Team size: Five

What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our legal team works on a diverse range of transactions across the business. As a legal team, we have the benefit of working with and advising each and every department, giving us a view of all of the projects and work being done across the business and allowing us to connect and provide insights to those that we work with.

As a legal team it is our responsibility to partner with key stakeholders to ensure that we enable KFC’s strategy and that we support the business as it grows and expands its footprint across Africa.

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

The key thing to do in a time of crisis/instability is not to work in isolation but to work as a cross functional team and ensure you get input from all key stakeholders across the business, thereby ensuring that you are finding the best possible business solution. You also need to ensure that you take a business first approach and that decisions are not just legal led, all whilst ensuring that you minimise any business or legal risks the brand could potentially be exposed to. In times of stability or crisis you need to be a calm and focused leader and embrace agility and uncertainty to ensure you reach the best possible outcome.

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

I have had the opportunity at KFC to be exposed to roles outside of legal as well as legal roles outside of Africa. These experiences have enabled me to become a well rounded chief legal officer and executive business leader.

These opportunities were in dual role capacities whilst I also served as the chief legal officer for KFC and include two years as the Head of Sub-Saharan Africa markets acting in a general management role overseeing 22 countries, eight months acting chief legal officer for MENAPaKT region, key strategic project lead for KFC’s business growth initiatives, legal director and executive for Pizza Hut (Pty) Ltd, six month short term assignment in human resources working with head office and our team members in the KFC stores.

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

I am passionate about growing leaders of the future and have been mentoring and coaching individuals from different backgrounds and across multiple disciplines for many years. I am also very passionate about women empowerment and have been involved in a number of programs aimed at women development and opening up of opportunities in the business world, including Women in Franchising and Women on the Move.