Vassilis Kyriakou joined Leroy Merlin Greece and Cyprus, the subsidiary of Group Adeo, responsible for the Greek and Cypriot markets in 2009 as general counsel. Following his appointment, he undertook the responsibility of setting up the company’s legal department.

Apart from being responsible for all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters, he has recently been entrusted to oversee other risk-related corporate functions such as internal audit, IT security, quality control and store security. ‘Obviously this will require the adoption of increased managerial skills; I find this new challenge extremely intriguing and at the same time a great career opportunity’, says Kyriakou. Since arriving at the company he has put together a proactive legal culture amongst senior management and line functions as opposed to reactive legal services. He has also introduced KPIs to make sure that solutions are provided quickly, to reinforce the legal department’s reputation as efficient.

He has also initiated legal training to promote self-help across the business and created a space in the corporate intranet to provide a place of reference for frequently asked questions and practical information, and promote communication within the entire employee base. ‘I consider that the above changes have helped to improve the image and status of the legal department within the company as a business partner. Legal advice is now sought in the early stages of every new project without the fear that a project is going to be blocked or delayed’, Kyriakou explains.