How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic has demonstrated how open and ready people are for changes. At CIP, we carried out our activities without being largely affected. We went through a digital transformation before the pandemic, which has assisted us in the successful transition to remote work. Covid-19 has stressed the importance of teamwork and collaboration — while working from home creates a certain degree of flexibility, being physically present in the workplace is essential, especially to make team members feel they are relevant in the company’s processes.

What will be the main focus for the company in the next 12 months and how do you intend to assist with this?

CIP announced on the first day of COP26 an ambitious roadmap for increasing and accelerating its role in delivering the energy transition by deploying €100bn into green energy investments by 2030. The company’s legal team plays a significant role in achieving this ambitious goal. Denmark has been at the forefront of the green transformation of energy production and is a leading nation in offshore wind. CIP has had an instrumental role in conceptualising the world’s first energy island in Denmark.

ESG is very high on our agenda. We are a signatory of the UN PRI. As a market leader, CIP will continue to proactively address ESG issues and increase transparency on sustainability risks and impacts, focusing on the EU taxonomy, which requires all investments to be environmentally sustainable.

Recruitment and retention are key focus are at CIP. We empower people to innovate and invest for a better and greener future. We aim to attract more people who want to benefit from being exposed to such a dynamic working environment, developing skills, and impacting people’s lives around the world.

I intend to assist in achieving these goals by being present and making the most of my legal expertise to provide first-class and pragmatic advice.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of an in-house legal role compared to a private practice one?

One of the main pros is being a generalist and working on various tasks. I enjoy the proximity to the business and the possibility of taking an active role in the decision-making process. The only con I can find is that sometimes I miss the professional legal community in the private practice and being surrounded by legal peers.