About

‘As in-house lawyers are often labelled as “handbreaks or naysayers”, it is critical that I have the trust and confidence of my colleagues so that they aren’t afraid to seek me out for advice’. Caroline Beaumont is the first female director in the 120-year history of the global brand’s New Zealand operations. ‘The culture of Coca-Cola Amatil is driven but fantastic fun’, she says. ‘It can be manic, but everyone is rowing in the same direction, our oars are in rhythm and we invariably have our nose in front. That’s very satisfying – even at the end of a 12-hour day’. Since Beaumont became GC eight years ago, the function has moved from outsourcing most of its work, to keeping almost all of it in house. ‘Given the agile and fast-paced business we are, in-sourcing ensures maximum efficiency, fosters closer relationships with my clients, and critically grows the valuable business knowledge and IP’, Beaumont says. ‘I take a generalist approach and operate as a one-stop shop.  If I don’t know something, I’m not afraid to do the research and then apply the findings with a dose of common sense to the predicament’. She has also harnessed IT solutions such as contract automation and online legal and compliance training to maximise efficiency. Striking the balance between acting as a ‘business partner’ and safeguarding things from a legal and compliance perspective is an ongoing tension in her role, she says. ‘I can sum it up succinctly: my job is to tell people what they need to know, not what they want to hear. It’s a constant challenge and is the watermark through everything I do’. Though she uses outside counsel sparingly, Beaumont’s repertoire of ‘go-to advisors’, have given her a very positive view of the country’s firms. ‘We have some stellar talent in New Zealand’s legal community’, she says. ‘However, cost remains the main deterrent for me. I don’t have a budget to spend with externals, so it really doesn’t matter how stacked they are with talent, there is a cost barrier that invariably I can’t hurdle’.