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

My team supported Aviva’s IWR Insurance business through strategic growth following Aviva’s acquisition of AIG Life’s UK protection business. We were lead advisers on the two-year integration programme, delivering commercial, financial and customer outcomes across multiple workstreams to fully integrate AIG Life into the Aviva estate. A key milestone was leading the successful Part VII transfer of the AIG insurance business into Aviva’s life insurer entity. Bringing two businesses together is always fast-paced and energising, and this integration has been a brilliant example of the range of work in-house teams do: hands-on delivery, creative problem-solving, and close partnership with senior leaders to navigate risk and keep momentum.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months? 

GenAI is a clear opportunity for in-house teams if we’re thoughtful about how we use it and how we develop people alongside it. Used well, it can streamline routine legal work, giving our teams more time for judgement-led work and better conversations with stakeholders. As the shape of legal work changes, we need to keep developing our people so they have the skills and confidence to spend more time on the strategic partnering that technology can’t replace. Mentoring supports that, and I’m refreshing our legal function mentoring programme to give people tailored support, challenge and feedback to build the skills they need at their career stage.

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

I’ve built a broad career, starting in Finance & Restructuring in private practice before moving to Aviva, where I’ve spent the last eight years leading legal teams across IWR (Insurance, Wealth and Retirement). That’s enabled me to step into new challenges and work across different parts of the Group, which has strengthened my commercial perspective and how I engage with stakeholders.

A particular highlight was being asked to join the Evolution Council for Aviva’s PLC Board, working directly with the CEO, the Board and Group ExCo to provide challenge and insight on strategy and culture. It was an incredible experience working so closely with our most senior leaders and NEDs, and being involved in decision making at the top of a FTSE 100 PLC.

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

For me, modern in-house counsel are first and foremost business partners and we need to be commercially curious, clear communicators, and confident making judgement calls. We need to understand how the business makes money and what matters to customers so that we can translate legal complexity into practical options and manage risk without slowing progress. A key differentiator for us though is emotional intelligence and I think that’s what turns good legal advice into great, ethical leadership where we create the space for challenge, set the tone on integrity, and lead our teams well through change. It’s also about keeping perspective and enjoyment in the work; there should always be room for some fun along the way.