Colombia 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal director and general counsel | Ocensa - Oleoducto Central
Legal lead Colombia – Contracting counsel senior manager | Accenture
Head of legal, compliance, corporate social responsibility, and government relations | Mazda Colombia
Legal director Colombia and Costa Rica | Rappi
Senior legal director Latin America North, Central America and the Caribbean | Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Latinoamérica
Vicepresident of corporate affairs | Organización Carvajal
Co-CEO and vice president of legal and corporate affairs | Sanford Management
Arbitration counsel | Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI)
Legal director and company secretary | CARACOL PRIMERA CADENA RADIAL COLOMBIANA
Deputy general counsel and head of legal Latin America | McKinsey & Company
Head of Law, Patents and Compliance Andean, Caribbean and Central America | Bayer Colombia
Head of Legal Colombia & Ecuador | Hitachi Energy
Head of Legal Colombia & Peru – executive director | Banco J.P. Morgan Colombia
Senior litigation counsel (ACAC-Central America, Andean, Caribbean) | Uber
Legal director Colombia & Venezuela | Pepsico Alimentos Colombia
Vice president of legal affairs and general secretary | Scotiabank Colpatria
Legal Manager for Colombia and LSP (Cluster Chile, Perú and Ecuador) | GlaxoSmithKline
Chief legal officer and general counsel | Avianca
Legal director-private sector | Banco de Desarrollo de America Latina CAF
General counsel beauty and wellbeing– Head of legal Andean region | Unilever
Senior Legal and Compliance Director America, Andean Countries, Chile and Venezuela | Mondelēz International
Legal vice president | Steward Health Care International Colombia
Corporate and legal counsel | Avaya Communication de Colombia
Head of Legal Department Colombia, Perú, LatAm Export Markets, Panamá Operations, Americas HUB | Haleon
Vice President of Hydrocarbon Contracts | Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos
Corporate legal department | National Oilwell Varco de Colombia
Chief Counsel of Private Sector/Non-Sovereign Operations, Legal Affairs | Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)
It is with great enthusiasm that The Legal 500 presents the 2025 edition of the GC Powerlist: Colombia, our annual celebration of the country’s most impressive and influential in-house legal talent.
This year’s list recognises the exceptional contributions of general counsel and senior in-house lawyers who are not only legal experts but also critical drivers of strategic growth, innovation, and resilience within their organisations. In a landscape defined by both opportunity and uncertainty, these professionals continue to rise to the occasion—guiding their companies through regulatory upheaval, digital transformation, ESG commitments, and evolving corporate risks.
The individuals featured in this edition exemplify the dynamic role of modern in-house counsel. They serve as trusted advisers, crisis managers, and business enablers—constantly adapting their approach to meet the growing complexity of doing business in Colombia and beyond. Whether leading compliance reforms, negotiating sophisticated deals, or embedding sustainability into corporate governance, these legal leaders are shaping the future of their sectors.
This year’s Powerlist offers an in-depth look at their work and insights, through exclusive interviews and profiles that highlight both professional achievements and personal philosophies. From oil and energy to tech, finance, and infrastructure, the legal minds showcased here are transforming how legal departments contribute to strategic decision-making and long-term value creation.
A recurring theme in our conversations was the increasing alignment between legal functions and executive leadership. As one GC told us, “Being a legal leader today means more than mastering the law—it means having a seat at the table where key business decisions are made, and ensuring that the legal voice is both proactive and solutions-driven.”
We also heard compelling stories about how legal teams are leading the charge on ESG implementation, risk mitigation, and diversity and inclusion. Across sectors, GCs are embedding ethical considerations into contracts, supply chains, and company culture—demonstrating that legal departments are not only guardians of compliance, but also champions of responsible business.
We are deeply grateful to all the participants who generously shared their perspectives, experiences, and challenges with us. Their voices reflect a profession in motion—evolving to meet the demands of the present while shaping the values of the future.
It is our privilege to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Colombia’s top in-house counsel. We hope this publication inspires legal professionals across the region and beyond, and reaffirms the vital importance of the in-house legal role in building resilient, forward-thinking businesses.
Congratulations to all those featured in the GC Powerlist: Colombia 2025.
Margherita Birri
Research Editor
The Legal 500
The recent news that elite US firm Sullivan & Cromwell had apologised to a judge over AI hallucinations in a court filing prompted a collective wince from the legal profession.
But while some lawyers remain wary of AI, others are striking a more open-minded note, and at the LexisNexis AI Forum hosted this Wednesday (20 May) by Legal 500 and Legal Business, panelists argued that the risks are far outweighed by the opportunities.
Barbara Zapisetskaya, principal technology counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, made the case that hallucinations and other potential pitfalls can be overcome with a shift in mindset.
‘What makes a difference,’ she said, ‘is empowering your lawyers to take responsibility for AI output – helping them become active AI operators, not just passive AI users. You have agency to decide whether you agree with the output or not.’
Zapisetskaya was among a line-up of leading in-house figures speaking on two panels, which covered everything from practical steps for AI implementation to the key decisions GCs need to be making in the coming months.
Financial Times general counsel Dan Guilford began by stressing the importance of building the right culture for AI adoption. In addition to proactively upskilling himself, Guilford talked about how he had implemented a voluntary weekly ‘show and tell’ meeting for team members to share successful use cases – or an exercise that became a gratifying measure of progress.
Other panelists discussed how increased in-house productivity is altering the dynamic with their external counsel.
While some see the use of AI by law firms as a precursor for reduced fees, Russell Davies, head of global operations for legal and compliance at Dentsu, said that faster results – however they are delivered – are something to be valued.
GSK assistant general counsel Anthony Kenny agreed, saying that while there was an expectation that external counsel would be utilising AI, the focus should be on the value of the output, rather than an overemphasis on identifying AI use as a justification to reduce fees.
Speaking on the second panel, MUFG EMEA general counsel James Morgan stressed the critical importance of education, noting that educating the C-suite on the advantages and risks of AI is just as important as enabling large in-house teams to use these tools.
Shanthini Satyendra, vice-chair of the AI Committee, Society for Computers & Law, CEO and founder of Manisain, offered a reminder of the importance of making the connection between tasks and the purpose behind them, extolling the virtues of identifying use cases for AI that can solve a meaningful problem.
Zapisetskaya concurred, adding that one of the most important tasks for GCs across the next six to twelve months is to create AI playbooks and templates, noting that ‘it is easy for lawyers to see problems – much harder for lawyers to see opportunities.’
There was also broad agreement among panellists that GCs should focus on upskilling their junior lawyers on AI, rather than – as some may expect – cutting back their workforce. As Satyendra summarised: ‘Some people are replacing human capital with AI without thinking about what’s required to make AI work. Retain your people and train them up.’
The panels were moderated by Emma Millington, head of the UK Lexis+ Finance Group, and LexisNexis director of segment management Stuart Greenhill.
