Governance, Intragroup & International Legal Manager (Fixed-Term)

Governance, Intragroup & International Legal Manager (Fixed-Term)

The main objectives of the Legal & Governance department are:

1. Act as a safeguarding division for Legal & Governance to support Group Operations’ strategic orientation and Group corporate functions hosted in GO.
2. Advise and support Group Procurement with GO and Group third-party vendors relationships, perform contractual negotiations or reviews and support commercial decisions.
3. Support GO and Group M&A Teams with legal expertise to secure transactions and support TSA negotiations and execution.
4. Ensure appropriate and effective governance is in place for Group Operations, in compliance with Group standards and local legal requirements.
5. Provide support to the business for Corporate / Legal matters (including intercompany contracts).

The Governance, Intragroup & International Legal Manager will manage a team of legal counsels in France, Mexico, and Asia and support AXA GO on Corporate Legal & Governance, Intragroup Contracts and International legal matters, prevention and remediation, and act as a strategic Business Partner. She/he will be responsible for the following actions:

1. Lead and engage a team of legal counsels of various profiles and seniorities, located in various jurisdictions covering legal activities for France, Mexico and Asia region.
2. Lead, direct and develop the legal resources within the team and guide, advise and support the work of the different team members.
3. Allocate the appropriate resource to legal matters, taking into account the complexity and specificities of each situation.
4. Manage directly, or through the supervision of a legal counsel, intragroup contracts negotiations and provide legal support to the business.
5. Manage directly, or through the supervision of a legal counsel, governance & corporate legal topics throughout GO and in particular serve as or supervise corporate secretary for the GO entities (boards of directors, shareholders meetings, formalities etc.), ensuring a functional supervision of Corporate Legal matters in all GO entities.
6. Ensure the compliance of corporate governance policies with the bylaws, local rules and Group Standards, define and maintain all levels of the GO corporate Governance Framework.
7. Foster harmonization and convergence of best practices, continuously identify areas of improvement and simplification, recommend, and implement action plans.
8. Collaborate closely with the Procurement Legal Manager who ensures the oversight of Procurement Legal activities performed by the legal counsels in Mexico and Asia.
9. Collaborate closely with the Head of Legal & Governance and M&A Legal Counsel who both ensure the oversight of M&A related activities performed by the legal counsels in France, Mexico and Asia.
10. Conduct and supervise robust legal risk assessments that substantiate recommendations, and advise on and determine appropriate actions to mitigate.
11. Advise senior management team on key risks, strategies, and overall planning and raise business’ awareness of legal issues and ensure legal involvement at the appropriate stage.
12. Collaborate with business partners across AXA GO to provide both strategic and legal direction on the development of new business initiatives.
13. Execute and drive business results by working cross-functionally with finance, IT, procurement, HR and other teams.
14. Under the supervision of AXA GO Head of Legal & Governance, when external legal support is needed, select, engage, direct and supervise outside counsel, including management of fee structure and internal billing administration, in order to creatively, efficiently, and effectively solve problems and other issues.
15. Act as a Business Partner for legal support for AXA GO’s business in France, the Americas and Asia.
16. Apply innovative problem-solving skills and practical business judgment to maximize revenues, minimize risk and foster long-term intragroup relationships.
17. Advise on legal processes and execution of contracts, in coordination with internal partners.
18. Train and raise awareness about Legal/Regulatory items to non-expert people or external families (Knowledge Management).
19. Maintain technical expertise in the field and promote it internally.

