Career Biography

Clementina Canel has been director of legal and compliance at Vantage Towers since March 2025. She has 19 years of experience in the legal field, in specific areas like technology, telecommunication, environment, business law, commercial, energy, criminal, insolvency, utilities. Clementina graduated from the Police Academy, Faculty of Law, and the University of Marketing and International Economic Affairs. She also holds a master’s degree in business law. Clementina also completed several management trainings, such as leadership and change management, strategic management, assertiveness and influence.

After spending several years as a criminal police investigator, Clementina decided to become a lawyer. She started her career working for a reputational law firm; in the last 14 years, she moved in-house, in heavy industries like telecommunication, environmental, energy, forestry.

As Head of Legal at Vantage Towers, Clementina ensures the company’s operations align with national and EU regulations, particularly in areas such as infrastructure access, environmental compliance, and data protection. Her role involves strategic legal oversight, contract negotiation, and supporting cross-functional teams to navigate complex regulatory frameworks specific to the telecom industry.

Clementina who happens to be a traveller and sports enthusiast, spends her free time – travelling around the world, reading and climbing the Romanian mountains.

What are the most significant cases, projects or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

One of the most significant projects our legal team has been involved in recently is the 5G authorisation process under Legea nr. 163/2021, which governs the approval of technologies, equipment, and services used in national ICT infrastructures. This initiative supports the deployment and expansion of 5G electronic communications networks and involves complex regulatory, technical, and strategic considerations. We’ve coordinated the legal submission for authorising telecom infrastructure components, ensuring compliance with national security and operational standards.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

During times of instability, I focus on containing legal risks, aligning with leadership, and maintaining clear communication.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

At Vantage Towers, I’m closely watching trends around AI in legal ops, increasing compliance complexity – especially with cross-border data—and regulatory unpredictability in telecom and ESG. These are reshaping how in-house teams manage risk and support strategy. 

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

As head of legal, I focus on embedding ESG principles into our governance and compliance frameworks, promoting ethical leadership and cross-functional collaboration. My goal is to ensure ESG becomes a shared value across Vantage Towers – not just a policy.