About

EDF Renewables has been active in the Chilean market since 2014, participating in the development and financing stage of utility-scale solar projects in the country. In 2018, the local EDF operation hired Paulina Cox Vyhmeister as its head of legal in order to safeguard its operations whilst facilitating further growth in the market. Cox has already built a very open internal legal function where all other business areas in the company can turn to for support, creating an environment of interdisciplinary work, which has allowed the company to succeed in major tasks. She counts her biggest achievements at EDF as including the financial closing of a photovoltaic plant near Santiago and the Cabo Leones I wind farm in the Atacama region, as well as the construction finalisation of those projects and a photovoltaic plant in the Antofagasta region. As a result of her demonstrated ability at EDF Renewables and noteworthy previous experiences, Cox was given the added responsibility of being the company’s ethics and compliance officer. She says that this has, ‘allowed me to expand my areas of expertise, and work in this very interesting and growing aspect in Chilean companies’. She adds that, ‘being able to supervise a wide range of tasks in the company has allowed my fellow lawyers abroad to be certain that good work is being done here in Chile’. Cox is also currently undertaking a Master’s degree in energy law from Universidad Mayor as a further demonstration of her commitment to the profession and energy industry. She has worked in the energy sector for six years now, all at foreign multinationals, which has built her experiences in every stage of an energy project which makes her strong legal leader in the industry. Before making her mark in her current career, Cox completed an internship in a boutique law firm in New York on 2011, where she perfected her proficiency in technical English and learned a lot about working amongst other cultures and environments. She began her legal career as a legal counsel for a congressmen in Chile. Commenting on this period, Cox says, ‘my political experience has been very important for me to understand the businesses and political aspects of companies, and has served as an asset to conduct successful and smart relationships with our partners and stakeholders’.