Team size: 4

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

I led legal negotiations with new investors Sanofi and Invus and our existing syndicate of financial investors, pharma companies and individual shareholders for an €82m Series D financing round. The fundraising process was executed in just over a month: following inbound interest from the lead investor, Agomab selectively reached out to other investors, and we immediately started drafting the transaction documents. We also coordinated all board, shareholder and ESOP approvals in-house. This reduced external legal costs, sped up execution, and resulted in a strong outcome for the company. Following the raise, we implemented enhanced corporate governance, including new guidelines, charters, a code of conduct, and a whistleblower hotline.

I have also been involved in a cross-functional AI governance project. We introduced a high-level charter on the ethical use of AI, tailored for the life sciences industry, as well as practical guidelines for company use of AI. Rather than relying solely on policies, we also set up an AI governance committee with input from all relevant functions (IT, R&D, IP, legal) to evaluate AI use cases and keep pace with the evolving AI landscape.

Legal tech has been another key focus. I set up a joint legal and procurement intake form to streamline our contracting process. Following a vendor selection process and multiple reference calls, we engaged an external IT consultant to further optimise and automate our intake form, contract repository and contract renewals.

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

One experience that stands out is the IPO of my previous company. At the time, we were among the first Belgian biotech companies to attempt a Nasdaq listing, so it was a highly ambitious project with little precedent. We were learning on the fly, juggling multiple prospectuses and regulators. We were dealing with the SEC (US), FSMA (BE) and AFM (NL), since the company was already listed on Euronext Brussels and Amsterdam.

We had planned for the IPO to be launched only if the data from clinical trials with our most-advanced drug candidate would be positive. These results were scheduled to come in just a few weeks ahead of the planned IPO slot, and the entire company was waiting with bated breath. Fortunately, success on the clinical side culminated in a successful listing. I still have the picture from the bell ringing ceremony on Times Square in my office, and it always reminds me of what an intense, collaborative and rewarding experience this was.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive work environment?

As the first lawyer to join Agomab, I had a unique opportunity to make sure that diversity and inclusion are built into our department from the very beginning. I strongly believe in making our roles as female or diverse GCs visible, especially to groups who may otherwise not realise what career paths are possible. To this end, I started offering internship opportunities to law and paralegal students – even as a solo legal counsel.

I have championed flexible working arrangements, including remote work options. Apart from the obvious benefits for young parents, I believe this has a broader inclusionary effect since this flexibility can make a real difference for people with disabilities and caregivers, etc.

Finally, we are sponsors of the TopX network for women in Life Sciences and offer our lawyers the chance to attend their events and connect with female leaders in the field. I was honoured to be nominated for their 2022 Females to Follow awards.