What are the projects that you are most proud of working on over the past 12 months?

Chint Solar Europe is active in the project development, financing, realisation and operation of solar parks and has experienced strong growth in recent years, both in the number of employees, and the number of countries in which it operates. The expansion of the business in different European jurisdictions, in particular, has placed a considerable amount of pressure on my team and me. We have been diligently working on multiple lengthy transactions, all while managing a continuous influx of day-to-day legal work. I am genuinely impressed with how our legal team has managed to remain calm and composed under such demanding circumstances. Every lawyer in the team has demonstrated the ability to integrate seamlessly into the various business teams, truly becoming part of the business itself. We are not merely supporting the business, but we are an indispensable force driving the commercial successes of our company.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

My career started at the Court of Appeal Amsterdam in a very dynamic period, when the traditional environment was transitioning to modern times. Starting as the youngest member in a team with seasoned justices, I went through a steep learning curve, eventually evolving into a senior associate position where I was responsible for the decision making across various fields of law. After my years at the court, I became of private practice lawyer at a mid-size law firm specialised in corporate law, dealing with clients ranging from SMEs to large companies, all led by individuals with a strong entrepreneurial mindset. These experiences, combined with my tenure as a Corporate M&A lawyer at an international law firm in the renewable energy, laid the perfect foundation for my current position as VP Legal Affairs & General Counsel.

Working in-house requires me to employ my analytical skills to identify potential risks for the business, which I honed during throughout my career. Simultaneously, I must ensure that our legal assessments do not hinder our agility in making business decisions and maintaining our leadership in the industry, with a great entrepreneurial mindset making that happen.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The most vital attributes include the ability to transform a profound legal analysis into a commercially viable solution that facilitates business strategy and growth. This requires an in-depth understanding of the endeavours and way of working of our colleagues in each business unit. The modern in-house counsel has to be proactive, persistently inquiring until it is clear what our business counterparties need, while keeping the bigger picture in perspective.

The work of a modern in-house counsel is also about unravelling complexities into manageable topics that can be comprehensive and implemented by everyone without losing the essence of the legal concept that is necessary to be compliant. All of this has to be achieved by making effective use of AI to optimise our work processes.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

The general counsel plays a pivotal role in fostering a corporate culture supporting ESG principles and compliance. Every detail of our work is infused with ESG and compliance, integrated to our daily operations.

It is the general counsel’s responsibility to consistently promote the awareness of these essentials ensuring they contribute to our business goals rather than being viewed as a nuisance. The general counsel can support an ESG-focused culture by setting the tone from leadership, integrating ESG into company policies and compliance, working closely with ESG and HR teams, offering regular training, and promoting transparency through clear rules, reporting, and whistleblower systems. It is about supporting and protecting business continuity, managing risks effectively and leveraging the business into becoming as profitable and responsible as possible for all stakeholders.