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

Whether in a crisis or not, it is critical to know your business and its strengths and weaknesses at all levels from a market position, operational and personnel perspective to be an effective advisor.  This requires regular engagement with the business at each of the various levels and functions.  It is equally important to fully understand the strategy of the executive, regional and local management and how they are woven together to be able to best support all levels in properly synthesising their efforts to drive toward the goals and targets set by the broader organisation.  Such knowledge base, interactions and efforts are heightened in times of crisis where alignment and resiliency to challenges becomes even more critical.  Legal sits in a unique position within an organisation as its continued interactions across most, if not all matters, allows us to understand, communicate and either direct or support measures that collectively keep our teams and their efforts on track with the organisations business strategy.  Lastly, constant communication, transparency and embracing the strategy we are supporting is very important to keep people on the same page and as vested in the outcome as you are. 

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?  

There are many factors that drive ESG strategies and measures in an organisation including legal reporting requirements, market demands, the employee base’s desire to do the right thing, and smarter business practices generally.  At gategroup, we have established an ESG team and compliance function which focuses on the technical reporting requirements and developing organisational direction.  General counsel and legal departments have a broad scope of responsibilities and touch on each of the factors mentioned above and therefore we play a role in supporting the development of the ESG strategy.  We are also responsible for supporting and driving the projects to meet the targets set for each of these categories locally, regionally and at an organisational level.  By way of example, I am currently driving a project to identify various tax benefits, grants and soft loans that we can take advantage of to support our ESG initiatives in the EU.