About

Vanita Jegathesan is Chevron’s disputes and investigations lead for the downstream business in Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. A litigator by training, she was in private practice working for one of the most prestigious law firms in Singapore, before she completed her New York bar. After working in the US briefly, she returned to private practice in Singapore before joining Chevron. Jegathesan now handles all disputes and investigations and is also the human resources lead for the oil and gas company. ‘Disputes in the region are extremely diverse as the markets, politics and legal systems are not homogenous’, says Jegathesan. ‘This makes my role both challenging and interesting. Part of my role is adapting US litigation processes to fit the context in this region, where possible’. One of the changes that she has worked towards is building a closer relationship with senior business leaders. This has enabled her to better articulate risks and spot issues that may become litigious. ‘The business is always looking for solutions and understands that it does not operate in a risk-free environment. My role is to articulate the risks and recommend a litigation strategy that results in the best outcome for the business’. Since taking on the role, Jegathesan has tried to introduce formalised processes to promote consistency in the way disputes and investigations are managed across her regions, with an emphasis on visibility for the business leaders.