Career Biography

Valeria Arango is global counsel, global commercial operations at Energizer Holdings, Inc., where she leads legal strategy for commercial and sales operations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. With more than 15 years of international legal experience, she advises multinational organisations on complex commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, risk management and business growth initiatives across diverse markets.

Prior to joining Energizer, Valeria served as head of legal for Latin America at Jeeves, a Y Combinator-backed fintech company, where she led legal and regulatory matters across five jurisdictions and played a key role in supporting the company’s rapid regional expansion.

Before Jeeves, Valeria held several leadership positions at Unilever, including General Counsel and Board Member for Unilever Colombia. In these roles, she advised on strategic M&A transactions, digital transformation initiatives, data governance and the expansion of e-commerce and commercial operations. Her work consistently aligned legal strategy with business objectives, enabling innovation while managing risk.

Valeria began her career in leading law firms in Colombia and Brazil, including Posse Herrera Ruiz and Veirano Advogados, where she advised multinational clients on high-value transactions and cross-border matters. She is recognised for combining business acumen with practical legal solutions, helping businesses navigate complex regulatory and operational challenges.

What are the key projects you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

My team and I support global commercial strategy and antitrust matters across a highly distributed operating footprint. We advise on complex cross-border initiatives, strategic distribution arrangements in emerging markets, and competition law frameworks across multiple regions, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific. This enables the business to pursue growth opportunities while maintaining compliance across different regulatory environments.

We have played a key role in our global digital economy and post-acquisition commercial strategies, and we have supported cultural transformation initiatives in Colombia. This has helped foster a more agile, collaborative and commercially focused organisation, while strengthening the role of legal as a strategic partner. We have also implemented commercial structures following acquisitions in Europe and supported regulatory, corporate and distribution frameworks in high-growth markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam. This has enabled smooth integration and compliant, scalable market entry. In parallel, we have improved efficiency by standardising contracting processes and working more closely with commercial teams. This has increased speed-to-market, improved consistency in risk management and reduced external legal spend.

Can you describe an instance where your legal advice directly influenced business strategy or commercial objectives?

My team and I have partnered closely with commercial teams on strategic business opportunities, providing legal guidance to structure competitive and compliant proposals to customers. This has directly supported the securing of incremental net sales and strengthened our position in key markets. Our legal advice has also influenced decisions on strategic expansion into fast-growing and highly regulated markets by structuring compliant entry models, enabling the business to capture new opportunities while managing risk and supporting organic growth. In addition, we have led negotiation strategies to resolve third-party matters, delivering cost savings and directly improving the company’s gross margin.

How has the role of general counsel evolved, and what are the most important attributes for the modern in-house lawyer?

The role of general counsel has evolved from a primarily advisory function into a strategic leadership role embedded in business decision-making. Today’s in-house lawyer is expected not only to manage risk, but also to enable growth, support commercial strategy and drive organisational transformation. This evolution requires a broader skillset. Strong business and financial acumen are essential, ensuring legal advice is grounded in commercial realities and aligned with strategic priorities. Agility and pragmatism are equally critical in navigating increasingly complex and fast-changing regulatory environments across multiple jurisdictions. Influence and collaboration are also key. Modern in-house counsel must operate cross-functionally, build trust and guide decision-making in a way that balances risk with opportunity.

How do you manage situations where legal advice and commercial objectives conflict?

Managing tension between legal considerations and commercial objectives is a core aspect of the in-house role. My approach is to focus on transparency, partnership and problem-solving. I start by clearly articulating the legal risks, their potential impact and the implications for the business. This ensures that stakeholders are equipped to make informed decisions within an understood risk framework. When possible, I avoid framing issues as binary constraints and instead focus on identifying viable paths forward. This approach builds trust and reinforces the role of legal as an enabler of business outcomes. It allows the organisation to move forward confidently, balancing results with appropriate risk management.