Nasia Kelveridou
Legal Manager & Compliance Officer for Greece and Albania
Heidelberg Materials Hellas SA

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?

Legal is a crucial part of business operations and must understand the business needs and strategy in order to effectively support decision-making while ensuring that actions and procedures remain lawful and compliant. It is essential for legal professionals to understand how the business operates and align legal strategy with business objectives. The environment in which we operate is constantly evolving, and change and instability have become the norm rather than the exception. Therefore, the ability to adapt quickly is a key capability for managing legal challenges during periods of uncertainty and ensuring organisational resilience.

What is one leadership principle or practice that has had the greatest impact on your career as a GC?

The principle I value most is ‘leading by example’. As a General Counsel, I believe we have to embody two things at once: on one hand, we must be a model of compliance and, on the other, we must be problem solvers. The team takes its cues from how we conduct ourselves, so the standards we set for ourselves become the standards for everyone around us. Closely tied to this is the ability to remain calm under pressure. Stressful situations are inevitable and, in those moments, the instinct of a good leader should be to look for a solution rather than to add to the problem. Staying composed and solution-focused, even when circumstances are difficult, is, in my experience, critical to achieving your career goals and to earning the trust of both your team and the wider business.

What do you see as the biggest challenge or opportunity for in-house legal teams in 2025, and how are you preparing for it?

AI represents both the biggest challenge and the greatest opportunity for in-house legal teams in 2025. As a relatively new technology, it provides a unique opportunity for legal professionals to learn, adapt and develop alongside it, with many organisations starting from a similar point. Technology and the changes it brings should not be viewed as a threat, but as an opportunity to improve the way legal teams operate. In a constantly evolving business environment, legal functions need to embrace change and actively contribute to shaping the future. AI can enable lawyers to focus on higher-value and more creative work by automating routine and time-consuming tasks, allowing legal teams to become more efficient while providing greater strategic support to the business.