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

As a member of the Roche Group, a pioneer in healthcare, our company is committed to working with physicians, regulatory bodies, and healthcare partners to develop customised solutions that address unmet patient needs. In line with this strategy, our legal team actively partners with business colleagues to co-create initiatives that have real impact. Recently, we supported a new program designed to expand patient access to an innovative treatment solution, which is expected to scale up and play an important role in our patient access journey. We also helped formalise a landmark partnership with a state body to combat breast cancer in Vietnam. This collaboration strengthens our long-standing commitment to women’s health and marks a pivotal step toward reducing the burden of this disease. In addition, the legal team contributes proactively to shaping the pharmaceutical policy environment by providing regulators with practical insights from a multinational perspective and advocating for regulations that support sustainable implementation.

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

I would begin by quickly assessing and prioritising all potential legal and regulatory risks that could impact on our operations or compliance obligations. This involves working closely with cross-functional teams to gain a full understanding of the situation and to design practical contingency plans. By embedding legal foresight directly into business continuity planning, we can build flexible frameworks that allow the company to adapt as circumstances evolve. I would also ensure open and transparent communication with all relevant stakeholders to maintain alignment and trust. This proactive strategy not only minimises disruption but also strengthens stakeholder trust and protects the company’s reputation.

We are currently living through a time of geopolitical change, and the world order that we have come to take for granted for many years is being rewritten. Does this affect your company’s risk profile and, if so, what are you doing to mitigate this?

Ongoing geopolitical changes are reshaping the legal landscape, adding complexity in areas such as trade restrictions, cross-border data transfers, and contractual enforceability. In this environment, our company’s risk profile is constantly evolving, requiring continuous monitoring of regulatory developments and their potential impact. To mitigate these risks and protect business continuity, we closely track political and regulatory shifts, anticipate challenges, and coordinate with regional and global teams to align contingency measures. We also engage proactively with regulators and government bodies, providing insights into how new policies may affect the pharmaceutical industry, patient care and access. Above all, we maintain strict ethical vigilance by strengthening due diligence to ensure we avoid activities that could compromise our integrity or breach the law, thereby safeguarding both our reputation and our license to operate.

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

The legal and regulatory landscape is evolving faster than ever, driven by technology, globalisation, and social change. To meet the demands of this dynamic environment, a modern in-house counsel needs more than just legal expertise, they must continuously expand their skill set. Among the most critical are business acumen, adaptability, smart policy design, and a digital transformation mindset. Business acumen ensures legal advice is not only sound but also commercially practical and aligned with company strategy. Adaptability enables counsel to navigate shifting regulations and market conditions with agility. Smart policy design translates complex legal requirements into clear, actionable frameworks that both guide the business and prevent issues before they arise. Finally, a digital transformation mindset enables automation of routine tasks and smarter use of data, improving efficiency and freeing up time to focus on high-value, strategic work that directly supports the business.