Team size: strong>   Seven

Career Biography

Denisa Gogorita is a highly accomplished legal and governance professional with over 20 years of experience in logistics, transport and corporate law, compliance, risk management, and strategic leadership. Currently serving as legal, compliance and public affairs director, and member of directorate at RetuRO, she is a driving force behind the legal and operational architecture of Romania’s national Deposit-Return System (DRS)—a transformative initiative for environmental sustainability.

Her career spans both private practice and senior in-house roles. After building a strong foundation in litigation and advisory work, Denisa joined DB Schenker, where she led the legal, risk, and compliance functions for over a decade. She managed complex contractual frameworks, regulatory challenges, and strategic legal operations across logistics, transport, and port operators’ services. Her leadership was instrumental in developing internal legal processes and integrating digitalisation in legal processes, aligning legal strategy with business growth, by and efficient effectiveness of legal services.

Gogorita’s expertise goes far beyond legal counsel. She brings a robust background in corporate governance, C-level executive leadership, process and project management, and organizational strategy. Her ability to integrate legal insight with business acumen has positioned her as a trusted advisor in both operational and board-level decision-making.

At RetuRO, Gogorita has played a strategic role that transcends legal oversight. She has been a foundational pillar in shaping the organisation’s direction, contributing to the creation of the infrastructure that supports the DRS. Her involvement spans critical business decisions, contributing to the clarification and improvement of the legal framework, with a focus on aligning legislation to operational realities and strategic needs.

Her leadership style is defined by integrity, balance, and determination. Gogorita believes that integrity is built through the daily actions of every employee—through conscious decisions, respect for rules, and accountability in execution.

She is also focused on building a strong corporate governance, adapting the corporate governance to the business strategy and objective of the company.

He advocates for a proactive adjustment of corporate governance framework when needed emphasising the importance of alignment between corporate structures and business results and performance.

By her legal expertise, a strategic vision, her commitment to building systems that serve both business and society at RetuRO, she is helping to fulfill a bold mission: to build a cleaner, greener Romania through responsible leadership, legal innovation, and ethical governance.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organization’s resilience?

My approach to managing legal aspects during periods of instability is grounded in clarity, adaptability, and strategic alignment. I believe that in times of crisis, the legal function must move beyond risk containment and become a stabilising force—one that enables decision-making, protects continuity, and reinforces trust across the organisation.

Throughout my career, I’ve led legal teams through mergers, integrations, regulatory shifts, and operational scale-ups. Whether navigating the complexities of a multinational logistics company or building the legal infrastructure of Romania’s national Deposit-Return System from the ground up, I’ve learned that resilience comes from structure, but also from flexibility. Legal strategy must be deeply embedded in the business strategy—not as a reactive layer, but as a proactive driver of sustainable growth.

In moments of uncertainty, I focus on simplifying complexity. That means creating clear frameworks, enabling fast access to legal support, and ensuring that governance structures are robust yet responsive. I’ve implemented systems that allow legal to be present in real time, supporting operational teams, resolving disputes, and guiding strategic choices with precision.

Equally important is presence—being there, consistently, with the right mindset. I lead with a balance of rigor and empathy, knowing that resilience is not just about systems, but about people. Legal must help the organisation stay focused, grounded, and aligned, even when the path ahead is unclear.

Ultimately, my legal strategy is built to serve the mission. Whether that mission is growth, transformation, or sustainability, I ensure that legal frameworks enable—not constrain—the organisation’s ability to move forward with confidence.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

One of the most relevant trends I’m closely observing is the increasing need for legal departments to be fully integrated into crisis and change management. Legal is no longer a reactive function, it must be present at the strategic core of the organisation, especially during periods of rapid transformation. At RetuRO, we’ve built a national system from scratch, under intense public and institutional scrutiny, and legal had to be agile, proactive, and deeply involved in governance, infrastructure, and stakeholder alignment from day one.

Another key trend is the evolution of legal operations and the role of technology in enabling scale and responsiveness. While digital tools are not a substitute for judgment, they are becoming essential in managing complexity, improving access to legal support, and ensuring consistency across large ecosystems. In my previous role, I implemented a legal access platform that allowed real-time collaboration across departments. At RetuRO, where we interact with thousands of producers, retailers, various stakeholders and public institutions, the ability to deliver fast, structured legal support is critical and it is still a challenge for us.

I also believe in-house lawyers should pay close attention to the alignment between legal strategy and business continuity. Legal must be able to simplify complexity, provide clarity under pressure, and support decision-making that balances risk with opportunity. This requires not only technical expertise, but also a deep understanding of operational realities and the ability to lead through uncertainty.

Ultimately, legal teams must evolve into strategic enablers—capable of guiding organisations through transformation, protecting their integrity, and contributing directly to long-term resilience and growth.