Executive Advisor to the CEO at Agoda, one of the leading online travel companies in APAC and beyond, part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG). Advising on strategic projects touching on different areas and across different teams. As the former General Counsel at Agoda (and C-Suite member), I built a diverse, multinational and global team of about 60 talented professionals covering all areas of law and compliance from scratch. With almost 15 years of experience at Agoda and more than 23 years of legal practice across various industries and regions, I have a broad and deep knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape and the challenges and opportunities of the online travel sector, with a special focus on Asia. The team mission was (and still is) to enable the business while responsibly managing risks and protecting the company. We adopted a pragmatic and innovative risk-based solution-driven approach to legal and compliance issues, always keeping an eye on commercial needs and customer satisfaction. The Compliance & Ethics function (including FinCrime) is also part if the Legal team, Strategic guidance and support (as a business partner) on contracts, regulatory, labor, intellectual property, consumer protection, data privacy, international trade, corporate, antitrust, litigation, product, disputes and settlements, and more. The legal budget was always managed in line with plan and forecast guidance.