What are the most significant cases, projects, or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

Over the past year, my team and I have led several high‑impact initiatives across more than fifteen jurisdictions in Central America and the Caribbean. Our work has included the management of complex regulatory matters involving tobacco product compliance, the implementation of new commercial models, and the negotiation of strategic contracts supporting PMI’s transformation. We have also handled multi‑jurisdictional regulatory reviews concerning tobacco control legislation, consumer protection, labeling rules, importation requirements, and tax reforms, ensuring full alignment with local authorities while enabling business continuity.

Most of our transactions and regulatory assessments involve cross‑border negotiations, risk‑mitigation strategies, and commercial restructurings critical to the company’s regional operations. A significant portion of our work has also focused on strengthening evidence gathering and legal defensibility for enforcement actions, debt recovery strategies, and market compliance. This required close coordination with commercial, finance, and external affairs teams to ensure the company’s interests were fully protected in rapidly changing regulatory environments.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

My approach is grounded in three principles: anticipation, clarity, and discipline. First, I monitor regulatory and political developments in all markets to anticipate risks before they materialise. Second, in moments of instability, I prioritise clear, actionable guidance that enables the business to act quickly while staying fully compliant. Finally, I implement disciplined processes, documentation, scenario planning, and structured decision-making, that provide stability when external conditions are unpredictable.

Cross‑functional alignment is essential: during crises, I engage closely with commercial, finance, EA, and operations teams to ensure that legal guidance is integrated into both strategic planning and day‑to‑day decisions. This builds resilience and reduces exposure, even in highly volatile jurisdictions.

What does being strategic mean to you as an in‑house counsel?

Being strategic means understanding the business deeply, its pressures, its ambitions, and its operational realities, and shaping legal advice that not only protects the company but enables it to grow responsibly. It also means prioritising what truly matters, anticipating long‑term implications, and designing legal frameworks that support sustainable transformation across multiple markets.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in‑house counsel to possess?

Adaptability, business acumen, and the ability to communicate with clarity. Today’s in‑house counsel must navigate regulatory complexity while also guiding commercial teams, managing crises, and enabling innovation. A modern in‑house lawyer must balance legal rigor with pragmatism, strong ethics, and a collaborative mindset that supports cross‑functional teams.

We are currently living through a time of geopolitical change, and the world order that we have come to take for granted for many years is being rewritten. Does this affect your company’s risk profile and, if so, what are you doing to mitigate this?

Geopolitical shifts do affect our company’s risk profile, particularly as we work to advance a smoke‑free future in highly regulated and diverse markets. Changes in public‑health policy, taxation, and political stability can influence the pace at which smoke‑free products are introduced or expanded.

To mitigate these risks, we proactively monitor regulatory and legislative developments across the region and anticipate how they may impact commercialisation or compliance. This allows us to plan alternative pathways, strengthen contractual protections, and maintain portfolio flexibility.

We also prioritise transparent engagement with regulators and stakeholders to ensure that evolving frameworks recognise science‑based harm‑reduction principles. Internally, strong governance, scenario planning, and cross‑functional coordination help safeguard resilience and ensure we continue providing adult smokers with better, scientifically validated alternatives, even in uncertain environments.