Team size: 3

As General Counsel, Valentina Fernanda Gómez Ortiz led the legal strategy of Porsche Holding in Chile with a 360-degree vision, covering distribution, retail, financial services, and insurance. She transformed the legal department into a key driver of innovation, customer care, and risk management during one of the most challenging periods for the automotive sector globally. Her leadership combined expertise in consumer law, data protection, and antitrust with a sharp business mindset that positioned legal as a true strategic partner.

What were the most significant cases, projects or transactions that you and your legal team were involved in over the past year?

Last year, we focused on navigating a landscape shaped by stronger consumer regulations, complex litigation, and growing regulatory demands. Our team worked to strengthen compliance frameworks while ensuring that customer care remained at the heart of every decision. We managed significant consumer-related cases with an approach that combined prevention, efficient resolution, and improvements in internal processes to avoid recurring issues.

Data protection was another major priority. We developed and implemented policies to ensure consistent compliance across Porsche Chile and its related companies, aligning with both local legislation and Porsche’s global standards. This reinforced our operational integrity and strengthened the trust of our clients and partners.

We also played a key role in supporting new business initiatives involving emerging technologies, such as digital services, vehicle connectivity, and innovative mobility solutions. These projects required us to design legal frameworks from the ground up, balancing innovation, risk management, and contractual clarity.

In addition, we addressed antitrust and competition matters, ensuring that our agreements with dealers, business partners, and other industry stakeholders were fully aligned with Chilean law and international best practices. This combination of consumer law, data protection, new technologies, and antitrust work defined our legal strategy throughout the year.

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

During times of pressure, my priority was to provide clarity and structure so the business could act with speed and confidence. Last year, with increased public attention on consumer rights and after-sale services, it was critical to deliver practical guidance that was both timely and compliant with regulations.

We developed escalation protocols, trained teams to anticipate legal risks, and ensured that communications across departments remained consistent and transparent. Legal acted as the link that brought alignment and trust, making sure that every decision reflected compliance as well as Porsche’s values. I believe resilience comes from combining strong legal foundations with the ability to adapt quickly to change.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

One of the most unique aspects of my role was leading legal matters for the importer, the retail network, the financial services company, and the insurance brokerage at the same time. Each area had very different regulatory requirements, so I learned to shift seamlessly between disciplines while keeping a unified legal strategy.

This experience gave me a complete view of how legal decisions impact every part of the business. It also shaped my leadership style; strategic, proactive, and always focused on anticipating challenges before they arise.

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?

Over the past year, I have seen a clear shift toward stricter consumer protection standards, deeper regulatory oversight, and faster digital transformation. In the automotive sector, this is amplified by the arrival of connected vehicles, subscription-based services, and digital platforms, all of which bring new challenges around data privacy, cybersecurity, and competition.

Another important trend is the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across industries. While AI brings enormous opportunities for efficiency and innovation, it also raises complex questions of accountability, data use, and transparency. Legal teams will need to follow closely how different jurisdictions regulate AI and adapt compliance frameworks to manage these risks effectively.

Sustainability and ESG also continue to gain importance, shaping both regulatory requirements and customer expectations. I believe in-house lawyers must anticipate how these areas intersect with contracts, risk management, and brand reputation.