Jane George

Campari Europe

Campari’s legal team is central to corporate decision-making, so much so that legal is formally part of the business development function, with the lawyers actively identifying opportunities that can benefit the business.

And a key member of Campari’s legal leadership is Jane George, general counsel for North, Central and Eastern Europe. Few lawyers know the spirits industry as well as George, whose career in the sector began in Jamaica at conglomerate Lascelles deMercado, owner of rum producer J Wray & Nephew, where she was the first female director. When Campari took over Lascelles in 2012 she was heavily involved in the streamlining of the business and moved to the UK in 2017.

Not only is George on the board of the UK business, which includes whisky-maker Glen Grant Ltd, but she is also – unusually for an in-house lawyer – responsible for public affairs. Her work on various industry bodies and her broad understanding of the industry allows her to be an effective advocate for the company.

Currently, George is busy rolling out a new compliance structure, legal portal, ethics code, and education of non-legal staff. If that was not enough, she will be leading on the strategic thinking around shaping the legal team’s culture and alignment with Campari’s values in 2020.