I began working in the insurance market approximately ten years ago. Prior to that, I practiced as a litigation attorney. My career in this industry commenced at Liberty Compañía de Seguros Generales S.A. Subsequently, following an M&A process between the Liberty Mutual Group and the Talanx AG Group, I continued my professional path at HDI Seguros Generales S.A. Most recently, I returned to Liberty Mutual Group, specifically to the operations of Liberty International Insurance and Surety within the Global Risk Solutions division, where I currently serve.

The transition from litigation attorney to in-house counsel is a particularly interesting process. Although both roles share certain commonalities, I think they require the development of distinct skill sets to be performed effectively. In my view, an in-house counsel must possess not only legal expertise but also a deep understanding of the business—its objectives, needs, and organizational culture. To fulfill this role, I see it as essential to go beyond being a technical legal advisor, it is necessary to become integrated into the business, acting as a strategic partner with the aim of continuously supporting business development, particularly in the decision-making process. Only in this way do I believe it is possible to generate true added value from the legal function within the organization.

To achieve this as in-house legal counsel, I also consider it essential that the legal teams establish relationships of trust with other areas of the business, demonstrating openness and availability to respond and understand their needs. In this regard, the development of political insight and effective communication skills is fundamental—especially considering that legal teams interact daily with professionals whose training differs from our own. Likewise, as in other broader aspects, empathy is also a key element in fostering these relationships.

From a technical standpoint, like any attorney, an in-house counsel must continuously update their knowledge—particularly when operating in a regulated market such as insurance. New regulations and laws affecting our industry, either directly or indirectly, emerge constantly. It is our responsibility to analyze these constant changes and communicate their impact to the business, along with their implementation processes within the organization.

On a personal level, throughout my time in the insurance market, I have had the opportunity to participate in various significant projects with highly satisfactory outcomes, including two M&A processes, the creation of a Latin American market, and complex administrative and judicial proceedings. I consider each of these milestones to be key achievements for our legal department. However, I consider the most significant achievement has been positioning the legal function within the organization with a clearly defined and well-articulated role —being recognized by business units as a reliable, accessible business partner that provides consistent technical legal support to their needs. This recognition led to the legal department I led locally being twice acknowledged as the highest-rated area in the internal service quality survey conducted by the former Liberty Compañía de Seguros Generales S.A.