Team size: approximately 50 professionals across Legal, Compliance and Company Secretariat

What are the key projects you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

In the UK, the team successfully completed the Part VII transfer following Intact’s acquisition of the Commercial Lines book of DLG. Our legal team was complemented by the transferor’s team for the stellar job leading this process.

I have also led a number of governance and regulatory programmes across the region. These have included enhancing accountability frameworks, supporting Board effectiveness initiatives, leveraging talent across the region, strengthening governance arrangements across regulated entities and ensuring continued alignment with evolving regulatory expectations.

Please provide a brief description of any internal transformation/development projects within your legal team over the last twelve months.

I have brought the legal, compliance and company secretariat function together into one team, to become more collaborative, strategic and business-focused. We have also undertaken a broader review of team structure, capabilities and role architecture to ensure the function is equipped to support a growing and increasingly complex international business. This has included clarifying career pathways, enhancing collaboration across jurisdictions through the creation of multi-jurisdictional Centres of Excellence. We have invested in leadership development, succession planning and mentoring while encouraging greater collaboration between legal, compliance and company secretarial professionals. Collectively, these initiatives have helped position the function as a trusted business partner that delivers both commercial value and effective risk management.

The team has focused on the adoption of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot. We have focused on identifying practical use cases and the development of a prompt library to enhance productivity while maintaining appropriate controls around governance, confidentiality and accuracy. This has allowed lawyers and compliance professionals to spend less time on routine administrative activities and more time providing strategic advice to the business.

The role of the GC has evolved significantly into that of a strategic business partner. How do you balance commercial objectives with legal risk?

The traditional perception of legal teams as gatekeepers is increasingly outdated. The modern general counsel must be a strategic business partner who understands commercial objectives while ensuring that risks are properly identified and managed. I believe the most effective legal advice is delivered through a deep understanding of the business, its strategy and its risk appetite. Rather than focusing solely on what cannot be done, I encourage my team to identify solutions that help the organisation achieve its objectives in a compliant and sustainable way. Achieving this balance requires early engagement in decision-making, strong relationships with stakeholders and clear communication of legal and regulatory risks in commercial terms. By being involved at the outset of projects, legal and compliance teams can help shape better outcomes rather than being asked to review decisions after they have already been made. Ultimately, the role of the GC is to enable informed decision-making. Business leaders should understand both the opportunities and the risks associated with a proposed course of action and then be supported in making decisions that align with the organisation’s values, strategy and regulatory obligations.

How do you use AI within your legal team to improve efficiency while maintaining quality, governance and integrity? How do you think AI will impact in-house legal functions more widely?

AI is already changing how legal teams operate, and I believe its impact will continue to accelerate significantly over the next few years. Within our team, we approach AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for professional judgement. We use AI to support activities such as document review, drafting, summarisation, research and knowledge management. This helps reduce time spent on repetitive tasks and allows legal professionals to focus on higher-value strategic work. Lawyers remain accountable for the accuracy and appropriateness of legal advice. We have emphasised training, responsible use principles and clear expectations around validation and oversight. Looking more broadly, I believe AI will fundamentally reshape in-house legal functions. The greatest benefit will not simply be efficiency, but the ability to provide faster, more data-driven and proactive advice. Legal teams that embrace AI responsibly will be able to increase their strategic impact and deliver greater value to their organisations.

How do you help drive strong governance and ethical decision-making across your organisation?

My approach focuses on ensuring that governance frameworks are practical, proportionate and aligned with business objectives. I work closely with Boards, executive committees and business leaders to promote transparency, accountability and effective decision-making. Governance should help organisations make better decisions, not create unnecessary bureaucracy. As an insurer, the customer remains at the heart of everything we do. I seek to create an environment where constructive challenge is welcomed, diverse perspectives are considered and difficult issues can be openly discussed. I encourage my teams and business stakeholders to focus not only on whether something can be done, but also whether it should be done. The regulatory environment we work in does not provide black and white rules. Accordingly, the element of critical judgement is crucial in our decision making. Strong governance and ethical decision-making are therefore not simply compliance obligations; they are essential drivers of long-term business success, customer confidence and sustainable growth.