Serçin Kireçtepe is a lawyer with an enviable record of achievement in in-house roles. Previously an internal lawyer for pharmaceutical company Eczacıbaşı İlaç Pazarlama, she also spent six-and-a-half years at Henkel Turkey with a dual role as a legal counsel and compliance officer. Now head of legal and the most senior lawyer in Turkey for international retail wholesale giant Metro, Kireçtepe brings her own philosophy of ‘honesty, integrity and simplicity’ to the role. She mentions that she has had a significant impact on the legal function since joining in June 2013: ‘I have entirely set up a new structure that is tailor-made for the current needs of the wholesale sector’, she explains. Like so many of her colleagues, Kireçtepe mentions ‘constant regulatory changes’ as the most salient challenge that has affected her consistently. To deal with this, she prizes a collaborative approach with excellent communication with senior management, and counts on a direct report to the company’s CEO to assist with this.