In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Georges El Hoyek, shedding light on PepsiCo Legal’s approach to digital transformation. Georges highlights the key priorities driving their tech implementation, emphasizing the importance of aligning digital tools with business imperatives. He shares insights into their successful initiatives, including the SharePoint Contract Management System and the transformation of the monthly reporting process.
Georges also offers valuable advice for LegalTech startups seeking collaboration with large corporations like PepsiCo, stressing the need for tailored solutions. Finally, he discusses the qualities that make law firms more attractive partners and suggests a proactive approach to training and regulatory updates.
Bradley Collins: Hi Georges, what are your priorities when it comes to tech implementation / digital transformation – what are the business outcomes you’re looking for?
Georges El Hoyek: Many priorities come to mind when it comes to digital transformation. These include ensuring that the digital tools availed by the Legal department are in sync with business imperatives from a process and workflow perspective and that they are user-friendly. To be successful, any digital transformation should aim to improve material legal and business risk mitigation, enhance critical work matter tracking through data mining, drive time efficiency, and respond quickly to changes by minimizing bottlenecks.
By focusing on these priorities, PepsiCo Legal has introduced significant operational efficiency initiatives over the last 2+ years, such as the SharePoint Contract Management System which, in addition to being a platform housing best practice templates and signed agreements, allows for the generation of key data analytics that helps us with our strategic planning including on legal spend and better resource allocation. We also successfully introduced a digital value contribution form into the monthly reporting process of all BU legal teams that have revolutionized Legal’s ability to capture and collate how legal teams generate value and reduce risk for the PepsiCo businesses they support.
This has started to unlock the holy grail for all in-house legal teams, namely metric-based proof evidencing the key business value we add, thus warranting our reputation as indispensable strategic business partners deserving of a seat at the leadership top table. Finally, the team designed an automated risk matrix tracker to help lawyers report, assess, and quantify risk via a digitized and structured platform.
Bradley Collins: Do you have any advice you can offer LegalTech startups looking to collaborate with large corporations like PepsiCo?
Georges El Hoyek: Don’t come to us with already pre-packaged solutions. Sit with us, understand how we operate and what our needs and objectives are, and tailor a solution that suits our needs. As a large multinational, our processes are complex and our needs can vary depending on the geography, the size of the team, and the business imperatives.
Bradley Collins: Finally, is there anything you would change about how law firms operate – is there anything that makes certain law firms more attractive to work with?
Georges El Hoyek: In addition to the usual requirements regarding competitive/clarity of billing, a strong understanding of our business, and high-quality and timely advice, law firms that would offer frequent training and legislative/regulatory updates certainly become more attractive.
