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?  

During periods of instability or crises, my approach to managing legal aspects focuses on promoting adaptability, ensuring clear communication and aligning as much as possible our legal strategy with the company’s comprehensive goals. For example, during the pandemic, our company did not generate revenue and had to restructure debts and create new business opportunities. In this context, the legal department, in constant communication with management, played a crucial role. 

The legal landscape can shift rapidly during crises, due to significant changes in legislation or the promotion of urgent rules so I prioritize flexibility in our legal strategies, as well as continuously mapping the situation in the countries where we operate, also evaluating how peers in the market are behaving. 

It is also important to share as much information as possible with our team and other areas colleagues, as well as to be clear about the reasons behind significant decisions or those that impact the team or the company. 

Finally, to work closely with the company’s management to ensure our legal approaches support the company’s objectives. All this contributes to the organisation’s resilience and long-term success. 

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?  

Our company has taken several measures to embed sustainability practices into our core business operations, ensuring that these practices are part of our strategy. We fall within the obligations provided by CSRD regulations, and therefore, we are preparing ourselves to fully comply with annual reports on sustainability. 

To do so we first mapped the current sustainability report procedures in all the operating companies, and we asked our stakeholders to define through surveys the material KPIs. 

Additionally, we have established cross-functional sustainability discussions with members from different departments, to work collaboratively to develop and implement initiatives that promote sustainability throughout the company. 

My role is to promote sustainable practices within the company, assisting the ESG area to prepare and make all the different ESG policies approved. I also oversee the legal aspects of our sustainability initiatives, ensuring that they comply with relevant regulations. This involves working closely with the sustainability team to identify potential legal risks and finding ways to mitigate them. 

I facilitate communication between the legal department and other areas of the business to ensure that sustainability considerations are integrated into our contracts and to keep management and board of directors informed concerning the progress on this. By embedding sustainability into our legal framework, we can create significant changes that support our company’s long-term objectives.