Bio

Mrs. Kenza Margaoui joined OCP Group in 2012 as Senior Legal Counsel, and then, starting 2015, served as Legal Vice-President in charge of Corporate, Financing and Intellectual Property. She was appointed General Counsel of the Group in 2020 and holds various board membership positions both locally and internationally. Mrs. Margaoui graduated from Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, as well as from the University of Texas at Austin. She practiced law in various UK and US law firms (Shearman & Sterling, Simmons & Simmons, Reed Smith) in Singapore and Paris prior to joining OCP. She is admitted to practice in the Paris and New-York Bar. She also holds an executive MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a certificate in Corporate Governance from Sciences Po Executive Education. She is a member of Club des Femmes Administrateurs Morocco (CFA), as well as of Lean in Morocco Chapter and the Women in law Circle. She is also a founding member of the Cercle Marocain des Directeurs Juridiques.

What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

I work on a very diverse number of transactions, but if I have to select a few I would mention those who contribute to the company’s growth and sustainability journey: I have worked on a joint-venture dedicated to producing green hydrogen and green ammonia, I have also worked on a joint development agreement with a major industry player to accelerate our energy transition. I am also very honoured to accompany our venture capital fund, Bidra Innovation Ventures, as part of the advisory committee, to fund start-ups with strong environmental and social impact.

What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year?

As part of the transformation of OCP as a multi-business Group with diverse facets, firmly committed to a range of strategic sectors, and with sustainability at the heart of the strategy, the Legal Department has itself transformed from a centralised team to a decentralised one, with in-house counsels at the level of our strategic business units and subsidiaries. To keep a cohesion and coherence within the large team on in-house, counting around 50 people, I have created a practice community “Legal@OCP” in order to maintain a continuous link and exchange around common issues and shared experiences and expertise. As part of the General Counsel Office overseeing the legal activity across the group, we are developing a digital platform to ease exchanges and documentation, a regular newsletter and continuous legal executive education with the support of Africa Business School within University Mohammed VI Polytechnique.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

In my view, successful collaboration with business partners requires to be a legal business partner! It requires a strategic balance between legal risk management and business enablement. And for that, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the company’s business, of the industries in which we operate, and the competitive landscape. It is key to contribute, be a centre peace in aligning legal advice with the company’s strategic objectives, rather than just identifying risks without offering solutions.

We are now living in a changing geopolitical environment, with increased sanctions and export controls over the past two to three years. Does this affect our work, particularly regarding your risk management duties?

Absolutely. We have implemented policies, guidelines, and processes, driven by the General Counsel office in cooperation with all legal teams across the group to ensure constant and continuous compliance with sanction laws and alike.