Team size: 70

Career Biography

Manfred Schick, General Counsel and Head of the Legal Department and Board Office at ING Germany, has led the legal department for more than two decades. During this time, he has built a team of highly professional and innovative lawyers who share a common philosophy: always stay ahead of the curve. This mindset has enabled the department to evolve from a traditional legal function into a strategic partner driving transformation and resilience across the organization.

In recent years, Manfred has initiated numerous projects that position the legal team at the forefront of digital innovation. In 2025, the department successfully rolled out Copilot work for Microsoft 365 across all legal teams, unlocking AI-powered capabilities for contract analysis, drafting, and research. To ensure responsible and effective use of generative AI, the team developed a Prompt Library that provides standardized and compliant inputs, mitigating risks and enhancing quality.

This approach reflects a strong commitment to transparency in adopting emerging technologies. At the core of this transformation is the creation of an integrated database through a professional SharePoint structure for all legal data. This secure and unified environment is not just a foundation for advanced analytics – it is the real key to unlocking the full potential of generative AI, now and even more in the future. By centralizing and organizing information and extracting metadata, the department gains the ability to harness AI-driven insights, anticipate risks, and deliver proactive advice with unprecedented precision. Importantly, this integrated structure also mitigates the risk of AI hallucinations by ensuring that outputs are grounded in accurate, applicable, and verified data. This structural shift elevates operational efficiency while positioning the team at the forefront of innovation.

A major milestone was the establishment of an AI Forum for the legal department in Germany. This forum serves as a central platform for sharing knowledge, best practices, and discussing AI governance and regulatory developments. It fosters mindset change and collaboration across teams and ensures that AI adoption remains aligned with legal and ethical standards.

Collaboration remains a cornerstone of Manfred’s leadership. The legal team maintains continuous exchange with other in-house legal departments and leading law firms, sharing best practices on AI governance, regulatory developments, and innovation strategies. This network fosters collective learning and helps shape industry standards for responsible AI use in legal services.

Beyond technology, Manfred’s strategic vision ensures that legal considerations are seamlessly integrated into business decisions. His team works closely with all business units to align legal strategies with organizational goals, providing timely and relevant advice that supports growth and resilience.

Looking ahead, Manfred sees AI and digital transformation as defining forces for the legal profession. Yet, the true foundation of success lies in people and effective change management. His vision is to lead this transformation with daring hearts and open minds – fostering resilience, adaptability, and collaboration at every level. By combining strong governance with a human-centered approach, the legal department will not only drive innovation but also empower individuals to embrace change. Under his guidance, the team remains the rock of the organization while boldly staying ahead of the wave.