Team size: 4 direct reports plus 19 indirect reports

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

We have started a long-term project integrating governance and compliance in a more structured way into the company processes and governing bodies. We laid out the basis for the creation of a compliance department under my supervision.

To start from a real case and to make an example of what proper governance can lead to, I was intensely involved in the negotiations concerning the building of a major heating plant on Aquafin territory, producing warmth out of wastewater. I developed that experience into the structuring of the internal processes and governance regarding offering wastewater to the market for re-use and innovative projects.

I also guided the founding of a new daughter company aimed at investing in innovative projects.

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?

In those periods more than ever the emphasis should be on the human interaction, wellbeing and a safe space to talk things through and get the right amount of information, and the trustworthiness of the legal team, which is even more crucial in these times. Cocreation is key for resilience.

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

An in-house counsel needs the proper social skills and lots of empathy to make a deep connection with and truly be able to understand the needs of the business. They must be able to interact on and communicate the legal advice in a way the business client can understand and act accordingly, all aspects and legal risks considered.

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, of which you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful?

The growing speed at which decisions have to be made and therefore the growing need for proper frameworks to gather all the information and advice needed for those decisions. The temptation to use AI without the right background, education and critical thinking abilities to tackle the need for speed is something to be specifically aware of.