Could you give us an idea of the type of work your team has done recently?

In these last two years in which I have been in charge of the vice-presidency, we have been able to advise and conclude different projects and strategies focused on the generation of value. We have started structuring a large portfolio of legal and real estate services to internal clients to have a company-wide impact on commercial, operational, real estate, legal representation, governance and social responsibility.

All the above has been structured based on trust, the improvement of the work environment in the area, and the elimination of hierarchical structures that prevented all team members from feeling that they were a fundamental part of the achievements. Empathetic and compassionate leadership has been key to the successes achieved during this period.

In 2021 we managed to successfully close the largest conciliation in the history of Colombia, which involved relevant companies in the oil and gas sector for disputes associated with the Bicentenario and Caño Limón Coveñas Pipelines Transportation contracts.

In terms of governance, we led two major strategies that are the structural basis of the company — the corporate governance model and the sustainability strategy. In 2020 we lead the design and implementation of the Cenit corporate governance model, which is considered as a fundamental axis to strengthen governance and decision-making mechanisms in the organisation, as well as to strengthen corporate coherence by ensuring socially responsible business behavior towards stakeholders.

In 2021 we led the design and implementation of the sustainability strategy, with the objective of leading the business model in the path of sustainability and energy transition, addressing the challenges of the hydrocarbons sector and the expectations of stakeholders in ESG.The same year, we were also part of one of the most relevant projects for the company, regarding the integral and definitive adoption of the new operating model, with the adoption of Cenit on the local operation of its infrastructure and port operation, in order to respond with a focus on efficiency, value generation, profitability and sustainability, facilitating the contribution of all the actors in the oil and gas sector.

If you had to give one piece of advice to an aspiring in-house counsel or general counsel, what would it be and why?

To be aware that legal management must be tailored to the objectives of the company and that excellence is found in the understanding of the operation and in the spirit of collaboration.

They must never stop thinking that as lawyers we have a great commitment with those we advise; the fact of being a company lawyer does not imply to stop thinking that we owe our internal clients; we must earn their trust with honest and collaborative work, thinking in a multidisciplinary way.