Legal team size: one

What projects are you most proud to have worked on over the past 12 months?

As Tru Earth’s first in-house lawyer, I have delivered measurable results—leading a complex financing, negotiating supplier agreements that secured multi-million-dollar savings, strengthening our IP portfolio, and embedding scalable governance processes that enable informed decision-making across the company. These outcomes have been particularly notable amid an evolving political and regulatory landscape directly affecting the company’s day-to-day decisions. As a member of the Executive Team, I am a fully integrated business partner, advising the CEO and Board on compliance, governance and strategic matters. Beyond legal work, I champion innovation, presenting at our company Town Hall on how AI can be leveraged responsibly to drive efficiency and competitive advantage.

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

I am, at my core, a strategic business leader who happens to be a lawyer, with international experience spanning finance, regulatory compliance, e commerce, sustainable construction, manufacturing and CPG. My career has taken me through some of the most dynamic and challenging business environments.

I began in Vancouver before moving to London, where I worked for Norton Rose and then Allen & Overy in Acquisition and Leveraged Finance, cutting my teeth on my first £GBP1 billion transaction. Later, in San Francisco, I took my first in-house role at a subprime mortgage company, becoming General Counsel within three years. I then joined Wells Fargo in 2007, where I had a front-row seat to the financial crisis. During my time in California, I specialised in securitisations, structured finance and credit derivatives, and I was referenced in Congressional TARP hearings after Wells Fargo bailed out Wachovia Bank.

Returning to Vancouver, I founded a legal consulting practice before joining a fast-growing tech e commerce company, ultimately serving as Chief Legal and People Officer and Corporate Secretary. I launched a subsidiary in India in record time, led a successful CCAA restructuring exit, and spearheaded a transformative company-wide culture relaunch. Since COVID, I have worked as General Counsel with mission-driven companies with strong sustainability commitments, including Tru Earth.

Across all of these roles, I have been a utility player – going wherever risk management is needed, legal or otherwise – managing litigation, transactions, investor relations, executive transitions and crises such as data breaches and even fallout from a high-profile 60 Minutes exposé.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company?

Whether leading a Legal Department or operating solo, my focus is on balancing technical expertise with business strategy to manage risk and enable growth. This includes accelerating revenue opportunities through efficient contract negotiation, protecting the brand by ensuring compliance across markets, and anticipating legal, regulatory and reputational risks so the business can act before challenges escalate.

I embed Legal into strategic initiatives from the outset so that risk management supports, rather than slows, execution. By creating practical frameworks, making smart use of technology, and fostering cross-functional collaboration, Legal helps the business move quickly while remaining protected – optimising resources and delivering measurable results.