Key Projects:

Since 2023, we’ve been working on a multi-year transformation programme. We’re building on our enduring, distinctive strengths to implement our vision to enable us to build a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing Rolls-Royce.

To achieve this, we have a clear roadmap, centred on four strategic pillars: portfolio choices and partnerships; strategic initiatives; efficiency and simplification; and lower carbon and digitally enabled businesses.

Through the work, initiatives and interventions set out below, our legal team has already made a significant contribution to our transformation programme.

Portfolio choices and partnerships:

We have been clear where we will not invest. Our corporate legal team (with support from external counsel) advised on a number of non-core disposals. This included the sale of our Naval Propulsors & Handling business to Fairbanks Morse Defense.

Strategic initiatives:

We continued to see customer wins across all businesses. This included the Unity contract; the largest single contract the MoD has ever signed, bringing together elements of research, design, manufacture and in-service support of the nuclear reactors that power the Royal Navy’s fleet of submarines.

Efficiency and simplification:

Our 2023 strategic review confirmed we were not cost competitive. To improve this, we launched a commercial optimisation workstream. Our global team has collaborated closely with the commercial, finance and sales teams to improve contract profitability (renegotiated onerous contracts), enhance our commercial approach (developed enhanced terms in our contracts) and embed skills across our enterprise (developing our capabilities and improving the tools our teams need to secure profitable business).

Our multi-year transformation programme also saw a new, leaner organisational design ‘go-live’ in the last year. Its purpose was to improve operational efficiency. As part of this, Mark established a capability centre, whose purpose is to drive operational efficiency into our General Counsel (including legal) team through, amongst other things, the standardisation and simplification of its policies and processes.

We recognised that the success of our transformation depends on our people. To galvanise the team, we have implemented a step-change in the way Mark and his leadership team communicate; ensuring that everyone understands, and is bought into, our strategy. We re-branded the legal team to make it feel more cohesive. Since its establishment, the ‘One GC’ legal team has played a leading role in driving excellence in its areas of expertise and in setting the example for our new behaviours.

Low carbon and digitally enabled businesses:

Our zero-carbon, small modular nuclear reactor design has been selected by Great British Nuclear in its competition to deploy SMRs in the UK. Our SMR legal team has been instrumental throughout this process, as they have, together with our corporate legal team, in securing an equity investment into RR SMR by the ČEZ Group, the Czech state-owned nuclear company, and creating a strategic partnership.

We are immensely proud of the work the team is doing to support our vision to build a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing Rolls-Royce.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Authenticity, integrity, rigour, a true understanding of the business, an ability to speak truth to power, resilience, and a sense of humour…