Team size: 7 / >100 Zürich Service GmbH

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

I’ve been involved in major transactions or real estate deals. By combining legal expertise with business insight, I’ve added value and earned an operational leadership role. The transformation of the legal team has created a collaborative, growth-oriented environment, making us enablers within the organisation.

Transactions:

Acquisition of FairFinance by Bonus (subsidiary of Zurich): This merger will create the third-largest pension fund. Bonus holds a market share of around 14%, managing assets of more than EUR 2.7 billion. Focus was to represent the interests of Zurich; I was involved in all relevant legal and business aspects.

Portfolio transfer of a captive (GAIDAC, captive of McDonalds): Legal advisory and project lead from start to end with an eight-digit sum.

Real estate deals:

Kärntner-Ring-Hof over EUR 100 Mio: Prestigious property and the most high-profile real estate transactions of 2024. The process spanned the entirety of 2024 and required legal assistance with many stakeholders. Given the public visibility and reputational sensitivity, potential risks were assessed and managed proactively.

Business

Partnership business: Growth market and Legal has done a lot of groundwork and broken new ground in terms of innovative and creative thinking.

Legal Team: Instead of SPOCs, we adopted a more agile, collaborative approach. This change in mindset has broadened the team’s expertise, increased visibility with stakeholders, and fostered personal growth, ownership, and independence.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

Combining legal expertise with business acumen, I focus on compliant and strategic solutions. My expertise in legislation, partnership negotiations, and core operations creates significant business value. This led to my appointment as Managing Director of Zurich Service GmbH, overseeing over 100 FTE.

What do you think sets you apart from other in-house counsel?

Business partner / enabler, combining legal knowledge with an operational and strategic understanding, i.e., providing fast, clear, and reliable guidance, being pragmatic, and solution-oriented, or translating complex legal issues into clear, actionable tasks.