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

Scaling global tech with legal rigour, strategic partnerships, and people-first leadership. With over 20 years of international legal and business leadership, I operate at the intersection of law, governance, and culture. I maintain a broad global network spanning government, business, law, and academia — enabling impactful collaboration and insight across continents.

As Group General Counsel and Group Head of HR at nami.ai, a global AI sensing scale-up headquartered in Singapore with offices in France and Canada, I am part of the founding leadership team. nami.ai is a complex and fast-evolving organisation, combining disruptive technology with a globally distributed workforce and a clear purpose: to make environments safer and more intelligent through AI sensing that enhances security, wellness, and care for vulnerable people.

I have led multiple fundraising rounds, built nami’s global IP portfolio, established international offices, and oversee governance with the board and investors. I have negotiated all major strategic partnerships and customer agreements, including nami’s recent strategic investment in Aerial Technologies Inc. Today, I combine legal acumen with HR leadership to shape a culture and talent strategy that aligns with our purpose and supports nami’s global growth.

Previously, I founded and led the Brussels office of an international law firm, launching a greenfield site to build a global EU and Competition practice. I advised on complex, high-value cross-border transactions and led multidisciplinary teams of 50+ on multinational mandates.

Earlier in my career, I held several prominent appointments, including: Secular Supreme Court Judge, His Highness Prince Aga Khan’s International Conciliation and Arbitration Board; President & Founder, INSEAD Women in Business Club (Belgium) and member of the Global Alumni Club Executive Committee; and legal roles with the European Commission’s Competition Service and the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

I hold an MBA from INSEAD and am a graduate of the College of Europe, Bruges.

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?

We work very closely with the CEO and CFO so that we are aligned on business strategy. To have this synergy, it is very important to have a relationship of trust.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

I bring senior private practice experience, years of experience of working at European Institutions and experience as General Counsel in a fast-moving global tech company. My role bridges legal and business, covering the strategic aspects of working in business. I also have held very strong leadership and Board roles outside my professional work.

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

The ability to see the wood from the trees and to be very agile and commercial.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

I find that by combining legal and HR – this makes for a unique combination.

What measures has your company taken to incorporate sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how can general counsel contribute to driving such initiatives within the organisation?

Sometimes this is required by our customers, partners and investors – we have to be fully compliant.

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

This is work in progress: it is a project on which I am working now. We made a significant investment into a Canadian company, and we are working on integrating the team across all our global offices.

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?

Using AI in-house has been a game changer: it does not replace professional legal advice, but it is significant competitor and will continue to become more of a competitor in the future, as generative AI gets better.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I’ve had the privilege of working on pioneering projects that didn’t just break new ground, but also stood the test of time, becoming lasting legacies for others to build on. My work at nami is also groundbreaking and pioneering in the area of AI – that is very exciting.