Legal team size: Eight

Major legal advisers/external counsel: IMMMA Advocates, Dentons EALC East African Law Chambers and Lawhill

Country you’re based in: Tanzania

Spotlight on: Driving strategic impact through legal partnership and compliance

During my legal career, I have encountered several unique and interesting experiences that have significantly shaped my professional development. Guided by core leadership values, namely, being of service and making a positive impact, one particularly notable experience was the successful resolution of litigation matters and proactive management of customer disputes which had significant exposure to the company at zero cost. This positive impact was a testament to the meticulous preparation, strategic thinking, strong motivation and effective teamwork within the legal department.

By effectively communicating our company strategy and purpose, and the goals of the legal team, I have fostered the creation of professional relationships and enhanced collaboration, bringing the legal department closer to our business colleagues and ensuring alignment with business objectives. This has simplified the provision of legal support in the execution of strategic projects through thorough contract reviews, gathering essential facts and data, responding to stakeholders’ queries, and providing expert legal advice. Coordinating and facilitating numerous meetings with key stakeholders to gain a better understanding of our business needs has further strengthened relationships with business colleagues, to the extent that we are now considered strategic business partners. This approach enabled us to achieve favorable results and demonstrated our commitment to maintaining positive customer and other internal stakeholder relationships which are key drivers to our company’s growth.

Additionally, I have focused on training and awareness programs to bridge the gap between the legal department and business units. Our efforts in privacy and data protection have also brought us closer to our business colleagues. Particularly, the Personal Data Protection Act Training and Awareness specifically for our internal staff, Call Center and Retail Agents, has been instrumental in enhancing our team’s understanding of personal data protection. This included various initiatives such as reminder communications, intensive training sessions, workshops, and assessments to ensure that all staff and agents are well-equipped to handle customer data securely and respond to data subject requests appropriately. These efforts have significantly contributed to aligning the legal department’s objectives with business needs and fostering a culture of compliance and awareness across the organisation. Also, these achievements reflect our commitment to upholding the highest standards of privacy and data protection, which are critical to building trust with our customers and business partners.

In summary, my legal career has been marked by unique and interesting experiences that have strengthened the importance of strategic thinking, effective communication, and collaboration. By providing proactive legal support, conducting training and awareness programs, I have successfully brought the legal department closer to our business colleagues, fostering a culture of mutual understanding and cooperation and create a positive impact to our company’s business.