Career Biography

Jimena Maciel is the Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for Mexico at Stripe. In this role, she focuses on regulatory compliance and anti-money laundering matters relating to Stripe’s operations in Mexico. She brings more than a decade of experience across financial regulation, fintech, payments and cross-border credit transactions.

Throughout her career, Jimena has advised financial institutions and payment technology companies on regulatory obligations, financing structures, credit documentation and interactions with Mexican financial authorities. She has also worked extensively on matters involving payment processing and the evolving regulatory framework for fintech companies in Mexico. Her background combines legal, regulatory and compliance experience, with a strong understanding of the opportunities and complexities shaping Mexico’s financial services and payments ecosystem.

What skills or experiences have been most important in your development as an in-house lawyer so far?

Technical legal knowledge is essential, but I believe soft skills are what truly make the difference for an in-house lawyer. The ability to build relationships, listen carefully and understand the needs of the people you work with is fundamental. Legal advice is most valuable when it is not only legally sound but also practical, clearly communicated and responsive to the realities faced by the business.

Direct contact with people has therefore been one of the most important aspects of my professional development. Working closely with colleagues from different functions, backgrounds and countries has taught me to adapt my communication style, ask better questions and approach challenges with empathy. It has also shown me that trust is built through consistency, accessibility and a willingness to understand another person’s perspective before offering a solution.

Another critical skill has been knowing how to prioritise. In a fast-moving environment, an in-house lawyer will often face several important matters at the same time. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between what is urgent and what is truly material, assess the potential impact on the business and its stakeholders, and focus attention where legal judgement can add the greatest value. This requires an understanding of both risk and business objectives, as well as the confidence to make decisions with imperfect information and adjust as circumstances evolve.

My experience working on compliance matters in Latin America has further strengthened these skills. The region’s diverse regulatory and cultural landscape requires flexibility, curiosity and sensitivity to local circumstances. It has taught me that effective legal solutions cannot always be standardised and that collaboration with people who understand each market is indispensable.

Have you been involved in any initiatives to improve legal processes, introduce new ways of working or make the legal function more efficient?

A recurring focus of my work has been making legal and compliance guidance easier to understand, access and apply. I have contributed to ways of working that promote greater consistency, including documenting recurring guidance, clarifying responsibilities and developing reusable frameworks for common questions. These efforts help teams identify issues earlier, reduce duplication and allow legal and compliance professionals to dedicate more time to complex matters that require nuanced judgement.

Artificial intelligence has also helped improve legal processes significantly. Used responsibly, AI can accelerate initial research, help structure and summarise large amounts of information, support the preparation of first drafts and make institutional knowledge easier to find. This can reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks and create more capacity for higher-value work, such as strategic advice, stakeholder engagement and careful risk assessment.

At the same time, AI does not replace legal judgement or human interaction. Its output must be reviewed critically, particularly when dealing with confidential information, evolving regulations or decisions that may have a significant impact. In my view, the greatest benefit comes from combining technology’s speed and organisational capabilities with a lawyer’s judgement, contextual understanding and accountability.

For me, improving efficiency is not simply about completing work faster. It is about creating processes that support consistent, transparent and well-informed decisions while preserving the human relationships on which an effective legal function depends.

What excites you most about the future of the in-house legal profession, and where do you hope to continue developing your career?

What excites me most is the increasingly strategic role of in-house lawyers. We are becoming more deeply integrated into business decision-making and are expected not only to identify risks, but also to anticipate change and help organisations find responsible ways forward.

Technology—and AI in particular—creates an opportunity to rethink how legal teams work. By making certain processes more efficient, technology can give lawyers more time to focus on areas where human skills are irreplaceable: exercising judgement, prioritising competing risks, understanding context, building trust and communicating difficult issues with clarity and empathy.

I hope to continue developing at the intersection of law, compliance, technology and international business, with a particular focus on Latin America. I want to deepen my understanding of emerging regulatory frameworks while strengthening my leadership, strategic advisory and prioritisation skills. I am also interested in helping shape responsible uses of AI within legal and compliance functions, ensuring that innovation is accompanied by appropriate safeguards and human oversight.

Ultimately, I hope to contribute to a legal profession that uses technology confidently but remains fundamentally human—practical, collaborative and grounded in integrity.