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?

In times of crisis or instability, maintaining composure and making swift, well-informed decisions is essential. These decisions must always be aligned with the company’s overarching strategy and purpose.

Several key aspects are considered when navigating a crisis:

Implications Analysis: We assess legal, financial, employee-related, and environmental impacts.

Stakeholder Mapping: Identifying which stakeholders may be affected is crucial for both response and recovery.

Communication Strategy: Clear, timely, and effective communication is critical—internally and externally.

In 2024, we developed and implemented a Crisis Management Manual, designed to provide structured and coordinated decision-making processes during complex situations. This manual ensures that actions taken under pressure remain consistent with the organisation’s strategy and values. It has become an invaluable tool in safeguarding continuity and reinforcing resilience.

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?

As part of our strategy to expand into new markets, one of our most notable recent projects was the launch of our personal care business in Paraguay. This required the complete legal structuring of a new entity, securing all necessary permits and regulatory authorisations, and registering our intellectual property.

Thanks to detailed planning and cross-functional coordination, the outcome has been a success. We entered a new market while maintaining the same high standards that define our operations regionally. The project marked a significant step in our growth strategy and highlighted the legal department’s proactive role in facilitating business development.

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?

At Softys, sustainability is not an add-on; it is a fundamental pillar of our Business Plan and core to our corporate purpose: “To develop brands that deliver the best care people need in their day-to-day lives and at every stage of their lives.

Our sustainability commitments are ambitious and tracked through monthly committee reviews, internal campaigns, and interdepartmental collaboration. As Head of both Legal and Sustainability, I benefit from a holistic perspective, working closely with all business units to ensure that our ESG objectives are embedded into everyday operations.

A standout initiative in Uruguay has been the “Softys Contigo” project, launched in 2023 in partnership with Techo. This programme implemented 24 sanitary solutions (bathrooms) in vulnerable communities through corporate volunteerism. In 2024, we extended the project to our local area of influence, Pando, and will complete 118 sanitary solutions by year-end.

Over 300 volunteers—including employees, their families, clients, and partners—have participated. Each construction day sees about 50 Softys team members on-site, deepening their understanding of the company’s social impact and strengthening internal bonds. It has been a win-win project—one that connects purpose with action, while reinforcing the culture of care that defines Softys.