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

My team and I manage complex legal and compliance matters as well as day-to day business operations in the CEE BU. CEE BU is a business worth £ 700M+, covering a vast area of + 8M km2 and a population of 284M located in 34 medium sized and small European, Asian and Middle East markets (Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, Balkans, Adriatic, Baltics, Caucasus, Central Asia, Belarus, Mediterranean Islands and Israel). The BU is incredibly diverse and at the same time complex, both in terms of legal systems (continental law, common law or a mix of both), local culture, consumer behaviour, economic power, purchasing power and economical alliances (EU, non-EU and Eurasian member states). The BU is also characterized by a non-linear risk level of doing business, with countries at the top as well as the bottom of Transparency Intl. index on corruption (e.g. Estonia and Tajikistan). This demonstrates depth of expertise and the experience my team and I have in a more effective way than simply listing matters or case names.

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

Business continuity plans and constant realignment of the business strategy is critical for most of the countries under my supervision. Having in mind the wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, the recent years represented a constant challenge for the legal team to identify ad-hoc solutions and adapt to a fast changing and novel at the same time economic/social and legislative environment governed by restrictions, martial law or government interventions in the free market economy.

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

A complex legal project which stands out and was coordinated by my team and I in the CEE BU is the 2022 establishment of the largest consumer healthcare company in the world. Haleon is the result of a joint venture between GSK and Pfizer Consumer Health later followed by a spin off when Haleon separated its Consumer Healthcare business from the GSK Group to form Haleon plc, an independent listed company.

Given the current geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainties around international free trade, has your company’s risk profile evolved, and are you taking measures to address these challenges?

A company risk profile cannot be static, it must evolve in response to both geopolitical/economic landscape and industry developments. We need to shift and to assume that volatility will remain constant. This should enable Haleon to build a resilient organisation (including a top-talent legal function) that can anticipate, absorb, adapt and thrive during disruptions. The goal is not to survive shocks but to seize opportunities, innovate and grow the business.