Team size: Seven

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?

As legal and regulatory affairs director of Coca-Cola Andina Chile, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in Latin America, I lead a team that helps the business navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment while supporting sustainable growth.

In our highly regulated industry, legal and regulatory matters are closely linked to strategic decisions involving products, packaging, sustainability and commercial initiatives. Our role goes beyond managing legal risk—we partner with the business from the earliest stages of strategic initiatives, helping anticipate regulatory change, identify opportunities and shape informed business decisions.

One of our key priorities in recent years has been strengthening the integration of Legal and Regulatory Affairs into the business. Rather than validating decisions at the end of a process, we work alongside business teams from the outset, integrating legal and regulatory expertise into strategic planning.

This approach has been particularly valuable in supporting strategic initiatives, including extended producer responsibility, packaging regulation, food and beverage policy, competition law and the company’s ongoing implementation of Chile’s new Personal Data Protection Law. By combining legal advice with regulatory intelligence, we have helped the business anticipate change, support faster and better-informed decision-making, and respond effectively to an evolving regulatory environment.

In parallel, we strengthened our competition law compliance programme through practical training, risk assessments, and the integration of compliance into business processes. Together, these initiatives have positioned Legal and Regulatory Affairs as a trusted strategic partner that enables sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

The most significant trend I have observed is the growing convergence between regulation, sustainability and business strategy. Regulatory developments are no longer simply compliance matters; they increasingly shape investment decisions, product development and long-term competitiveness.

Topics such as circular economy, extended producer responsibility and packaging regulation have become board-level priorities. This requires in-house lawyers to broaden their perspective beyond legal analysis and understand the operational, financial and reputational impact of regulatory change.

At the same time, legal teams must evolve from a reactive role to a proactive one. Our greatest value lies in identifying emerging issues early, engaging with stakeholders and helping the business develop practical solutions before new requirements take effect.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the legal profession, and we see it as an opportunity to augment—not replace—the work of legal professionals. At Coca-Cola Andina, our legal team leverages digital solutions such as Webdox for contract lifecycle management, Microsoft Power Apps to automate legal workflows and Microsoft Copilot to enhance productivity, knowledge management and everyday legal operations. We adopted Copilot within a secure corporate environment, ensuring that innovation is supported by robust standards of confidentiality, information security and data governance.

I believe the role of the general counsel is evolving from legal advisers to strategic business partners. Today’s legal leaders are expected not only to manage risk, but also to support innovation, influence decision-making, and help organisations navigate an increasingly complex business environment.