About

Unilever’s presence across Central America and the Caribbean covers Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago. Jorge De Los Ríos, general counsel for Unilever across the Middle Americas and Andean region, heads a 16-strong team with a presence in nine countries. Recognised in The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist Colombia for his work across the Andean region, he has again been the subject of multiple nominations for his work in Central America. Unilever has won a number of awards for its occupational health and safety initiatives in the region, and nominators praised De Los Ríos’ role in helping to sustain a strong ethical culture in a number of challenging markets. He has also helped the company to negotiate distribution agreements, helping keep well-loved Unilever brands on the shelves throughout the region. On his approach to running a legal team, De Los Ríos says: ‘I demand to have a team that assumes a more strategic and “close to the business” approach. The counsel are also accountable for the business results and therefore need to understand the business needs and goals’.