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 organizational resilience?

In my current role, I am overseeing 12 countries in Southeast Europe. Challenges (internal and external) have been on the agenda for more than a decade: inter alia, financial crisis, capital controls, geopolitical disruption, pandemic, digital transformation, PR crisis, governance challenges, increasing volume and complexity of workload, resource pressure. Crisis readiness has therefore been treated as an ongoing capability rather than an ‘emergency’.

GC role is to enable and protect the business; even more during crises, when GC must act as a strategic partner, a legal expert who translates legal complexity and/or uncertainty to business clarity and commercial continuity. This requires mindful information gathering (what we know – what we cannot know, what works – what does not work), in-depth knowledge and understanding of the business, company strategy and priorities, rapid assessment of the situation and risks, prioritization and clear communication.

What the organisation ultimately wants from a GC is to help the organisation navigate uncertainty, move forward, respond confidently to disruption and emerge stronger and more resilient.
During a crisis, there is no clear right or wrong answer, and the outcome depends on all decision-makers’ experience, mindset, emotional intelligence, agility and intuition. GCs who thrive during a crisis are the ones who can think and act quickly and most effectively under conditions of ambiguity.

Legal strategy is a critical component of business strategy – it is built on the company’s values, targets and unique ecosystem. In adidas, Legal teams have yearly ‘Game plans’ based on global, EU and market Business ‘Game plans’ that clearly define how success looks like. In a broader context, GCs ensure that team structure, resource allocation, as well as governance, policies and procedures provide the organisation with the legal framework, the tools and the support necessary to win.

How do you see AI and automation reshaping the legal profession, and how are you leveraging technology in your own legal team?

As is always the case with innovation, real transformation starts with mindset; we may discuss individual tools, applications, pros and cons, practicalities and relevant skills, but in a world where technology is reshaping power, information flow, risk and responsibility, the discussion becomes much broader.

Legal professionals will no longer be asked to create a memo or recite the law, but will effectively be asked to demonstrate value in a totally different way than the one traditionally known. This is not a battle. This is an opportunity. AI can do so much more than anyone ever dreamed of. But so can we.

In adidas, technology is a trusted partner; legal teams are focusing on tech that has optimal return on investment.

AI tools and automation create efficiencies, help with information gathering, legal research and analytics, support with content creation, knowledge, contract and document management, tracking of external spend, reporting and cost management, automated risk assessment, allocation to appropriate resources and so much more.

In this new reality, legal professionals have the opportunity, alongside AI, to elevate their role to another level; human judgement, intuition, ethos, accountability, emotional intelligence, resilience, being comfortable with uncertainty, thinking out of the box, having a clear vision – these skills will make a GC stand out in the years to come. It is often said ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ – this is even more true now. Resistance to change will prove to be futile and inefficient.