Team size: 4

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

A modern in-house legal counsel, in addition to possessing the technical legal competency (baseline), should also possess the required business acumen. In-house counsel is part of the business leadership team and should understand the company’s strategy, financial drivers and market dynamics and be able to use legal advice to drive and enhance these. The role holder needs to be a strategic thinker and participate in the long-term planning of the business. A keen awareness of the macro-environment of the business and an ability to anticipate legal and regulatory issues will place the individual in good stead to be an impactful counsel.

In-house counsel must also exercise judgment and pragmatism. A key requirement for in-house counsel to transition from a technical legal expert to a business partner is the ability to assess risk proportionately and evaluate legal advice and options in terms of commercial impact and trade-offs.

Effective communication is essential. Clarity of communication and advice is key for the modern in-house counsel. The ability to provide concise and decisive advice and tailor communication to different stakeholders is key. In-house counsel must also speak the language of executives, product teams, and finance.

In-house counsel should also see themselves as the moral compass of an organisation and uphold legal and ethical standards, even under pressure. The ability to maintain independence while remaining aligned with leadership should enable counsel to deliver this non-negotiable standard.

Given Ghana’s continued push for sustainability, what measures has your company taken to incorporate sustainability practices into its core business operations? How can general counsel contribute to driving such initiatives within the organisation?

TGL’s sustainability approach is built around three themes: people, climate and nature.

People: We consider the needs of people impacted by our business, including our workforce, communities in our host countries and our supply chain. We focus on creating an inclusive culture and local workforce, promoting health, safety, and wellbeing. We assure the integrity of our assets and maintain process safety. We respect human rights both in our Company and across our extended supply chain. We also manage our impacts on people and build trusting and respectful relationships through engagement and proactive collaboration. And finally, we contribute to socio-economic development through investment in skills, entrepreneurship, and supplier capabilities.

Climate: We minimise routine flaring in our operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We advance incremental operational efficiencies to minimise energy consumption and adopt clean energy solutions where possible. We invest in nature-based solutions to offset hard-to-abate residual emissions.

Nature: We mitigate our environmental impacts through effective management systems. We minimise impact from overuse of materials, waste, and pollution. We also implement practices to support biodiversity and protect ocean health through proactive monitoring activities.