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

A general counsel must transition from a passive role to an active one, becoming a true business partner to the organisation by engaging directly in strategic decision-making and participating in high-impact discussions for the company. From this position within strategic decision-making, it becomes possible to propose sustainability initiatives that deliver real impact for the organisation and its stakeholders.

A strong Compliance culture must constitute a fundamental pillar of the company. This is achieved not only by promoting it through campaigns that highlight the value added by a robust compliance programme, but also by presenting Compliance as a business enabler rather than a constraint, with clear rules of the game while maintaining the capacity to innovate. In this way, the organisation and its employees can demonstrate the company’s impact through the tangible implementation of its sustainable contributions, whilst making decisions grounded in clear policies and effective risk management systems.

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?  

The Legal, Compliance and SHE function is represented on the company’s leadership team. It has established itself as a business partner to the operational areas, participating directly in the development of strategies and proposing initiatives that add value to the business. We hold weekly meetings to plan activities, follow up on progress, and address key organisational inquiries. Rather than functioning merely as a service or advisory unit, we have become a strategic ally in the creation of value propositions.

To provide specific examples from the legal perspective: we have implemented a contract management system utilising technological tools that streamline contract drafting, review, digital signatures, and – most importantly – serve as a centralised platform for contract archiving and repository purposes. We provide the business with competition analyses that allow the commercial team to make informed decisions while mitigating reputational or antitrust/competition risks. We are developing the company’s comprehensive personal data protection programme and associated policies, ensuring compliance with both global and local standards. Additionally, through the use of AI, we have designed a policy and key legal and compliance consultation programme called Legal & Compliance Contigo, which enables all employees to raise questions whenever they have doubts and to act accordingly.