What are the most significant cases and transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

In general terms, my legal team oversaw the sale of Grupo AJE’s beer business in Peru to Heineken International and the consolidation of a long-term commercial partnership with Heineken for the distribution of its brands in Peru. Another transaction in which the legal team was involved was the early redemption of Grupo AJE’s corporate bonds for $450m, and in parallel the refinancing of corporate debt with 12 banks in seven countries, for a total of $300m.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

We have had to drastically modify our way of working due to virtual meetings, remote work, and the isolation of some people, generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge has been to maintain the security and protection of information and personal data, and at the same time, generate confidence and motivation in the company’s employees so as not to diminish their performance. On the other hand, we are striving to maintain the level of relationship and communication with investors, customers, and suppliers.

What are some of the key developments – legal, geopolitical or otherwise – that have affected your business over the past year?

Some are the economic crisis generated by the pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the global shortage of maritime transport, and although they have created opportunities for new channels to reach the market, they have also generated a dramatic increase in the price of raw materials that have affected the profitability of the business and forced us to carefully evaluate where to make new capital investments.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

The digitisation of internal processes, documentary files and digital signatures will impact the role of the in-house lawyer. We will be able to have a greater presence in each of the business processes that require us, achieving efficiencies in service levels, and enabling teamwork with other business areas.