Head of group legal and compliance | TÜV AUSTRIA HOLDING AG
DDr. Manuela Kohl
Head of group legal and compliance | TÜV AUSTRIA HOLDING AG
What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?
In the last 12 months, AI has certainly been a key topic, both in the Legal and Compliance departments. In addition to defining an AI strategy for the legal department, supported by my training as a Certified AI Manager, the focus has been on creating an AI Policy for the TÜV AUSTRIA Group in cooperation with the IT department, our Data Protection Officer and the Chief Information Security Officer.
Strategic decisions were also made, with approved AI tools being made available to all employees. An application process for new AI tools was defined, and the newly designed AI Policy was communicated to all employees worldwide through a newsletter and an online event titled ‘Comply with AI’.
Within the legal department, we are currently working on the implementation of an AI tool to automate a simple process on one side, and the integration of a currently browser-based AI tool into our contract management system to reduce the workload of lawyers by handling other repetitive tasks on the other.
The use of AI in the legal department, and its outsourcing to enable self-service for internal clients of the legal department, will definitely not make lawyers redundant, but will at least relieve them of simple, standard and repetitive tasks.
What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with your country’s data protection laws?
Former digital transformation solutions had to be on-premises to comply with our internal policies and the law. When implementing AI tools, we rely on open-source models, private clouds, and licensed tools to ensure that data is not shared with others, and that the AI tools do not learn from our personal data or business secrets.
Cloud and AI tools must be approved by a committee consisting of at least the Head of IT, the CISO, and the DPO. By focusing on our own databases and maintaining a ‘low temperature,’ we also aim to prevent hallucinations in Large Language Models, which is essential for legal text analysis.
What do you think sets you apart from other in-house counsel?
The feedback I receive within the TÜV AUSTRIA Group is definitely that my team and I provide solutions, not just highlight problems. We are also characterised by clear language and a service-oriented mentality. The legal department has an excellent reputation as a business enabler, and we strive to avoid overcomplicating matters while ensuring compliance with the law.
The digitalisation and AI projects mentioned above also position us as a beacon within the company and in comparison to other corporate legal departments. Years ago, I gave presentations at conferences on agile working methods in our legal department.
What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?
Definitely serve internal customers and solve problems, as previously mentioned. In doing so, it is essential to offer solutions to the problems identified and to engage with and understand the business.