Let me begin by introducing myself as a General Counsel, Compliance Officer, member of the South Asia, APAC, and Global leadership teams, and a director on the Board, with more than twenty-three years of experience across the chemicals, agro-sciences, food, technology, consultancy, telecom, aerospace, education, and media sectors. I am driven to control costs, manage risk, add value, lead complex transactions, and collaborate with organisational leaders to effectively align with and support key business initiatives. I have extensive experience in leading legal, compliance, secretarial, and risk management portfolios across South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and Singapore, having managed teams of over forty lawyers and supported organisations employing more than ten thousand people.

Over the past year, my team and I have achieved several significant professional milestones. As part of the global legal team, I have been responsible for the South Asia region, managing major and complex programmes and cross-border transactions. Through robust contracts and documentation, we have maintained zero fresh litigation during my tenure. I have also worked closely with external counsel on multiple matters, where the company has prevailed successfully.

In advising cross-functional teams, I have provided guidance on a wide range of legal subjects including corporate, commercial, intellectual property, employment, data protection, ethics, and regulatory matters, ensuring informed decision-making for both strategic and tactical business plans. I have monitored emerging governmental policies and legislative trends, developing strategies and recommending proactive measures to anticipate risks and adapt to new legal developments.

I have provided overall counsel, leadership, and management support for strategically important corporate initiatives, including demergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances, while advising regional and global management on significant legal and contractual requirements to advance both short- and long-term objectives in line with company standards. I have also supported various global compliance programmes as a key local resource, managing teams comprising members from multiple jurisdictions, and developing best practices in compliance, contract management, intellectual property, data privacy, and mergers and acquisitions across South Asia.

I have supervised and led disciplinary processes in appropriate cases involving substantiated ethics and compliance violations, adapting and modifying the global framework as required to comply with local laws. In addition, I have served as a member of the Critical Management Committee and the Disciplinary Committee of the organisation. I have facilitated the implementation of new processes and procedures across internal groups to enhance core knowledge and competence on legal issues in line with the organisation’s global operations. Finally, I have strategised and executed large-scale restructuring initiatives, completing them with zero exposure to labour law litigation.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

During periods of instability or crisis, effective management of legal aspects is essential to organisational resilience. I began by conducting a rapid legal risk assessment to prioritise threats to compliance, contracts, and reputation, and ensured that the legal function was fully integrated into the crisis management team to support timely and informed decision-making. My team reviewed key contracts to assess force majeure and regulatory obligations and kept abreast of recent and emergency legal developments. We guided leadership on communications and stakeholder engagement that were legally sound, while also addressing personnel matters in compliance with labour laws across multiple jurisdictions.

In addition, we strengthened data protection and cybersecurity protocols to mitigate heightened risks. Legal playbooks and scenario plans were developed to prepare for potential future crises. Following the resolution of the crisis, we conducted comprehensive legal audits and updated policies to reinforce organisational resilience. This proactive and embedded legal approach ensured that the company remained agile, compliant, and capable of maintaining continuity even in challenging times.
     
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?

In my view, the key trends in the legal and business landscape that in-house lawyers should be mindful of in 2025 include the expanding strategic role of in-house counsel, who are increasingly regarded as business partners rather than solely legal advisors, with growing influence over corporate strategy and risk management. Legal technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is reshaping workflows, with routine tasks being brought in-house or automated, while external counsel is expected to contribute more strategic value. Corporate legal departments continue to face training gaps compared with law firms, which poses a risk to talent retention and professional development. Finally, the regulatory environment, particularly for cross-border operations in South Asia, is becoming more complex and dynamic, requiring agile and forward-looking compliance approaches.

AI has been taken seriously as a potentially revolutionary technological change in the legal world for a number of years now. Has it had a meaningful impact in how your legal team works in this time?

Artificial intelligence has had a significant impact on the way legal teams operate, particularly by streamlining routine tasks and enhancing decision-making. We use AI-powered tools for contract review and analysis, automating risk identification and clause comparison, for legal research, accelerating access to case law and regulatory updates, and for document automation, including drafting non-disclosure agreements, service agreements, and other standard templates. For many in-house teams, these applications have freed up time for more strategic work and improved turnaround times. Nevertheless, the extent of adoption varies depending on an organisation’s digital maturity and its appetite for risk. 

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?
 
Our legal team contributes to the overall business strategy by serving as a strategic enabler, balancing risk with opportunity and ensuring that decisions are both legally sound and commercially viable. A recent legal-led initiative with a significant impact was the revamp of our vendor contracting framework. By streamlining contract templates and introducing risk-tiered approval workflows, we reduced turnaround times by forty per cent, improved compliance across jurisdictions, and strengthened vendor relationships. This initiative not only enhanced procurement efficiency but also aligned with broader objectives around operational agility and governance.