An interview with Omiyinka Doris, Former General Counsel/Now Advisor to the CEO at VEON in Netherlands.
What are the biggest external forces or trends currently shaping your role as General Counsel and how are you responding to them?
As a digital operator in emerging and frontier markets, the external forces we face present both challenges and significant opportunities. The legal, technological, and geopolitical environments in our markets, as well as in our sector specifically, can evolve rapidly. VEON’s ability to lead through this change is what determines our success. When done right, we can seize opportunities to leapfrog decades of incremental development and even surpass mature markets through technological innovation.
One way we have achieved this is by demonstrating to local lawmakers how mobile phones can serve as a gateway to empower underserved populations. Through digitalisation, our digital operator model supports economic and social empowerment in the markets where we operate. We have also benefited from acting decisively in the face of geopolitical headwinds and uncertainty.
Looking ahead, AI is the most significant technological force shaping our markets. At VEON, we are committed to supporting digital inclusion by delivering AI (or Augmented Intelligence) to our customers in ways that empower them to become better versions of themselves. This philosophy underpins our AI1440 strategy, through which we aim to offer AI-powered services that are relevant to customers during each of the 1,440 minutes in a day.
Internally, AI is also a powerful tool for improving efficiency. We incorporate AI where it can streamline operations and allow us to focus on high-priority matters. For example, we have already realized significant benefits in corporate governance and entity management across our 100+ VEON Group entities worldwide. These tools don’t replace our legal teams, rather we use these tools to increase the value that our legal teams add and generate across the organization.
How are you balancing the increasing demands of legal risk management with the expectation to drive business value and strategic insight?
I sit on our Group Executive Committee, VEON’s top management body responsible for executing strategy, driving financial performance, and overseeing and coordinating Group-wide initiatives. This puts Legal in the driver’s seat such that legal risk management is baked into every strategy discussion and business decision from the outset. I believe this is the most effective way to manage legal risk. A legal team that is seen merely as identifying risks cannot provide the nuanced, informed decision-making that our operations require daily. Our legal team is integral to many of our transformative group projects precisely because of its ability to strike the right balance between robust legal risk management and enabling VEON to achieve its business objectives.
As Group General Counsel, I also ensure that our commitment to the highest legal, ethical, and compliance standards is deeply embedded in our culture. I believe this gives us a key advantage in earning and maintaining trust among investors, business partners, the media, and all other stakeholders.
What’s one lesson or insight from your in-house journey that you wish you’d known earlier and would share with a fellow GC today?
One message that has always resonated with me is to never compromise your standards or ethics, regardless of the business context or jurisdiction where you operate. I began my career at Davis Polk in New York, and I continue to apply the same level of diligence and attention to detail that was expected of me there. The lessons I’ve learned along the way, in London, Milan, and Maputo, continue to shape how I approach professional and business challenges today. Things need to be done right the first time. Shortcuts and sweeping issues under the rug never work out well in the long run.
