What are the most significant cases, projects or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

Over the past year, our legal team has been closely involved in several initiatives that have been important to the bank’s growth and institutional development. Among the most significant have been supporting a capital increase process, advising on changes in senior management, strengthening our corporate governance framework, negotiating key technology and commercial agreements, and working alongside the regulator on various corporate and compliance matters.

One of the aspects I enjoy most about my role is working at the intersection of law, corporate governance and business strategy. That is where I believe an in-house lawyer can make the greatest impact.

My role has been to ensure that these projects move forward with legal certainty while keeping the bank’s commercial objectives firmly in mind. I have always believed that the legal department should help make things happen – not simply identify risks, but find practical solutions that enable the business to move forward while protecting the institution.

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

When uncertainty arises, people naturally look for clarity. That is the role I try to play. I stay close to management, understand what the business needs, identify legal risks at an early stage and offer practical alternatives rather than purely theoretical opinions.

In my experience, resilience is built long before a crisis occurs. Strong corporate governance, clear internal processes and open communication between Legal, Compliance, Risk and the wider business make it possible to respond quickly when circumstances change. During challenging periods, my objective is to help management make informed decisions, balancing legal protection with the need to keep the business moving forward.

General Counsel often speak of the need to be strategic to reach the pinnacle of the profession. What does being strategic mean to you?

For me, being strategic means understanding that every legal decision has a business impact. The legal department should not be the final step before a contract is signed or a transaction approved. It should be involved from the outset, helping to shape decisions and create value throughout the process.

The better you understand the business, the better the legal advice you can provide. I also believe that good corporate governance is not about adding bureaucracy; it is about establishing clear frameworks that enable better and faster decision-making.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Technical legal knowledge will always be essential, but today it is only one part of the role. A modern in-house lawyer also needs sound commercial judgement, adaptability, strong communication skills and the ability to earn the trust of colleagues across the organisation.

For me, credibility is one of the most valuable qualities an in-house counsel can possess. When people trust the legal team, they involve us earlier in projects, which generally leads to better decisions and fewer problems further down the line.

What do you think is the greatest innovation you have enacted in the past year?

One of the areas where I have focused most of my efforts has been strengthening corporate governance processes and making them more practical and efficient. We have worked on improving documentation, standardising legal processes and providing management with clearer legal frameworks to support decision-making.

I do not believe innovation always means introducing something entirely new. Sometimes, the greatest impact comes from improving how an organisation operates on a day-to-day basis. Small but consistent improvements in governance and legal processes can create significant long-term value for both the business and its stakeholders.