Nestle South Eastern Europe Head of Legal & Compliance Natalia Lysa discusses her career, the rewards of working closely with business operations, and the challenges of navigating legal complexities during Ukraine’s war.
CEELM: Tell us a bit about yourself and the career path you took leading up to your current role.
Lysa: I’m a mom of two boys and a corporate in-house lawyer leading the legal and compliance function for South-Eastern Europe at Nestle, which is one of the three large companies I worked for. My background is somewhat diverse. I first studied accounting, though I’ve never worked as an accountant. I also have a legal background, and later I studied corporate governance. Learning is my big passion and driver, so who knows, it’s very likely that this list will be continued. Earlier in my career, I served as an assistant to a judge, but I have worked entirely in-house since then. Before joining Nestle, I worked with a mix of local and international teams at Danone and AES Corporation. Over the years, I grew into roles like Manager, Director, Head of Legal, and Compliance Officer. I even held the title of General Secretary, which involved overseeing legal, compliance, public affairs, regulatory, security, and communications. I view myself as a lawyer and a manager of legal and compliance functions, with my diverse experience shaping my approach.
CEELM: What drew you to the in-house world and why have you stayed?
Lysa: Staying in-house was a choice I made consciously. I love being part of a business and seeing projects through from start to finish. For example, we’re currently building a new factory in Ukraine – one of the largest Nestle investments in the region – and securing a EUR 40 million investment was part of the process. External lawyers helped at the contract stage, but I’ve been here throughout, overseeing every phase. There’s a sense of pride in seeing the products on the shelves, especially when my kids try them and give feedback. That’s the beauty of working in our industry – you’re a driver, not a passenger, not a consultant. The variety in my day keeps it exciting. While legal work is a part of it, much of my time is spent managing teams, projects, and external counsel. The complexity ensures there’s always something new, even when I think nothing can surprise me anymore.
CEELM: How large is your in-house team currently and how is it structured?
Lysa: Our legal, compliance, and security team for Southeast Europe covers 11 geographies across five hubs: the North Hub in Croatia, the South Hub in Serbia, the Romania Hub, the Bulgaria Hub, and the Ukraine & Moldova Hub. I lead the team based in Kyiv, but we operate without a traditional head office. In total, excluding security, we’re about 20 people. To optimize operations, we challenge ourselves to simplify processes continuously. For example, in Ukraine, we have a large Nestle Business Service center in Lviv, which acts as a hub for routine legal tasks like claim validations. This center serves over 40 countries globally, and despite the war, it remains one of Nestle’s most efficient hubs. This reflects the strong trust Nestle places in Ukraine’s resilience and capabilities.
CEELM: What has been keeping you and your in-house team busy over the last 12 months?
Lysa: Last year for us was a year of transformation. We created the new South-Eastern Europe region, redefined roles and priorities, and settled the team into this new structure. The war in Ukraine has been a constant challenge, impacting everything from mobilization and damages to regulatory limitations. Despite this, we managed to move forward with major projects, including building a factory that will produce noodles in Ukraine, new confectionary lines in Sofia, and a meat substitute factory in Serbia – important innovations for Nestle. Tax authorities in Romania and Ukraine have been particularly demanding, but we dedicated significant effort to proving our compliance and standing firm in our position.
Looking ahead, we’ll continue to focus on these strategic projects while managing the realities of war. Our radar is also tuned to evolving regulations and business needs in the region.
CEELM: How do you decide if you’re outsourcing a project or handling it in-house?
Lysa: We prioritize doing work in-house whenever possible. I’m fortunate to have inherited a highly skilled team that understands our business deeply. This expertise allows us to handle most projects and initiatives internally. We know the responsibilities, timelines, and nuances better than anyone. However, for certain specialized projects or in countries where we lack internal resources, we turn to external counsel.
CEELM: When picking external counsel, what criteria do you use?
Lysa: Reputation is the most important factor, though not necessarily based on top-tier rankings. These days, there are countless ratings, and it’s hard to trust them entirely. We rely more on recommendations from other in-house lawyers. Price isn’t the primary driver either. It’s about finding reliable, skilled counsel. We’re also conservative in our relationships – if we’ve had a good experience with a firm, we prefer to continue working with them rather than switch for the sake of change.
CEELM: What do you foresee as the main challenges for GCs in Ukraine in the near or mid-term future?
Lysa: The war has become a grim reality, and we’ve adapted to operating amid air raid alarms and disruptions. It’s not easy, but the systems we’ve built allow us to function effectively. That said, we remain optimistic about the end of the war – it’s a wish we carry into every new year.
When the war ends, it will bring a professional disruption of its own. Everything will need to change to adapt to a new normal. This will be a monumental challenge, but it’s one we’re ready to face because it will come with the peace we’ve all been longing for – not just for Ukraine but for Europe as a whole.
This article was originally published in Issue 11.12 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
