Team size: 198 

Major legal advisers: Slaughter and May, CMS, Sidley Austin, Herbert Smith Freehills, Van Baels & Bellis 

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  

The team has managed a huge range of work, including: a $200m brand sale and refranchise; setting up a $137.7m Venture Fund to invest in ESG with others; designing and running hugely successful compliance campaigns under the banners “Is it COKE” and “Get home safe to the ones you love” in 29 countries and multiple different languages; identifying the new requirements and coordinating a cross functional team on ESG reporting including a transition of external assurance to our auditors; piloting a new global contract lifecycle management tool in close co-operation with commercial and financial colleagues through a successful pilot and are aiming to save the business €10m by increased efficiency, and; drafting a new cyber-ransomware handbook and run training exercises.   

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?  

This year we have been focussed on team wellbeing.  Initiatives like wellbeing June where every day the team were sent inspiration for a wellbeing activity and contributed great pictures to share with the team, a virtual walk from Iceland to New Zealand (our two furthest apart countries) and clear development plans including through our internal GC school help, but the most effective initiative was bringing our flexible working to life by asking everyone to fill in an interactive timetable of when they were available for meetings during the day and also keeping international meetings across time zones to Mondays and Wednesdays. We have also added the opportunity to fill in your own CV online so that whenever a post comes up in the department the first port of call is our own team, flagging anyone with the ambition for that post.  We have increased our engagement score to 81%.    

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? 

We have identified the key sustainability goals for the business in our This is Forward Programme with clear, measurable and stretching targets: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners – This is Forward. We work closely with our colleagues to structure ESG programmes that work on all fronts, for example ensuring that our plastic recycling joint venture in Indonesia has fair pay for all involved including those picking up plastic, and an independent foundation monitors work practices and provides schooling for workers’ children.