Career Biography

Andrea Convalia Zelada is a highly accomplished corporate attorney and business strategist with over 15 years of in-house legal and governance experience across highly complex, regulated international markets. Currently serving as the Head of Legal, Compliance Officer & Sustainability at Roche Chile, Andrea is a transformational leader who has successfully evolved the legal function from a traditional “guardian of the law” into an agile, proactive, and value-generating business partner deeply aligned with Roche’s overarching mission.

Recognising that modern corporate legal practices must innovate alongside commercial strategy, Andrea served as Global Product Owner (2023–2025) for Roche’s flagship LCAR (Legal Contract Automation and Repository) initiative. In this capacity, she spearheaded the global rollout of the organisation’s first end-to-end contract lifecycle automation system, driving worldwide operational efficiency and empowering her team to focus on high-value, strategic advisory work.

Beyond operational excellence, Andrea is a key catalyst for organisational culture, corporate integrity, and ESG leadership. She led the publication of Roche Chile’s inaugural Sustainability Report under Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards and actively promotes ethical decision-making through innovative cultural initiatives such as the “Integrity Cup”. She has adeptly navigated complex enterprise-wide transformations, including the STEP and TransformD initiatives, whilst embedding executive leadership frameworks such as VACC and Kinesis Leadership Circle Profile. She consistently empowers her team to leverage their “License to Operate,” demonstrating that robust compliance and ethical governance serve as primary drivers for sustainable commercial growth.

Prior to her role at Roche, Andrea served as General Counsel, Ethics Correspondent, and Data Privacy Officer (DPO) for Chile and Peru at L’Oréal. Previously, she manages corporate legal operations at Cencosud S.A. across five Latin American jurisdictions (Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia), managing high-level regulatory compliance with major supervisory authorities, including the CMF and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Andrea holds a Law degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and completed the ESG Latam Sustainability Executive Programme at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). A recognised thought leader and active speaker in regional legal panels and podcasts, her strategic impact has been consistently validated by the market, having been selected for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Chile in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.