What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Over the past year, the UK legal function has operated in a highly transformational environment, shaped by new global leadership structures and a strategic shift in the centre of gravity of the business from the UK to the US. This has coincided with a fast paced divestment programme, including the sale of the Australian, Italian and French businesses, with Italy completed and France and Australia progressing between signing and completion.

These transactions have been operationally complex, involving significant transitional arrangements and the careful management of legacy commercial, regulatory and operational considerations. Drawing on deep institutional knowledge of the business, the UK legal function has been instrumental in supporting new leadership teams through the transactions, ensuring continuity and helping to establish consistent global ways of working.

Alongside M&A activity, a significant proportion of the work has focused on complex commercial matters, particularly technology and SaaS contracting, as the business has prioritised efficiency and expanded its use of AI across operations. Legal support has centred on enabling innovation at pace, while ensuring appropriate governance, accountability and risk management are embedded from the outset.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

The next six months represent a period of transition into an exciting new phase for the group, as new leadership structures, policies and governance become embedded and the business is further aligned around its leading markets. Across the retail sector, leaders are under sustained pressure to drive efficiency and manage costs while continuing to adapt to evolving operating models, which can create both complexity and opportunity.

A key risk is inconsistency, particularly as businesses increasingly adopt AI and automation at pace. The greater opportunity lies in establishing practical, aligned governance that enables teams to move quickly with confidence rather than hesitation. In this environment, the role of legal is to provide steadiness as much as speed, supporting informed decision making and helping the business navigate change thoughtfully rather than reactively.

General counsel often speak of the need to be strategic. What does being strategic mean to you?

For me, being strategic is about being intentional with time, attention and judgement. It means understanding the direction of the business and being clear on when to lean in with a view, and when greater value lies in listening, learning and creating space for others’ expertise. Strategy is not reactive activity, but proactive alignment, grounded in how people operate and what motivates them, and being adaptable enough to evolve how legal works so it genuinely supports where the organisation is heading.

In your role, how do you balance protecting the organisation’s interests today while also considering future implications?

Balancing the present and the future means designing clear guardrails around risk, recognising that legal exposure often crystallises once decisions move into operation rather than at the point of sign off. My focus is on equipping teams with the understanding they need to manage issues before they arise and embedding behaviours that reduce risk over time. Operating as sole counsel, I increasingly use AI and process design to build capability and self sufficiency within the business, freeing capacity for strategic oversight. Ultimately, I aim to be a safe pair of hands, offering commercial, honest advice in a way that encourages dialogue and better long term decisions.