Focus On… Working in a foreign jurisdiction

Working in foreign jurisdictions is tough, but it is also much fun. Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new, gain diverse experience, and broaden your scope. Coming originally from Austria, I worked in various legal and human resources positions in the past, assumed leadership responsibility and headed teams with significant headcounts but always aimed to be the (legal) sparring partner for the line – and executive management and the board of directors simply because I like the law and I like what I am doing.

Being a professional athlete for numerous years, my career path started with a simple question: ‘What does it take to become successful on the professional journey as well?’ It all started as a group legal counsel with a global player in Austria. Later, I received my training as an attorney at law with a leading international law firm in Vienna. I was a member of different sector teams and seconded to foreign offices abroad. Clearly, this law firm was the right place to take on whatever comes along the way, aiming to deepen my expertise but, more importantly, to broaden my scope of experience and sharpen my understanding of foreign legal systems. A knowledge which I may make use of once I return to an in-house position.

After several years in private practice, I joined a fast-paced management and holding company operating in the healthcare sector as its group head of legal and compliance and deputy CHRO. This company was in a considerable growth phase, and the most valuable lesson I learned was that playing in a team with different corporate functions as peers results in a tremendous, better outcome. As lawyers, some of us may tend to ‘know it better’ — an approach that may help if you are in private practice — but which needs to change if you want to be considered as an actual legal business partner and business enabler in an in-house position.

Having a significant interest in working abroad, my family and I relocated to Switzerland for personal reasons. In a substantial organisational change process, I subsequently worked as general counsel and CHRO for a Swiss stock-listed company and faced severe financial difficulties. It is hard to imagine what kind of tasks are coming along if facing an insolvency scenario. However, for those who saw the movie ‘Grounded’ about the former Swissair, I confirm that this is the reality in such a distressed (or insolvent) situation. But also here, the most important thing you can do is to take it on. Afterwards, you will have a lot in your backpack, an experience that you will never be able to get in any other situation.

Currently, I am working as the group associate general counsel in a Swiss stock-listed multinational in the medical device and consumer hearing business. I am globally heading legal finance, corporate, M&A and employment and managing a smaller team of professionals. It is very encouraging and personally enriching to work for a company with a purpose, provide guidance based on a broad scope of experience and know the journey continues.