Could you tell us a bit about your significant successes in your role?

As legal counsel in a highly regulated company, one of the biggest challenges has been communicating effectively with the organisation’s members and acting in such a way that sees the legal team as an ally rather than a stopper, as we are the gatekeepers of the operation.

One of my most important tasks has been building communication bridges with the internal teams. I identified key decision-makers in the areas with whom we have more contact. I scheduled calls with them to understand their needs and to set monthly or biweekly follow-up calls intending to be better aligned and to attend to a more efficient manner their needs.

In your opinion, what are the qualities and skills needed to form a strong legal team?

A necessary skill as an in-house lawyer is to have a good sense of the business and to understand the company you are working for. Each company has a different DNA, values, commitments, and compromises.

In the case of AT&T, one of our primary commitments is to connect people, and one of our central values is to position the client at the centre of all our decisions. In that light, all the advice and decisions we make in the legal and regulatory team are taken with such a mindset while always complying with regulations and providing value to the business and the clients.

In addition, it is imperative to listen to our internal clients, be proactive and think outside the box from time to time. Other necessary skills are good communication, transparency and accountability. In my case, I set weekly 1:1 calls with team members and bi-weekly calls with the whole team to discuss important topics and align our positions.

What is the biggest risk to your industry, and how are you contributing to prepare your organisation for this?

In recent years, all sectors and businesses have been impacted by the fast development of new technologies and the exponential growth of digital business models. We are witnessing and being part of a change of era, as we have seen how companies that used to be considered the most successful have been replaced by other companies whose business models have been disruptive.

In the telecommunications industry, we have seen how Whatsapp has almost replaced SMS and how calls have been replaced by Whatsapp calls, Skype or Microsoft teams meetings. As a telecommunications company (a highly regulated sector), generally ruled by traditional business models, we have the important challenge of keeping pace with digital developments.