About

What are the most important transactions and litigations that you have been involved in during the last two years?

I was responsible for acquiring multiple strategic plots of land for the expansion of the production plants both from private and public entities. It was a lengthy and multi-tiered process that included identifying the owners, negotiation processes and – if the owner was a public entity – taking part in tender procedures. I also oversaw the legal aspects of new large-scale construction projects and liaised with the City Council in order to facilitate the process of permit acquisition. Last but not least, I was responsible for acquiring a public street from the State Treasury (which allowed to unify two parts of the production plant) and the subsequent large-scale road network conversion in the nearby suburb so that the residents would not be negatively affected by the streets’ closure.

What changes have you made to the workings of the legal department during your time in your current role? How has that affected the wider company?

I have made substantial changes both to the personal and functional aspects of the legal department. I made sure that all of the employees in the department are legal professionals with experience in their respective fields. This change in turn made it possible to introduce a more horizontal organisational structure with more independence and trust for the lawyers and less micromanaging on my part. My goal was to introduce a way of work and division of labor that takes into account the strengths and experience of the members of my team. Taking example from my previous experience I also implemented a legal management system. In terms of the effect on the wider company – all of those changes have made the legal department more approachable, more effective and more involved in the day to day workings of the company.

What are the unique challenges, if any, of working in-house for a foreign multinational in Poland?

One of the unique challenges of working in-house for a foreign multinational in Poland is meeting the expectations of e.g. a foreign CEO or department head when it comes to certain legal processes, as the Polish ones may differ vastly from others, and it is the role of the in-house lawyer to explain the differences and manage expectations in the Polish setting. Another more recent challenge in ensuring the welfare of the company in times of very dynamic legislative changes.

What do you do personally to promote diversity and inclusion in your company? In your team?

Everyone in my team is assessed solely on merit – and I make sure that they know that their gender, ethnic background or beliefs do not influence their career path or place in the company. Volkswagen, being a multinational corporation spanning multiple continents, naturally has a policy of inclusivity and diversity internationally, but in my department, I have taken it upon myself to improve female representation in the workplace and close the gender gap, especially through hiring more women and creating an atmosphere of equality and inclusivity.

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or GC what would it be and why?

First of all, find someone you respect and admire in your field and learn from them – let them mentor you. Second of all – never stop learning, whether it be in the field of law or the field of management. Thirdly – find a group of people you want to work with, who you trust and who are top professionals in their fields. Lastly, if you want to be a great general counsel and boss, you have to put your ego aside and not be afraid to work with people who are great at what they do or to help them achieve greatness.

FOCUS ON… GENERATIONS

The challenges and rewards of managing a multigenerational legal team

The generation to which a person belongs has become an increasingly valid distinction, especially in the workplace. Depending on whether someone is Generation X, Y or Z, they will expect different behaviour from their employer and boss, a different approach to the tasks at hand and they will interact differently with their employers and coworkers. Naturally, every person is different and we should never assume or generalise based on which generation they belong to, but to a certain degree these distinctions can be helpful for a team leader in order to be successful in managing his or her team.

As someone whose team consists of members of all the aforementioned generations, I have observed both challenges and benefits of having a multigenerational team, but in my opinion the pros significantly outweigh the cons once you properly identify your team members’ strengths, weaknesses, ambitions and goals. The members of Generation X are usually the ones with most experience, they are hard-working and adaptable, but they are also less likely to be influenced by authority and less inclined to take risks. They put more of a premium on work-life balance in their midlife, much later than their millennial counterparts. Members of Generation Y (or Millennials) are focused on communication, authenticity and gaining more financial independence. They put a premium on leaders with passion, conviction and creativity and are more likely to forgive a lack of knowledge than lack of character. They are also not afraid to change their careers or jobs if the current one is lacking the aforementioned traits. Members of Generation Z are very different from both X and Y. They may lack experience due to their age, but they know what they want and are not afraid to ask for it. They are willing to take risks, do more for less in an attempt to prove themselves. Contrary to the Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers, they were users of technology (as we know it know) their entire life, which makes them sometimes more proficient in this field.

In my experience managing a multigenerational team I have found that such a varied group of people working together is actually more effective if you follow a handful of rules. First of all, talk to each member of your team on a regular basis. Find out what they want, what works for them, what needs to change. Second of all – let your team members collaborate cross-generationally. That way they can learn from one another and appreciate each other’s points of views. The result is a group which uses the experience of Gen-Xers, the passion of Millennials and tenacity of Gen-Zers to attain their goals. In other words – a winning combination.