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

In my previous role as head of legal, I gained extensive experience navigating complex corporate dynamics. Over 12 years, I progressed from senior legal advisor to head of legal, taking on responsibilities that extended beyond traditional legal work to include insurance, claims management, and risk management. These responsibilities placed me in direct interaction with the board of directors, the managing board, and the supervisory board at the group level.

During my tenure, I worked through significant organisational changes, including a major merger and subsequent integration phase. This involved standardising processes, building a strong centralised legal team, and guiding the organisation through rapid changes. I was deeply involved in setting up procedures, advising on business growth strategies, and ensuring legal compliance while maintaining flexibility to address client needs. Leading a legal team that initially comprised 14 members, later streamlined to eight, I managed the challenges of maintaining high performance in a demanding environment.

As the company grew to become a market leader in logistics in Romania, we faced numerous crises and challenges related to regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and operational complexity. Being part of a German-owned company with strong compliance programs, I was tasked with balancing the company’s value-growth mindset with risk management. This required providing precise legal advice, managing high-stakes contracts in industries like automotive and retail, and resolving client disputes efficiently.

One of my key achievements was implementing an IT system that allowed employees across the organization to access the legal team easily, enabling fast and effective advice. This system improved collaboration and positioned the legal function as a trusted partner within the company. My role often extended beyond legal matters to operational areas, such as addressing client complaints and negotiating high-value contracts for real estate and logistics facilities. These experiences honed my ability to make quick, informed decisions under pressure while enabling business continuity and growth.

In March 2023, I embraced a new opportunity as legal director, for a pioneering DRS company in Romania. This initiative manages the return and recycling of packaging materials such as plastic, glass, and cans. Starting as one of the company’s first employees, I played a foundational role in building its legal framework and operational infrastructure. Within six months, the legal department consisted solely of me, delivering strategic guidance to enable the company’s rapid growth.

We established logistics systems, nine sorting and counting locations, and a robust supplier network. Over the past year, the company has grown from seven employees to over 900, collecting and processing over 2 billion packaging units for recycling. This scale of operations has required the legal team to provide seamless support under constantly evolving circumstances. We’ve developed and implemented contracts, ensured compliance with competition regulations, and managed relationships with over 4,000 producers, 80,000 retailers, and multiple stakeholders, including the Romanian state and industry associations.

Its governance structure is equally complex, involving a supervisory board, advisory board, and regular directorate meetings. Last year alone, we conducted multiple weekly board meetings to align all stakeholders and ensure informed decision-making. Despite the challenges of building an organisation from the ground up – starting with no laptops, phones, or infrastructure – my team and I have successfully created a system that operates at scale, driving both sustainability and efficiency.

Through these experiences, I’ve developed a strong ability to manage crises, lead during periods of rapid change, and align diverse interests toward a common goal. My commitment to building capable teams, fostering collaboration, and delivering results has been central to the success of both companies I have been a part of.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment? 

First of all, as a company, we hold these values very clearly. For example, we have a highly diverse and complementary team. While we are still relatively young as an organisation, our team reflects a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. For instance, our CEO has over 16 years of experience, and we also have many young professionals contributing fresh perspectives. Additionally, our workforce includes employees from various countries. In fact, during a recent company celebration, we noted with pride that we employ people from multiple nationalities, which brings unique insights to our operations.

Diversity in our team wasn’t a deliberate target, but it naturally evolved into a strength. Our focus has always been on bringing together individuals with diverse competencies, knowledge, personalities, and character traits to create a functional, effective, and dynamic team. This variety has been instrumental in achieving our goals. It’s not about everyone sharing the same perspective or skill set – it’s about combining different specialties and talents to drive success.

From the start, I have worked to strike a balance within our legal team, identifying and fostering the core competencies we need. This includes analytical thinkers, tech-savvy individuals, creative problem-solvers, contract experts, and those who excel in communication and external relations. This internal diversity is not only a source of strength but also a reflection of our commitment to inclusion.

Our company culture strongly supports inclusion and responsibility. From the very beginning, when we were tasked with delivering results in a very short timeframe, everyone’s contributions were recognised as essential to the success of the company and the broader system. Every idea or proposal was considered, as we understood that collaborative effort was the only way to overcome challenges and complete our projects successfully.

Inclusion here is not a buzzword – it is embedded in how we work. Everyone has a voice, and their contributions are valued, creating a sense of shared purpose and ownership. This approach has helped us build a culture where diversity, collaboration, and responsibility naturally come together to drive progress.