective, equitable, and just.

I am dedicated to this cause not just as a legal professional, but as someone who believes in the power of representation, fairness, and progress. Together, we can shape a future where diversity is not just encouraged – it is celebrated.