As a chief legal counsel and vice president Cem Çeliker is part of the critical decision-making function of ENKA, Turkey’s largest construction company with a turnover of $3.5bn in 2016, overseeing and managing many complex and international legal matters on various topics for different arms of the business. Working for a company with a workforce of over 30,000 people and more than 60 subsidiaries operating globally, Çeliker’s work is as diverse as the jurisdictions ENKA works in and requires him to handle a vast scope of legal matters, exposing him to a great deal of challenges that have encouraged his professional growth. He joined ENKA to take his current role in 2010 having excelled in private practice at the London offices of Shearman and Sterling for six years prior. Çeliker recognises and emphasises the need for a good understanding of the business in his legal team, investing in the continuous education and development of the personnel to prepare them for all regulatory and market changes, whilst factoring in its cost, time pressures, competitive realities and operating culture. A key feature of Çeliker’s time in-house at ENKA, therefore, has been transforming his legal team members from just technical experts to also being trusted advisors and a business partners.