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

Keep calm and carry on – I try not to alarm the team, and usually involve key team members in discussions so that they feel heard and are happy to contribute before cascading the news that comes from the business.

When people are nervous or uncertain, they tend to turn to Legal for all sorts of issues or make things a “legal problem”. Over the years, I have learned that not everything is a legal issue. It is about educating the business – for example, Operations, Finance, Development, HR, etc. – on the appropriate path and escalation points for risk management.

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

Throughout my career, I have often joined companies at times of turbulence or significant change – experiences that have, in many ways, shaped my role as General Counsel. It is during times of crisis that a company most needs a lawyer and a leader.

While these experiences have certainly been challenging, they have also been invaluable. Working with diverse stakeholders and facing the evolving challenges of both Legal and the wider business has strengthened my resilience and established my proven track record as a trusted business partner.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The ability to lead by example; an open and listening ear; and empathy with the team – managing both upwards, with stakeholders from a more traditional era, and downwards, with Millennials, Gen Z and beyond.

A modern in-house counsel must be a true business partner: able to assess risk, safeguard the organisation, and at the same time support growth, while keeping the legal and compliance function balanced and effective.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?

I have served on boards in both the legal and hospitality sectors, and historically the stereotype of a successful lawyer or hotelier has often been that of a privately educated male in a senior leadership role. It is only in recent years that women have begun to gain a true seat at the table, and I am deeply committed to continuing to prove this by example — taking on posts and leadership positions that champion these causes.

I firmly believe that having a leadership team with gender diversity and a variety of backgrounds brings immense value. Different genders and backgrounds think, prioritise and interpret situations differently, which enhances diversity of thought, strengthens risk management, and leads to more cohesive and effective leadership overall.