Career Biography

With a proven track record as a transformative legal leader, Sophie Wattiaux brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of law, business, and strategy. As Senior Legal Manager at Invesis and former Senior Group Legal Counsel at Cofinimmo, Sophie has consistently demonstrated her ability to elevate the legal function into a true business enabler and trusted advisor to the C-suite.

Visionary Legal Leadership

Sophie’s career is defined by her capacity to anticipate legal and regulatory challenges, drive complex transactions, and deliver pragmatic solutions that unlock value and mitigate risk. At Cofinimmo, Belgium’s largest listed real estate investment fund, Sophie led high-value M&A transactions across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, managed complex portfolios, and played a pivotal role in structuring and negotiating commercial, financial, and operational contracts. Her leadership extended to cross-border projects, where she ensured legal compliance, managed litigation, and supported the group’s expansion into new markets.

Business Impact and Strategic Influence

As a key member of legal teams, Sophie has shaped legal strategy to align with business objectives, ensuring legal considerations are embedded in every critical decision. She has managed litigation, supervised legal teams, and reported directly to C-level executives and boards, earning a reputation for clarity, integrity, and business acumen. Her role as Internal Auditor further strengthened her expertise in governance, risk management, and internal controls, reinforcing her holistic approach to organisational resilience.

Driving Innovation in public private partnerships (PPPs)

At Invesis, Sophie leads the legal dimension of complex PPP projects, orchestrating negotiations with public authorities, lenders, and multidisciplinary teams. Her ability to bridge legal, financial, and operational perspectives has been pivotal in delivering infrastructure projects with lasting societal impact. She is recognised for her agility in navigating regulatory frameworks and her talent for building consensus among diverse stakeholders.

Champion of Ethics, Diversity and Sustainability

Sophie is a passionate advocate for ethical leadership, diversity, and sustainability. She launched Cofinimmo’s sustainability committee and fosters a culture of transparency, respect, and inclusion. Her leadership style is empowering and collaborative, focused on developing talent and inspiring high-performing teams.

International Profile and Continuous Learning

Fluent in French, Dutch, and English, Sophie thrives in international and multicultural environments. Her academic background includes an LLM in Energy and Environmental Law, postgraduate degrees in real estate and environmental sciences, and advanced certifications in finance, audit, and business management. She is committed to continuous learning and leveraging digital tools to enhance legal operations.

Legal Counsel Mindset

Sophie’s vision as Legal Leader is to be a strategic partner to the business, driving innovation, safeguarding integrity, and enabling sustainable growth. She seeks to shape legal teams that are agile, business-oriented, and future-ready, delivering impact not only within the organisation, but also for society at large.

Vision for the Future

In the coming years, we will face the exciting challenge of integrating AI not only into our daily tasks, but also as “member” of our teams. Technology will accelerate processes and unlock new possibilities, but the true strength of human lawyers will shine through their ability to bring judgment, creativity, and ethical reasoning to complex issues. The challenge for us as legal professionals is that we must rise above routine work and elevate our analysis to a level that AI cannot replicate: transforming legal advice into strategic insight and remaining trusted advisors in an increasingly digital world.