Team size: 12
Key team members: Esther Chow (Malaysia), Paiboon “Ann” Waewpetai (Thailand), Bonaventura Wicaksono (Indonesia), Long “Leo” Pham Duong Hai (Vietnam), Swee Wei Ng (Singapore), Ville Vimpari (SEA), Andrew Ong (APM)
Major legal advisers: Rajah & Tann, Lexton Law, Baker McKenzie

Can you sum up the team culture or ethos, and give us a breakdown of what makes your legal team function so well?

The Kone Legal and Contracts Team has a strong culture of enabling the business and shaping internal policies and processes to ensure long-term business sustainability. Our legal counsel is regarded as business partners with legal degrees, rather than simply lawyers who provide legal advice. We invest in the success of our team members and take great joy when they succeed within their roles. Credit is always given where it is due, and we love to celebrate each other’s accomplishments, preferably with a drink, whether it is wine, whisky, coffee, or tea – we do not discriminate.

Our team collaborates closely with all the business units and other functions to always understand the needs of the business. This enables us to deliver strategic and pragmatic legal counsel, while balancing the risks involved and considering local market practices.

One of the largest strengths of our team is diversity. Our team is comprised of individuals of many different nationalities. Additionally, the team does not restrict itself to solely legal matters. For instance, Esther has been key in championing sustainability initiatives in Malaysia, while Andrew wears multiple hats, including responsibilities in Sustainability and Cybersecurity for APM.

Kone aims to be a leader in sustainability both in our industry and beyond. In addition to the environmental aspects of KONE’s products and operations, our sustainability efforts encompass safety, quality, diversity and inclusion, as well as ethics and compliance. The Kone legal team is responsible for implementing and enforcing our policies and guidelines concerning ethics and compliance. We conduct regular training sessions for both operational and staff members on these matters and provide support in other key sustainability areas.