What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

In the past year, Dyson APAC legal team has been actively engaged in navigating a complex landscape of legal, regulatory and compliance issues. In 2024, Dyson launched its biggest line-up of new products, including advancements in beauty, home and audio technology. As a team, our efforts have been focused on advising on the launch of Dyson’s innovative products and technology in both existing and new categories.

Key launches include Dyson’s first haircare styling products Dyson Chitosan, a formulations range including pre and post style cream, OnTrac™ wireless noise cancelling headphones, Dyson’s first wet floor cleaner Dyson WashG1™ and Dyson Airstrait™ straightener which straightens wet hair to dry. The team provided legal advice and support across all of Dyson’s expanding range of business channels, including direct, indirect channels and via marketplaces. In support of these new products, the team successfully negotiated and closed several complex strategic contracts for high-value multi-year revenue generating deals with customers across APAC.

We also implemented a range of marketing initiatives aimed at enhancing brand visibility and customer engagement including leveraging social media platforms and partnering with high profile celebrities and influencers to advocate the brand including onboarding Dyson’s Ambassador, Jisoo. These deals directly support Dyson’s focus on innovation and a modern brand identity, aimed at strengthening connection with consumers.

What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year?

As a consumer technology engineering enterprise, innovation is ingrained into our DNA at Dyson. Therefore, I am a champion of Dyson’s drive to establish legal innovation and technology such as automation, AI and self-serve tools development. The core objectives have been aimed to improve efficiency, accuracy and stakeholders engagement/ interaction, enabling the legal team to focus on strategic matters and deliver value added outcomes for stakeholders and the business. In supporting that broader vision, I am an advocate for legal resource and process optimisation, and in my view it is an everyday job and a ‘way of thinking and working’ which seeks to improve the performance of all in-house legal teams.

Within the team, I seek to introduce a mindset shift to embrace legal innovation and operational excellence, by redefining legal innovation to not just include Contract Management Lifecycle type of technology implementation but to also look at tools that improve productivity outcomes, whether a simple checklist, template, framework, e-training or more sophisticated solutions. It is often getting the basics right that will set the team up for success and create money- saving and time-saving solutions. We do so by identifying the needs of the business and the appropriate solutions, be it automated document management to contracting frameworks and approval forms.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

At Dyson, we strive to be a trusted business partner to our stakeholders, delivering commercially focused and strategically aligned legal services. With business needs and stakeholders increasingly demanding that we do more with less, successful collaboration often hinges on several key factors:

• Alignment of a common vision and values, this acts as the guiding star;
• Clear and realistic goals and expectations; and
• Effective communication

How do you motivate and manage the other members of your legal team?

For a team to work well together, I have always found it important to feel like I am part of an important mission or something bigger. Therefore, in the spirit of democracy, I adopt the VOTE approach:

• Vision and strategy sharing: ensuring the team understands the overall vision and their role in achieving it.
• Opportunities for growth: supporting the team in their professional development through mentorship, training and career advancement opportunities.
• Trust and teamwork: establish strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Foster collaborative environment for team to support each other.
• Empower: Give team autonomy, be open to new ideas and involve them in decision making processes.