Team size: Five

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

Since 2024, I have driven the transformation of the UK legal function addressing legacy reputational challenges and repositioning the team as a trusted strategic partner to our business colleagues. This included strengthening capability through targeted recruitment, clarifying roles and accountability, and embedding a more commercially aligned advisory approach. Building on that foundation, we are now implementing a structured legal intake and prioritisation process to improve governance, transparency and resource allocation. In parallel, I am refining our panel of external counsel to foster stronger, more value-driven relationships, enhancing quality, responsiveness and cost discipline.

The legal team is also supporting a significant global operational transformation programme focused on innovation, strengthening safety culture and improved incident response through centralised oversight across our airport operations. This includes advising on the legal and regulatory framework for the deployment of telematics and camera technology within ground support equipment and the centralisation of CCTV data in the UK, as well as establishing an integrated control centre. From a legal perspective I am ensuring robust governance around data protection, workforce engagements, regulatory compliance and contractual risk allocation enabling innovation to proceed at pace whilst safeguarding the organisation.

As the legal landscape evolves, what steps are you taking to foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the legal team, ensuring that they are all well-equipped to address future legal complexities? 

I am committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning that develops both legal excellence and commercial acumen. We adopt a blended approach, combining e-learning, in-person workshops and conferences to suit different learning styles and seniority. We look beyond core legal training to deepen our understanding of the business and its risk environment, such as the warehouse and logistics training delivered jointly to legal and operational teams, construction focused programmes, and a full day of “O-shaped lawyer” training with Dan Kayne as part of our legal team offsite to strengthen collaboration and broader capability.

Team members are supported in pursuing formal qualifications and targeted development, such as the Law Society’s in-house diploma for one team member, specialist data protection training for another, and completion of the PSC for our trainee. The fourth team member is currently completing her CILEX qualifications. We regularly engage with external perspectives through law firm webinars, programmes such as Dentons’ CX initiative to build softer skills, and have requested in-house ethics training with Weightmans. Members of the team have also completed our internal leadership programme.

Led by myself, each lawyer maintains a tracker to reflect on competencies and identify future stretch learning needs, reinforced through weekly 1:1 coaching sessions. Our team meetings allow us to share legal updates, discuss lessons learned and explore complex issues collectively. Learning is also reciprocal: we deliver targeted training to the business, strengthening our role as trusted advisers while ensuring we remain commercially aligned and future focused.

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

As General Counsel for EMEA at CHC Helicopter, I was at the forefront of the company’s response to the tragic fatal search and rescue helicopter accident in Ireland, coordinating engagement with the Air Accident Investigation Unit and the Irish Health and Safety Authority to ensure full cooperation while safeguarding CHC’s legal position. Alongside the regulatory response, amid intense media scrutiny, I worked closely with external communications advisers to manage reputational risk, while ensuring appropriate and compassionate support for bereaved families and affected colleagues. The experience required me to show calm leadership, sound judgment and the ability to manage multiple high stakes workstreams simultaneously. Delivering clear, strategic advice to senior stakeholders during an exceptionally pressured and emotionally charged period remains one of the most defining and formative moments of my career.

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

In my view, the most important attributes of a modern in-house counsel are commerciality, credibility and strategic influence. Having spent almost my entire career in-house, I understand the importance of building trusted relationships across the organisation and earning my seat at the ELT table. That role requires more than legal expertise; it demands commercial fluency and the confidence to contribute to high-level business discussions. Completing a mini-MBA for in-house lawyers at King’s College London strengthened my ability to engage with financial performance, growth strategy and operational risk, ensuring my advice aligns with broader business objectives.

Being strategic means moving from reactive problem solving to proactive partnership and aligning legal advice with business goals to drive value. We must balance protecting the organisation with enabling progress, offering clear, practical solutions rather than simply identifying risk. The ability to translate complex legal issues into concise, actionable guidance for different audiences is critical.

Agility and emotional intelligence are equally important. In fast-paced environments, such as Swissport, we must pivot between operational issues and long-term strategy, while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships. Finally, integrity is non-negotiable. Our aim is to protect the organisation’s reputation and must provide principled advice, even under pressure. Combined with a willingness to embrace technology and innovation, these attributes position in-house counsel as true strategic partners to the business.