PROFILE, SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

1. Contractual and corporate legal experience in law firm(s) and/or in-house.
2. High standards knowledge in corporate law, IT law and contract, litigations.
3. 10+ years' solid legal experience.
4. Experience managing highly qualified attorneys and other legal professionals, including outside counsel, and developing and executing forward-looking strategies for department’s operations and transactions.
5. Demonstrated success working in a high-performing, business results-driven environment.
6. Strong negotiation and analytical skills and experience negotiating contracts, particularly technology related transactions, demonstrating ability to handle and close commercial and legal negotiations.
7. Demonstrated ability to lead and advise professionals with a positive, team-building attitude, and to interact productively and collaboratively with other Company areas such as finance, IT, procurement, human resources, and other teams at the Company.
8. Passion and depth of experience with technology services business preferred and willingness to learn more about service organizations is required.
9. Strong work ethic, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with cross-functional teams, international and collegial corporate culture.
10. Familiar with professional regulations.
11. Self-motivated, creative and autonomous with good interpersonal skills.
12. Ability to effectively communicate with and convince Top Executive Management.
13. Outstanding drafting skills and verbal and written communication skills.
14. Merger and acquisition corporate experience is a plus.
15. Commitment to diversity and inclusion.
16. Ability to work in an international and culturally diverse environment, and to foster cohesion of a global team across several geographies.
17. Self-motivated and creative with good interpersonal skills.
18. Outstanding drafting skills.
19. Fluency in English and in French.
20. Experience in managing different profiles of different seniorities.
21. Ability to upskill, attract and promote talent in the team.
22. Ability to create engagement and give meaning to each team member’s mission.
23. Ability to identify and use each team member’s skills at their best.
24. Understanding of AXA’s intragroup partners activities to identify the risks and issues in their environment and implement efficient solutions with minimum impacts on the day-to-day work.
25. High level of understanding of insurance and IT business and related legal/regulatory items.
26. Ability to provide advice regarding legal matters in accordance with AXA’s strategy.
27. Ability to identify legal and reputational risks.
28. Delivering legally compliant documentation with favorable provisions and in line with best available market practice.
29. Ability to negotiate and draft complex legal documentation in English.
30. Ability to draft internal presentations and memos for internal clients including General Secretary, CEO, CPO, CIO, CFO, Executive Committee, Board.
31. Being solution oriented.
32. Ability to accommodate a variety of personalities and cultures and manage diverse profiles from junior to senior.
33. Explaining concisely complex legal topics and their relevance to non-legal people including Management and operational teams (e.g. through presentations).
34. Giving ad hoc oral advice, in particular to Business, on a daily basis.
35. Translating business decisions into legal documentation.
36. Ensuring maximum legal and reputational protection for GO and AXA.

As a world-leading insurance company, we act for human progress by protecting what matters. With 153,000 employees in 54 countries working with 105 million customers, we’ve created a truly dynamic and vibrant community. Inclusion and diversity link closely with our values, and together we’re nurturing a culture of respect, for each other, for our customers and the communities around us. Join AXA and you’ll feel like you belong, are included and can thrive. You’ll be able to shape the way you work and truly grow your potential as you seek out new opportunities, push boundaries and benefit people in critical moments of their lives. This is your chance to build the tomorrow you want. Know you can.

AXA is becoming a sustainable tech-led company and at AXA Group Operations we are one of the major catalysts for this transformation.

We set the tone by triggering and empowering the evolution of our insurance business model through technology and innovation, driving its concrete implementation globally at speed, with a high quality of advisory and execution.

We are present across 17 countries with committed, highly qualified teams. We leverage technology, data, sourcing, security and investment allocation in a global way, but also achieve economies of scale and synergies when necessary.

At AXA Group Operations, we want to be recognized in three fields of action:

• State-of-the-art Data Technology to drive customer experience.
• State-of-the-art Procurement & Sourcing to drive efficiency and better manage risks.
• High-Performing Global Team for stronger partnerships with AXA entities.

We bring together the expertise, cultural diversity and creativity of over 8,000 employees worldwide and we’re committed to equal opportunities in all aspects of employment (gender, LGBT+, disabled persons, or people of different origins) and to promoting Diversity & Inclusion by creating a work environment where all employees are treated with dignity and respect, and where individual differences are valued.