Olatowun Candide-Johnson is praised highly by colleagues and external counsel for her ability to balance an exceptionally broad remit of responsibility. In addition to legal and compliance, her role covers anything from human resources to state securities.

She is particularly praised for her work on establishing the anti-bribery compliance program for Total’s Nigerian Upstream business. Throughout her long tenure at the petroleum giant, Candide-Johnson has seen through the 2001 merger between Total Nigeria and Elf Oil, creating its current-day entity, and worked in the new business division of its Paris HQ from 2008 to 2011.

‘The most fundamental changes occurred really early on’, she says on the evolution of the West African legal function. ‘Traditionally we were only called in when there was trouble or to review standard contract clauses. I went to the MD in around 2003 and I said “It’s impossible to work this way – lawyers have to be involved in the business and transactions from the beginning or we can’t advise properly’’ ’. The key to achieving this in practice, she feels, was the team’s commercial acumen, and its capacity to work with, rather than against, the business in transactions.