Speakers

Steering Committee

Millicent Joie Desiderio-Dime, managing director, global counsel ethics and compliance, Accenture
Miscen Desiderio-Dime draws on 27 years of diverse legal experience across litigation, corporate practice, and technology. She began her career at the influential Becca Bar law firm, handling high-stakes cases involving kidnapping, arson, and post–Martial Law political unrest, work that honed her agility and courtroom rigour. After leading complex prosecutions, she transitioned to the corporate and tech sector, where she now champions thoughtful, responsible use of legal technology while mentoring young lawyers in adaptability and sound judgment. Miscen joined Accenture in 2012 where she built the local legal team from the ground up and led it for over 13 years.  She is now Managing Director, Global Counsel, Ethics and Compliance, where she works on enterprise-wide compliance strategy with a focus on Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest and where she  champions a culture of integrity across Accenture’s global operations.

Steering Committee

Ryan N. Espiritu, regional data protection officer & legal counsel (APAC/ME), Western Union

Ryan N. Espiritu is currently Western Union’s Regional Data Protection Officer and Legal Counsel supporting APAC and the Middle East. He possesses an IAPP Certification as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Asia (CIPP/Asia). He has been an attorney for more than 18 years specializing in data privacy, labor & employment, litigation and intellectual property.

Steering Committee

Cecily Nerisse (Chel) C. Ramirez-dela Cruz, country general counsel and GAM lead, 3M Philippines

Cecily Nerisse (Chel) C. Ramirez-dela Cruz, as a member of the Asia-Taiwan leadership team for the consumer business group and the local leadership team in the Philippines, helps identify and address key policy, enterprise, and other risks to protect the company’s brand and operations while supporting growth.

Recently, she contributed to adapting to changes in Indonesia’s importation regulations to minimize business disruption from new requirements. Additionally, she played a role in the successful spin-off of the healthcare business into a new, publicly held company called Solventum, working on its local implementation and execution.

Steering Committee

Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta, general counsel and head of legal (GUESS Group) and director (Legal Management Council of the Philippines), GUESS Group

Nico is the general counsel and head of legal department of the GUESS Group. He also serves as a director of the Legal Management Council of the Philippines, the country’s premiere association of legal professionals. Throughout the years, Nico has successfully represented his past and present principals before various quasi-judicial agencies, trial courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Because of his solid advocacies on ESG and intellectual property awareness, Nico is often invited as a lecturer and resource speaker by various government agencies, educational institutions and international organizations such as the International Trademark Association, EU IPO, World Intellectual Property Organization and the Asia Pacific Corporate Counsel Alliance. Moreover, several legal publications, such as AsiaLaw, the Asian Legal Business and Legal 500, has consistently commended him for his exemplary legal works. During his law firm days, Nico has been cited by Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner, and he has been consistently included by the publication’s General Counsel (GC) Powerlist Magazine in its lists of leading in-house lawyers across Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Just last year, Nico has made it to Legal 500 GC Elite Philippines, which recognized the country’s Top 20 most prominent and seasoned in-house lawyers. On his days off, Nico enjoys working out at the gym and car racing.