Career Biography

Mihaela Stancu oversees Procter & Gamble’s legal affairs across 12 markets in the South East Europe (SEE) region. This area encompasses 12 countries, various offices in different countries, distribution centers, three manufacturing plants, and a Business Services Center situated in Bucharest.

Since joining the company in 2005, Stancu has dedicated her career to developing the legal department in the region and supporting the business growth. As the Legal and Government Relations Leader for South East Europe, she focuses on effectively tackling legal and business challenges while also shaping advocacy initiatives. Before assuming her current position, Mihaela was involved with the P&G Antitrust Center of Excellence for Europe.

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

In-house lawyers are well-prepared to manage instability and crises, often thriving in these circumstances due to their solution-oriented training. In these situations, I play an active role as a member of the business leadership team, helping to guide multifunctional teams in identifying solutions that improve our competitiveness.

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with your country’s data protection laws?  

I proposed that Romania business serves as a pilot for testing new AI tools for legal applications. The pilot was successfully conducted in Romania and is now ready for global use in legal contexts.

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

Yes, considering my previous roles—such as chairing the legislation committee at Amcham and then being involved with BIAC (Bucharest International Arbitration Court)—I possess business knowledge and interests that extend beyond just in-house legal matters.

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?

Yes, I am actively engaged in this and have established strong connections with other in-house lawyers and government relations representatives. My involvement spans various trade associations, including Amcham, RAC, Rucodem, IAA, etc. Together, we are examining global, European, and local trends to address them proactively.