About

Susana Vásquez has 15 years of experience in international trade negotiations, inter-institutional coordination for the development and enforcement of public policies, and legislation related to international trade and the pharmaceutical market. Since March 2012 she has been serving as the corporate legal affairs director for Stein Corp, a pharmaceutical company with presence in Central America and the Andean region. Vásquez has been responsible for setting up the company’s legal structure for subsidiaries in Central America, Dominican Republic and Colombia, allowing her to have closer interactions with employees and a better understanding of the functioning of each local office. ‘These legal structures were established as a result of the business growth in these countries and required an in-depth knowledge of the market behaviour and legal framework including tax and labour regimes in each country’, says Vásquez. Throughout the process she was in charge of designing and developing ABAC and corporate compliance policies, something that allowed her to have a better understanding of the pharmaceutical industry. ‘Also, it has also allowed me to develop more critical thinking, considering not only legal aspects but also commercial aspects, allowing me to provide more pragmatic, effective and enabling legal counsel for the company’. Over the years Vásquez has been central to the restructuring of the legal department, creating new positions, distributing more effective internal responsibilities, and outsourcing legal services for specific areas in each country where the business operates. In terms of standout deals, Vásquez led the due diligence process and negotiation of distribution and promotion contracts for a strategic alliance with one of the top five multinational pharmaceutical companies in the world, for Central America, Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Prior to this, she gained her specialisation in intellectual property and government procedure while she worked for The Ministry of Foreign Trade, joining as the coordinator for the intellectual property and government procurement unit in 2000 and working her way up the executive ladder in a range of roles, eventually taking up the position as the North America coordinator in 2011.