An interview with Kgotso Miles Ollyn, Corporate Legal Counsel & Board Secretary at Botswana Tourism.
What are the biggest external forces or trends currently shaping your role as General Counsel and how are you responding to them?
The biggest, especially in our democratic dispensation, has been the shift in ideology and strategic direction given the change in Government.
Secondly, it is financial. The country’s economy is almost in a recession and this poses significant operational challenges.
How are you balancing the increasing demands of legal risk management with the expectation to drive business value and strategic insight?
I believe this lies in sound governance frameworks and a very agile, yet committed, team I have, both within the department and as executives. All these are executed on a detailed plan of action based on targets aimed at not just growing the business but empowering the individual, which fosters ownership.
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?
Corporate and Boardroom politics aren’t easy to understand, but a good sense of emotional intelligence and ability to read the room go a long way in shaping your career progression.
