Navigating Legal Challenges by Adapting to Technological Shifts

Valerie Feria Amante, Chief Legal, Ethics & Compliance Officer at Jollibee Foods Corporation

Valerie Feria Amante has over two decades of expertise in corporate governance and legal excellence. She leads a team of 31 lawyers and paralegals across six countries and oversees the multinational legal operations of Jollibee Group. This includes 18 brands and over 6,500 stores worldwide and spearheads the global ethics and compliance program.

Through this article, Valerie Feria Amante shares her insights on how technological advancements have significantly impacted corporate law, creating new responsibilities and regulations that businesses, including those in the food industry. She also covers the approach to navigating legal complexities through clear objectives, ethical practices and expert support, as well as the role of legal advice in guiding strategic decisions and addressing emerging issues.

What recent developments or changes in corporate law have had the most significant impact on the company's operations?

Technology has changed consumer behavior, ways of working and stakeholder expectations, while exponentially expanding possibilities. However, this digital shift has also given rise to new responsibilities, risks and regulations that are evolving at an accelerated pace. Businesses across industries, including the food industry, have had to adapt to the rapidly and constantly changing legal environment resulting from this ongoing evolution.

Can you discuss your approach to overcoming legal challenges?

Doing business has become increasingly complex, spanning multiple jurisdictions, regulatory considerations and stakeholders. Having clarity on our objectives and fundamentals; staying committed to our principles of integrity, respect, lawful business practices and stewardship; and having the support of the right internal and external experts, collectively enable us to navigate the legal challenges that come with this complexity.

“As technology reshapes business and legal landscapes, adapting to its rapid evolution requires a commitment to integrity, expert collaboration and a proactive approach to emerging risks and regulations.”

In what ways has your legal advice been instrumental in guiding important business decisions or strategic directions?

Collaboration with legal is an integral part of the decision-making process at all levels of Jollibee Group. To this end, we have structured the legal function so that every business and support unit anywhere in the world has an assigned legal business partner to help enable business results, as well as identify and address legal risks. Our function has also created tools such as legal guides and standard forms to empower our front liners at scale and enable stakeholders to make legally informed decisions and ensure consistent execution.

What emerging legal issues do you foresee impacting the companies in the near future?

AI is a game-changer that frees up time and resources, enabling professionals to focus on strategic, high-impact work where specific know-how and unique perspective, earned through years of experience, can most move the needle. Its capabilities will keep on improving at an accelerated pace, impacting multiple areas of business and, correspondingly, multiple areas of law, thus requiring the regulatory environment to keep pace. We are intentional about keeping updated on available and emerging technology, reviewing relevant regulations across our various legal offices and collaborating with our technology team on policies for appropriate use.