34 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – JUNE 2024 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM What have been some of the biggest takeaways you’ve cherished as a female leader? I’ve embraced challenges with determination, understanding that each obstacle presents an opportunity to refine skillset and knowhow in order to elevate performance to upper level. Maintaining clear-headed and detail-oriented while striving for excellence has been essential in establishing credibility and fostering trust from the Board members and stakeholders. Additionally, the development of the capability to anticipate risks and take sufficient proactive measures in advance to achieve a desired outcome has been invaluable. By foreseeing potential issues and irregularities and pre-emptively addressing them, I’ve been able to navigate complex situations with agility and poise. In addition of expertise, critical thinking, and in-depth knowledge of the legal landscape, I’ve been able to stay ahead of the curve and establish myself as a trusted advisor to the Board. In what ways can the future generation of female lawyers learn from your experience? Throughout my career development, I encountered numerous challenges and setbacks, but it was the determination to persist in the face of adversities and pressures that drove me forward to become better in terms of personal characters, mindset, and wisdom. Understanding that setbacks are part everyone’s career journey and using them as opportunities for growth is vital. It’s essential to prioritize staying up to date on relevant legal regulations, their impacts after proposed amendments, and changes not only from legal perspective but also the geopolitical landscape. Keeping abreast of these changes is not just about compliance but also about understanding the rationale behind and leveraging the new developments to enhance the best interests of your company. What do you think will be the best ways for women in law to support each other? Fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support is essential for the advancement of women in the legal profession. Establishing robust mentorship programs is also significant. Experienced women lawyers can offer guidance, share insights, and provide valuable career advice to those navigating the career path of legal profession. MICHELLE HUNG General Counsel & Company Secretary, COSCO Shipping Ports WOMEN IN LAW Anna Suchopar embarked on her legal journey at University College London (UCL), where she was elected president of the UCL Law Society in her final year. This role provided her with first experience in leading a large team, raising funds, and managing a budget. It was probably no coincidence that she realized early on in her career that I was destined to take on an in-house leadership role. After five years of training and qualifying as a lawyer at Taylor Wessing in London, Suchopar moved to Virgin Group as an IP Manager based in Geneva. From Virgin, she moved to the global online fashion retailer ASOS.com, most latterly as General Counsel & Company Secretary, leading ASOS’ Governance function and supporting the PLC Chair and Board. In addition to being a member of ASOS’ Executive Committee, Suchopar also led ASOS’ Business Assurance & Resilience and Corporate Responsibility teams, including ASOS’ charitable foundation. This broad remit of complementary disciplines (including Risk, Audit, Crisis Management, Business Continuity) has significantly honed and enhanced Suchopar’s outlook, performance and approach as GC and she highly recommends lawyers seeking out exposure in these areas. Currently, Suchopar is part of the C-Suite and General Counsel at Agoda, part of the global travel group Booking Holdings Inc., the world’s leading provider of online travel and related services. Relocating to Asia with her family has exceeded all expectations, both personally and professionally, she says. As the Executive Sponsor for ESG at ASOS, and now playing a central role in Agoda’s ‘Women In Leadership’ program, Suchopar is passionate about addressing gender equality and inclusion. Agoda invests significant time and resources into nurturing and developing the people, regardless of their background. Within the organization, there are dedicated employee resource groups, mentorship programs, countless learning and development workshops and more. While the legal profession, amongst others, still has much progress to make, Suchopar is delighted to be part of a leadership team and business that places Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at its core. ANNA SUCHOPAR General Counsel, Agoda
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