In an increasingly complex global environment, how are you helping your organisation navigate risk while still supporting growth?

In a constantly changing business environment, my role is to enable the organisation to build resilience and make confident decisions.

That starts with knowing the business from the inside out. I look closely at the internal matrix, from governance and operations to strategy across different units, so I can see where the strengths lie, what the pain points are, and how risks fit into the bigger picture. With strong internal insights, I then look outward to external factors that form the organisational risk profile. Factors such as regulatory changes, market dynamics and geopolitical tensions all influence how risks should be approached in the long term. My role is to bring external pressures into the conversation so that risk awareness becomes part of everyday advice.

As business decisions rest with management and business teams, my role is to guide them in weighing risks against opportunities. It is important to build a culture of risk awareness and encourage colleagues to recognise risks themselves so that they can factor them into their plans and strategies.

As we all know, risks can never be eliminated but only managed. In rendering advice, I aim to strike the right balance between protection and business needs, balancing protection, business feasibility and risk tolerance.

On risk management, I focus on practical mechanisms. Examples such as internal compliance reviews, scenario planning and open communication across teams are not just ways to reduce exposure, but also to build a framework that everyone can follow. When staff at all levels understand how risks are managed, they can make better decisions that support growth while keeping safeguards in mind.

Resilience is always a joint effort. Management sets the tone, business teams weigh risks against opportunities and, as General Counsel, I embed safeguards and awareness into legal advice. When these pieces work together, risk management becomes part of the growth plan and provides a strong foundation for sustainable success.

How has the role of General Counsel evolved in recent years, and where do you see GCs creating the most value today?

The role of the GC has expanded from a traditionally reactive focus on legal advice and compliance to a more proactive, strategic business partner role.

Where General Counsels add most value now is by helping organisations balance legal risk with business strategy and turn barriers into opportunities. In my experience, GCs can add real value by stepping in at the right time and filling gaps where business teams may not have full visibility or knowledge, whether in contract negotiation strategy, risk management or wider governance issues. Advice only achieves real impact when it is grounded in the business itself, and that happens when the GC is part of the conversation, not standing apart from it.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the main opportunity or challenge for in-house legal teams?

The challenge I see ahead is how in-house lawyers adapt to the growing demands of the role. Good legal judgement will always be the foundation, but expectations are changing. In-house teams are expected to be closely aligned with commercial realities and to help the business navigate broader challenges.

The role itself is broadening. Beyond traditional legal work, lawyers will also move into areas closer to the business, such as ESG and data use. This stretches beyond the usual boundaries of legal advice and calls for a shift in mindset from acting as a professional adviser to being part of the business conversation.

The rise of AI will push this further. In-house teams will need to understand how technology is used across the organisation and be alert to the risks it brings. At the same time, they must demonstrate the distinct value that only human judgement can provide.

But challenges also bring opportunities. The demand creates space for lawyers to move closer to business and decision-making. When legal expertise is combined with business insight, lawyers can step into the role of trusted strategic business partners. That trust is what gives legal advice its real impact.