An interview with Madeleine Truter, Head of Legal at Excellerate JHI in South Africa.
How would you describe the state of the GC Community in your region?
When I first moved in-house, the legal community in South Africa operated much like isolated islands. We were excellent at interpreting legislation but rarely invited to strategic business discussions. Twenty-five years later, the transformation has been remarkable – though I still can’t get IT to respond to my emails in less than 48 hours. Today’s GC role balances technical legal expertise with business partnership. POPIA, once an unfamiliar acronym, now commands attention in every executive meeting. We’ve evolved from working in departmental silos to forming a connected community that regularly shares insights, experiences, and occasionally, horror stories about data breaches that would make excellent Netflix series.
How has it changed since you first moved in-house?
Technology has dramatically changed our landscape. The broader digital transformation happening across legal departments has made us more efficient – though explaining why “just get it signed quickly” isn’t a compliance strategy seems to remain a constant. For newer GCs entering the profession, the most significant change is our transition from being perceived as the “Department of No” to becoming solution-oriented partners. Though let’s be honest, sometimes “no” is still the right answer, especially when presented with contracts written at 11pm the night before signing.
Why is expanding your network important to you?
Growing my professional network has become increasingly important throughout my career. I’m fortunate to be at the centre of Sandton’s business community, which creates natural opportunities for meaningful connections – and shorter Uber rides home after networking events.
What kinds of connections or discussions would be most valuable to you?
The most valuable relationships in my network include:
– Cross-industry colleagues: property has unique compliance challenges, but I’ve gained invaluable insights from healthcare and financial services GCs who approach similar problems differently. Nothing builds camaraderie quite like commiserating over regulatory deadlines over coffee.
– Legal technology specialists: those rare professionals who understand both legal requirements and technical implementation. I’ve learned to identify them by their ability to explain complex systems without using meaningless buzzwords more than twice in conversation.
– Regulatory experts: the connections who provide early insights into evolving compliance landscapes. These are the people I mark as “VIP” in my iPhone contacts – they’ve saved me from more last-minute compliance scrambles than I care to admit.
I find the most valuable discussions focus on practical implementation rather than theory. How do you explain to the CEO that compliance isn’t optional, even when competitors appear to be cutting corners? These conversations, particularly when they include honest reflections on both successes and near-disasters averted, strengthen our community and advance our profession.
What do you want to achieve by collaborating with other GCs and senior in-house lawyers? Are there specific topics, challenges, or experiences you’d like to share or learn more about?
My approach to collaboration with other GCs is both strategic and pragmatic, with a healthy dose of reality. There are several specific outcomes I aim to achieve through these professional relationships.
First, I want to develop more sophisticated approaches to emerging compliance challenges. The property sector tends to adopt new technologies more cautiously than some industries – some still consider “track changes” to be cutting-edge innovation.
I’m particularly interested in comparing notes on legal technology adoption. How have other departments convinced finance that legal tech isn’t an expensive toy? What change management strategies worked when implementing new systems?
ESG implementation has become another critical focus area for collaboration. As property companies face increasing pressure to demonstrate environmental and social responsibility, legal departments are at the centre of developing meaningful frameworks rather than mere window dressing. I’m always eager to learn how other GCs are navigating the balance between ambitious sustainability goals and practical implementation realities – particularly when most eyes glaze over at the mere mention of ESG reporting requirements.
I’m also eager to share leadership perspectives unique to legal departments. How do we effectively communicate complex legal concepts to business-focused executives? What retention strategies work when competitors offer bigger salaries and fewer headaches?
For newer GCs, I’m happy to share lessons learned from establishing governance structures across different property organizations. And yes, I keep emergency chocolate in my desk drawer – right next to my collection of stress balls. Some professional necessities are universal.
