Team size: 120 legal and compliance professionals across 10 countries

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?

As Chief Legal & Compliance Officer for Coca-Cola FEMSA, covering ten jurisdictions across Latin America, I lead a team that operates in constant proximity to volatility — from regulatory changes and tax reforms to geopolitical shifts, cyber incidents, and complex stakeholder expectations. In these contexts, our role is not only to protect the company but to preserve continuity and credibility.

My approach to crises is grounded on three pillars: (i) safeguarding business continuity and financial resilience, (ii) protecting reputation and our licence to operate with regulators, investors, and communities, and (iii) ensuring strict governance and compliance discipline.

Legal is embedded in business conversations from the outset, not consulted at the end. We anticipate risks early, define escalation and decision rights, and align with executive management to ensure legal strategy enables—not hinders—business objectives. This integration allows us to translate complex legal risks into actionable strategies that sustain growth and resilience.

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

I have recently led and overseen several strategic and cross-border projects, including:

• Complex commercial and distribution agreements with global partners.

• Legal structuring and risk mitigation across multiple jurisdictions to align governance frameworks, compliance standards, and disclosure obligations.

• Legal readiness for emerging sustainability regulations (e.g., climate disclosure and ESG reporting frameworks) to ensure consistency between public commitments and operational practices.

These initiatives have required a balance between local execution and corporate coherence, ensuring our Board and leadership have full visibility into risk and value creation.

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?

Sustainability is a strategic imperative for Coca-Cola FEMSA. Legal and Compliance plays a central role in embedding ESG commitments into governance and accountability structures — ensuring that objectives around circular economy, climate, and human rights are translated into enforceable corporate policies and transparent disclosures.

We work closely with Finance, Operations, Public Affairs, and Investor Relations to align our roadmap with international standards such as IFRS S1/S2 and TCFD. Our focus is on traceability, accountability, and credibility: turning sustainability from aspiration into verified practice.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

I lead a multicultural, multilingual, and gender-diverse team. Inclusion, for me, is a leadership commitment — not a policy. We focus on three dimensions: psychological safety, visibility, and growth.