Name: Advocate Lameez Vania
Position: Legal Director Health, Africa
Company: Reckitt Benckiser, South Africa
Worked in current position for: Recently Appointed
Years in-house: 9 years in-house, 15 years in total as a Legal Practitioner
An overview of my role is: I am currently responsible for overseeing the Legal Department for the Health business in Africa. We cover multiple jurisdictions within Africa excluding North Africa. My role entails a constant balance between partnering with businesses whilst still ensuring we are compliant and mitigating our risks.
The best thing about my current job is: The business is fast-paced and exciting. I’m incredibly blessed to work with a team of highly competent professionals. Their level of drive and integrity is exceptional and they keep the wheels turning in the Department. My GM is a man who cares about people.
The most challenging thing about my current job is: Dealing with multiple jurisdictions can be challenging. Starting a new job during a pandemic and having to get to know people and the business remotely is not easy.
My most pivotal career move: To have had the opportunity to work as a Legal Analyst at the South African Competition Authority early on in my career. I got invaluable experience investigating Mergers, Abuse of Dominance matters and Cartels which opened many doors for me. I also appeared at the Competition Tribunal a few times on behalf of the Competition Authority for the mergers that I had worked on.
Hardest lesson I have learned as a lawyer: Work-life balance is a constant struggle. Also as lawyers, we strive for perfection but we have to take each day as it comes and accept the successes with the failures.
What advice would you give your younger self? Keep doing what you are doing, eventually, all the hard work will pay off.
Who are the key influencers that have shaped you along the way? I had the once in a lifetime privilege of meeting former President Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria when I was only 19 years old. This changed the way I viewed leadership, power and authority. He was an eloquent unassuming man who took the time to chat to everybody present including a young law student like myself. He saw the bigger picture and lead with empathy, courage, charisma- all traits of an incredible leader. I always remember these lessons when managing people and/or teams and try to emulate them in order to inspire people to work together towards a common purpose. My grandfather also played a key role in encouraging me to push myself and learn new things throughout my career and I am often searching for ways to increase my knowledge and add value in different avenues.
My favourite pro bono or volunteer activity is: I am passionate about mentoring young lawyers. have been a mentorfor South African law students through an initiative with the South African Judiciary called SAC-IAWJ for the past 3 years which has been incredibly rewarding. I was also invited to speak at the Webber Wentzel Empowerment Trust in 2017 which is an initiative that mentor’s young legal minds.
The worst job I ever held was: Whilst studying for my law degree I held down a part-time job at a Bank in their customer call centre.
Most rewarding achievement in my current or former role/s. In my former role, I was able to negotiate a very complex property transaction that became the benchmark for future transactions of that nature for the company.
If I were not practicing law, I would probably be: An investigative journalist
I’m currently reading: What Remains by Carole Radziwill
My current music playlist includes: I love music and listen to anything and everything including hip hop, rock, alternative, classical, rapand kwaito.