How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure organisational resilience?

As Director of Legal Affairs at Hermes Airports Ltd, I view the legal function during periods of instability or crisis as an enabler of organisational resilience rather than simply a control function. As operators of critical infrastructure, airports face a wide range of potential disruptions, from geopolitical developments and cyber incidents to public health emergencies and operational challenges. In such situations, legal support must be practical, timely, and closely aligned with business needs.

My approach starts with preparedness. I work closely with management and operational teams to ensure that key contractual, regulatory, governance, insurance, and crisis-management frameworks are in place before a crisis occurs. This includes identifying legal risks, strengthening contractual protections, and supporting business continuity planning.

During a crisis, my role is to provide clear and commercially focused legal advice that supports decision-making whilst balancing risk. I prioritise matters affecting safety, regulatory compliance, operational continuity, financial exposure, and reputation. Rather than focusing solely on legal theory, I seek solutions that enable the business to continue operating effectively whilst meeting its legal obligations.

Alignment with the broader business strategy is essential. For an airport operator, resilience means maintaining safe and uninterrupted operations, protecting stakeholder confidence, complying with regulatory requirements, and preserving long-term value. My legal strategy is therefore closely linked to these objectives and supports operational priorities, strategic projects, commercial relationships, and future growth.

Effective stakeholder management is equally important. During periods of uncertainty, I maintain close engagement with government authorities, stakeholders, and external counsel to facilitate timely solutions and minimise legal and operational risks.

Ultimately, I measure the success of the legal function not only by the management of legal risk, but by how effectively it helps the organisation remain operational, compliant, and trusted by its stakeholders. My objective is to ensure that legal strategy contributes directly to organisational resilience and supports Hermes Airports in navigating uncertainty whilst achieving its strategic goals.

What is the most overlooked skill or mindset that today’s in-house lawyers need to succeed at the highest level?

In my view, the most overlooked mindset is commercial awareness: the ability to understand the business, its priorities and challenges, and to translate legal expertise into practical advice that supports decision-making and helps achieve organisational objectives.

Legal expertise remains fundamental, but at the highest level, the most effective in-house lawyers are those who see themselves not only as legal advisers, but also as business partners. They appreciate the commercial, operational and strategic context in which decisions are made and provide guidance that is both legally sound and commercially viable.

For senior legal leaders, particularly in complex and regulated industries such as aviation, this requires a deep understanding of operational realities, financial drivers, stakeholder expectations and long-term strategic priorities. Legal advice creates the greatest value when it is practical, commercially informed and aligned with the organisation’s objectives.

Developing this commercial perspective also means moving beyond a purely risk-avoidance approach. The most effective in-house lawyers are not defined by their ability to identify obstacles, but by their ability to help the business navigate risk, manage uncertainty and pursue opportunities responsibly.

Equally important is the ability to communicate with clarity and influence. Boards and executive teams rarely need detailed legal analysis; they need concise, actionable advice that clearly outlines the key risks, available options and recommended course of action. The ability to translate legal complexity into business language is a critical differentiator.

The most successful in-house lawyers combine strong legal judgement with commercial acumen, strategic thinking and effective communication. They understand that their role is not only to protect the organisation, but also to help it achieve its objectives responsibly, sustainably and successfully.