Nestle UK and Ireland general counsel and compliance officer Mark Maurice-Jones has overseen legal and compliance for the consumer goods giant’s UK and Ireland business for the past 11 years. Global Legal Post spoke to Mark about his role, how the UK and Ireland legal team interacts with the global Nestle business, the continued importance of ESG for the company and how he created Nestle UK’s Respect Awards to champion employees who bring openness and transparency to their work.
What are your key responsibilities at Nestle as UK and Ireland GC and compliance officer?
Nestle in the UK and Ireland is known for brands like KitKat, Nescafé, Nespresso and Purina, and my role is to lead the legal support for all significant issues affecting the UK and Ireland business with the support of a team of about 14 people. As well as leading the legal department, I also act as compliance officer, which involves leading the market’s compliance agenda through a cross-functional compliance committee.
How is your legal department structured in the region and how does it link up with the global business?
My direct reporting line is to the CEO of the UK and Ireland business, I have a dotted line into the regional general counsel, and we have close links with our headquarters in Switzerland. We have specialist legal teams in Switzerland who do things like M&A or antitrust law or intellectual property, and we look to them for expertise as and when we need it, but the day-to-day work is done by my team in the market. One of the characteristics of Nestle is that it’s relatively decentralised and, on a day-to-day basis, it operates an empowered market model, with local legal teams taking primary responsibility for day-to-day support while drawing on global expertise when required. Of course, if there’s a big M&A deal, or if there’s something of significance going on in the market, then we work closely with the Swiss-based group general counsel and other senior members of the legal team.
What are your legal team’s key operational priorities over the coming year?
One of our major priorities is ensuring the business can realise the benefits of AI while maintaining appropriate governance, legal compliance and ethical oversight. We look at how the legal team can use AI from an operations perspective to create efficiencies and provide a better legal service using AI through tools such as Copilot as well as specific legal AI tools. We also make sure that we have good AI governance so that AI systems are rolled out effectively in a legal and ethical manner. In the last year, we’ve created an AI committee at a market level that is charged with providing governance over all things AI.
Another area that continues to be important is ESG. As well as providing legal advice in relation to ESG issues, the legal team has created an ESG governance framework. This has been important in supporting focused accountability for addressing the many ESG issues the company faces.
As the compliance officer, one of the things that I try to drive is a culture of openness and people speaking up. In the last few years we’ve created the Nestle Respect Award, which is an award programme designed to recognise and celebrate behaviours of openness and transparency which are essential in driving a culture of compliance where people speak up.
How are legal AI investment decisions made – is it done centrally or are you deciding what to adopt locally?
It’s a combination. We’ve got a group AI committee in our Swiss HQ who will drive the introduction of AI solutions at a global level, but there will also be occasions where the local AI committee will review the introduction of local solutions.
What do you most value in your outside legal counsel?
We value external counsel who share our values and who combine deep technical expertise with a genuine understanding of our business objectives. We look for lawyers who can deliver pragmatic solutions in addressing technically complex or novel areas or in areas of high risk, such as litigation.
What has been your biggest achievement in your current role?
If I had to pick one theme, it would be strengthening governance across the business. Whether through our ESG governance framework, our AI governance programme or the creation of the Respect Awards, my aim has been to build a culture where people make better decisions, speak up when something doesn’t seem right and feel accountable for doing business the right way.
What are the biggest legal issues impacting your market at the moment?
Companies are working in an increasingly complex regulatory environment with growing expectations around, for example, ESG, responsible AI and workforce practices. At Nestle, some of the issues around ESG, such as the packaging tax, have an impact. High-fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) legislation impacts our business as it places constraints on how we promote our products. Developments in employment law could also have an impact.
What career experiences have most stayed with you and shaped your approach to managing legal teams?
One experience was when I had a boss many years ago who would look over my shoulder, literally, at what I was advising and doing, and scrutinise every single little bit of detail on anything I wrote. I swore that if I ever got into a leadership position, I wouldn’t be a micromanager and do that to anyone else.
Where in the world that you have never been would you most like to go and why?
I would like to go to Nepal to experience the stunning Himalayan landscape.
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