Team size: 20

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

Successfully navigating crisis situations is essential in the mining industry, where operations are deeply intertwined with socio-environmental and regulatory matters. My approach is based, first and foremost, on proactive risk management. This is achieved by early intervention and cross-functional collaboration. I like working closely with operational, environmental, social, and external affairs teams to identify and address emerging legal risks. During periods of instability or crisis, our legal function is embedded in the response process from the outset. For this, understanding the business is key, as it allows us to act swiftly and strategically. In crisis scenarios, our priorities are clear: ensure safety and legal compliance; enable operations to continue responsibly; and, prevent or resolve disputes efficiently. Ultimately, legal’s role is instrumental in helping the organisation to emerge stronger from crisis situations. By integrating a sound legal strategy into crisis response and long-term planning, we can contribute directly to the company’s resilience and sustainability.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?

I am deeply passionate about sustainability and environmental stewardship, particularly in the mining sector. As legal professionals, we have a unique opportunity to help companies operate responsibly; not just by managing risk, but by supporting business decisions in alignment with long-term environmental and social commitments. At Teck, our work is about more than producing essential resources: it is about doing so in a way that respects the people, communities, and territories we are connected to. Legal plays a key role in this. This cause resonates with me both professionally and personally. I believe our legacy as legal leaders should be measured by the value we help create, for ecosystems, communities, and future generations.

Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next 5–10 years that companies should prepare for?

Two trends will define the legal landscape in my view: the escalation in environmental regulation and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). It is clear that the environmental legal framework is evolving rapidly in Chile and the world –increasing its standards – in response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. In this context, legal teams must be able to anticipate stricter regulations, expanded disclosure obligations, and greater scrutiny from regulators/authorities and the public in general. In parallel, artificial intelligence is transforming our way of life; including legal operations. While AI enhances efficiency and decision-making processes, it also introduces significant risks, particularly around data privacy, bias, and ethics.

As AI capabilities grow stronger over the next 5–10 years, these risks are likely to intensify, requiring more robust legal oversight and regulatory frameworks. Legal teams, along with relevant corporate functions, must be prepared to manage AI responsibly. In closing, both identified trends are likely to demand a more agile, interdisciplinary, and forward-thinking legal function.