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?

When an organisation faces a moment of crisis or instability, my priority is to restore clarity and control throughout the company. I start by leading a fast assessment of contractual, regulatory, reputational, and operational risk exposure and translate those findings into clear priority recommendations for leadership. In these situations, in my view Legal must become the single source of truth: defining what we know, what we don’t, presenting our options and considering new information to double down or pivot if necessary. Further, Legal must become the calm during the storm and the voice of reason.

My view of the Legal function is a stabilising business partner, not a gatekeeper. Mainly working closely with finance, sales, and communications, I make sure every legal response aligns with the broader business strategy: protecting liquidity, preserving customer trust, and safeguarding long-term reputation by fostering our compliance culture. In order to achieve this, I work based on three pillars: proactivity, decisive execution and continuous learning through training and real-life experience.

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

In light of the recent political and legal events in our country, I decided to renegotiate some provisions in those agreements that are critical for the day-to-day operation. In addition to that, as head of the Compliance Committee I’ve restructured its operation, making our meetings and our decision-making process very efficient. This way, Legal is now seen as an efficient and trusted business partner.

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 Covestro, sustainability is embedded at the core of our business model. The company’s vision of becoming fully circular and climate-neutral by 2035 drives and demands innovation across every function. Covestro develops materials from renewable sources such as biomass and CO2, scales recycling technologies, and invests in long-term renewable energy partnerships to decarbonise production.

As Head of Legal, IP & Compliance in Mexico, I help translate that profound ambition and great challenge into enforceable reality. My role is to help sustainability goals be supported by robust internal governance and risk management: integrating ESG principles into supplier contracts, validating agreement recitals and warranties, providing Compliance a main, decisive role, and advising on business operations. I also contribute to making sure global sustainability metrics are included in local compliance frameworks.

The Legal function acts and should always act as both corporate guardian and business enabler, protecting the company’s integrity while empowering and fostering innovation in a legally safe way. By making sure that sustainability, compliance, and ethics are deeply woven into the company’s operations and thus, into each colleague’s day-to-day activities and mindset, Legal helps Covestro turn purpose into action and resilience into a true competitive advantage.