Team Size: Ten

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

Over the past year, the Legal Team has focused on supporting AirAsia MOVE’s vision of becoming ASEAN’s favourite travel companion. We have worked across multiple areas to enhance the traveller experience, offering a wide range of services, including flights, hotels, duty-free shopping, travel insurance, and airport transfers.

Each transaction that supports AirAsia MOVE’s vision is significant to us. However, one particular engagement stood out, namely securing AirAsia MOVE’s position as an independent online travel agent (OTA) and illustrating its operational structure to regulators and airlines.

AirAsia MOVE is unique due to its affiliation with AirAsia. It allows AirAsia MOVE to benefit from brand recognition and valuable data, leading to lower customer acquisition costs and leveraging airline expertise to improve services on the platform. On the flipside, the affiliation raises questions regarding our independence. We recognise these challenges and are committed to conducting each transaction at arm’s length while upholding the highest standards of data integrity.

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

Investing time to understand the company’s strategic objectives and how the legal team can support them is crucial. One of my biggest challenges as General Counsel in a fast-paced environment is promoting a culture of legal awareness. To achieve this and break away from the stereotype of lengthy processes and siloed advice, it is essential for in-house legal counsels to foster trust with business partners and ensure that our legal guidance aligns with both legal and business needs.

What is a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about, and why?

I am passionate about the ethical implementation of technology and the integrity of data. Adopting a specific technology or innovation should always be accompanied by thorough ethical considerations and a clear assessment of its overall value, not just to the organisation, but also to the economy and society as a whole. This involves evaluating the potential impact on various stakeholders and ensuring that the benefits outweigh any possible risks or negative consequences.

I also believe in fostering an environment where ethical standards are integrated into the decision-making process. This means encouraging open discussions about the implications of new technologies and striving for transparency in their implementation. By doing so, we can promote trust and accountability, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and equitable technological landscape.