What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

I could sum up my answers in one sentence: Crisis management. Over the past year, several situations have arisen due to external factors that posed a real risk to the normal continuity of the company’s operations. For each situation, a comprehensive assessment was carried out on an urgent basis to identify the risks and associated stakeholders; from there, a strategy was proposed to mitigate or eliminate each of the identified risks; and, based on this, a recommendation was provided for a rapid and effective decision-making process.

I believe that a key element of successful crisis management is to be able to take a moment to breathe and think about the strategy, have guidelines, and follow this order of priority – the safety of our people, the values of the company, and the continuity of the operation. Finally, it is worth mentioning that properly managed crisis management conveys predictability and confidence to all the stakeholders involved.

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

Looking to the immediate future, I believe that technological advancements that will streamline and allow for the automation of legal processes and save time in document review will have a significant impact on the work of in-house legal teams.

I would mention as examples of these technological advances, the software that allow the automation of the review of contracts and management reports of legal proceedings; and, on the other hand, the use of collaborative work tools in real time. Also, a point that cannot go unmentioned is the use of AI in the legal field. I strongly believe that if this technological tool is used correctly, it can bring about a revolution in the way legal matters are currently understood and will allow for predictability in many administrative and judicial procedures.

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

My main concern now are the regulatory changes proposed by the authorities which are made without a thorough analysis, and which are driven – in some cases – by non-technical factors without considering the real impact they will have on companies and their operations.