Team size: 11

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

In the last years, the global economic crisis has triggered abrupt changes at the level of large corporations, ranging from reorganisations with massive layoffs to hostile acquisitions that implant new cultures in an already mature organisation.

Managing uncertainty at the level of my team in times like this is very important. What we seek is to validate their work and effort, recognise and highlight it, let them know that without their contribution the company would not be able to move forward in crisis scenarios. I ask them to focus on what they can control, and that is their work and delivery, while making it clear that each of us, from any position or hierarchy, greatly contributes to helping the company overcome periods of instability, and that is duly recognised. I want them to feel proud and that they are part of the business.

In parallel, we focus on being more efficient in the deliverable, seeking a fair balance between in-house and outsourcing work (this also, with the help of some legal innovation tools we are utilising), in a way that allows savings in the budget for legal consultations, while maintaining quality of life and health. I also encourage them to be value accretive to the business, think that they not only should look for solutions from the legal side, but also from a holistic, creative, innovative, and with measured risk management perspective. This provides the company with various risk-solution scenarios in which we can navigate through problems, help in the organisation’s decision-making process and being true strategic partners for the business.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

Anglo American has adopted a clear policy regarding sustainability: Transforming the very nature of mining for a safer, smarter, more sustainable future. To get to it, we are encouraging the use of more precise technologies, less energy, and less water. We aim to reduce our environmental footprint by combining smart innovation with the utmost consideration for our people, their families, local communities, and our customers. We are working together to develop better jobs, better education, and better businesses, building brighter and healthier futures around our operations in host countries and ultimately for billions of people around the world who depend on our products every day.

Our ESG policies cover climate change, social, compliance, water, and governance aspects. Our work focuses on ensuring that our ESG values and principles, especially those referring to the voluntary principles on security and human rights, market and competition, conflict of interest, and corporate governance are met, accomplished or validated at any level of our activities, from sourcing and origination to final operation and product. To achieve this, legal enjoys a certain level of autonomy at the corporate level that allows it to raise its hand when it notices that there may be some type of potential deviation. Certainly, the management of these contingencies requires quite assertive and diplomatic management, which drives us to a constant approach with our clients, so that they see us more as confidants and problem solvers. Along these lines, we always seek to be on the left side of the bowtie, that is, a performance that is more preventive than reactive, and that materialises in the various ways in which we create awareness about good corporate practices (talks, meetings, workshops).

Lately, we are paying a lot of attention to the “Rule of law.” We are generating efforts that contribute to strengthening the institutionality and legitimacy of the authorities that impart democracy in host countries, with the aim of generating legitimate trust of the communities in local authorities, highlighting – for example – the risks and problems that crime and corruption, including illicit enrichment and embezzlement can cause to the generation of a healthy environment and development of our societies. The “Rule of law” can play a critical part in galvanising all people to take up their role as active citizens in the country, and we are encouraging it in the jurisdictions where we operate.