Coordinadora de Asuntos Legales y Compliance | Yguazú Cementos
Ana Mariel Molas Céspedes
Coordinadora de Asuntos Legales y Compliance | Yguazú Cementos
Team size: One
What are the projects you are most proud of having worked on in the past 12 months?
I am proud to have strengthened the legal area comprehensively. From a single-person role, I led the optimisation of contract review and document management processes, raising the standards of traceability, agility and legal certainty in operations.
I provide cross-functional advice to all areas of the organisation, which allows me to support key decisions on contractual, regulatory, labour and environmental matters. I work closely with operational, commercial, financial and environmental teams, which enriches the legal perspective and allows decisions to be better aligned with the real challenges of the business. In an industry such as cement, subject to high environmental controls, this role is even more relevant given the growing focus on sustainability and ESG criteria.
I also placed special emphasis on strengthening the compliance culture, promoting practical training adapted to the local context. This made it possible to bring concepts such as ethics, fair competition and compliance closer in a clear and accessible way, encouraging preventive consultation and greater organisational awareness.
Compliance remains a challenge in Paraguay. That is why I firmly believe in positioning the legal and compliance area as a strategic business partner, demonstrating that acting with integrity is not only an obligation but a smart decision to build trustworthy relationships and ensure long-term sustainability.
Based on your experience over the past year, are there specific legal or business trends in Paraguay that you are observing and that other in-house lawyers should be aware of?
One of the strongest trends I see is institutional digitalisation, driven by the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in legal management. These tools can speed up contract review, improve accuracy and provide greater security to operations, allowing legal teams to focus on far more strategic tasks. But they also bring new challenges such as data protection, privacy and the need for constant updates on regulatory matters.
For us in-house lawyers, this is both an opportunity and a responsibility. We must stay up to date on technology legislation and actively support our organisations in its responsible implementation.
What are some key qualities that every in-house lawyer should have?
I believe an in-house lawyer needs to have a business vision, be proactive and anticipate risks. It is also key to be able to translate complex legal solutions into accessible language that is truly useful for decision-making. When this is combined with a strategic perspective and the willingness to get involved beyond strictly legal matters, the lawyer becomes a true business partner.
Curiosity, in my view, is also an essential quality: speaking with people from other areas, understanding their dynamics and challenges, enriches legal advice and makes it much more effective. And lastly — but equally important — supporting and accompanying others in their development not only builds trust but also strengthens a more collaborative and solid work culture.