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

Labor law has been evolving in recent years in our country and constant updating on legal issues is essential. The activities that I carry out as labour manager have involved important challenges within the company, for example, the training for certain groups of the company regarding the changes to the Federal Labor Law has been of vital importance so that the personnel know and understands the changes in the law. When employees are trained the risk decreases.

I have also carried out intensive work to update legal processes, one of the most important being the new strike procedure.

During this 2022 I had the honour of being appointed as vice president of the CONCAMIN labour commission. This has allowed me to be part of various analysis groups at the national level in relation to labour reforms in our country, which has generated benefits for the industry in general and for the company I work for.

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

One of the greatest risks for the company is the failure to address labour issues related to changes in labour legislation. Poor attention to labour issues can cause a strike, and this situation implies attending to complicated legal processes before the authorities, which has a high cost for the company. What is being done to reduce risk is through a constant internal training program for key company personnel. The main idea is that not only the legal area understands the changes in the labour law, but also staff in strategic areas of the company.

I supervise the regulatory compliance of our manufacturing sites; the objective is to mitigate any risk that could lead to business interruption, which rely on a wide range of permits before different authorities. I also manage the corporate compliance of all Mexican companies that are part of the same corporate group. I participate in the implementation of special projects that have an impact on the organisation.

Working as team across other business areas and functions is essential. However, to have more impactive outcomes, it is essential to have a business-focused mindset, along with regulatory knowledge of your business operations. Having qualified outside counsel to pair up with on specific issues is also key to build a strong legal area. How well you communicate is another great skill; the clearer the better.

We need to anticipate or mitigate any risks in the supply chain due to regulatory or political changes to secure it. ESG and compliance expertise are also areas that can pose a risk without adequate prevention. Our legal team conducts quarterly regulatory reviews to identify and monitor those permits, that if not in compliance could result in a “showstopper.” We also work closely with local ESG teams and the commercial area to understand the business needs.