Fernando Carreño – Faurecia

As associate general counsel and data protection officer for Faurecia in Mexico, Fernando Carreño wears many hats, each with its own complex challenges. Whether he’s steering cross-border compliance strategies, negotiating client agreements, or guiding the company through digital privacy reforms, Carreño plays a central role in keeping one of the world’s most significant automotive suppliers agile, ethical, and legally sound.

Fernando Carreño | Faurecia | Associate General Counsel & Data Protection Officer, Mexico

Part of FORVIA Group, Faurecia designs and manufactures automotive technologies across four key business lines: interiors, seating, electronics, and clean mobility. Globally, one in two vehicles on the road contains a Faurecia component—a powerful reminder of how integrated the company is within the automotive ecosystem.

For Carreño, the legal function is not just a safeguard—it’s a driver of innovation and a partner in growth.

“My goal is to make legal a vice presidency in Mexico,” he says. “Legal should not be just a support function. We need a seat at the decision-making table, especially when engineers drive board-level decisions with significant legal implications.”

Leading legal transformation in a shifting industry

The automotive sector in North America is amid a historic transition. The rise of electric vehicles, nearshoring of supply chains, regulatory overhauls, and trade agreements such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are reshaping the business landscape. Carreño is on the front lines of that transformation.

“The biggest legal challenge I’m facing right now is the fast-paced evolution of the industry,” he says. “It’s not just about understanding legal frameworks. It’s about anticipating them—rules of origin, environmental policies, tax incentives. These elements don’t exist in a vacuum. They impact how and where we manufacture, partner with suppliers, and structure contracts.”

Carreño brings a proactive, multidisciplinary lens to meet these demands in legal work. He collaborates with stakeholders across commercial, operational, and technical functions to align legal strategies with broader business goals.

“I always strive to be a business partner first,” he explains. “We’re involved in all commercial negotiations with clients and potential clients because every brand has its terms and risk profile. We need to be at the table from the start.”

Safeguarding data & compliance

As data protection officer for Mexico, Carreño is equally focused on digital risk. With global regulations like the GDPR and Mexico’s Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties (LFPDPPP) tightening, compliance is non-negotiable.

“Data protection is high-priority and constantly evolving,” Carreño says. “We manage it through a risk-based and business-integrated approach—partnering with IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and the business itself. We monitor regulatory trends, update internal policies, and deliver training so privacy isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a company-wide responsibility.”

Looking ahead to the rest of 2025 and beyond, Carreño is advancing projects ranging from ESG compliance and regulatory adaptation to implementing legal tech tools. His department streamlines contract lifecycle management, builds legal performance dashboards, and strengthens risk management frameworks.

“The goal is to move from reactive to predictive—to prevent litigation rather than just defend against it,” he says.

Building a team & a culture of integrity

With just two lawyers covering all of Mexico for Faurecia, Carreño’s team is small but mighty. Recruiting and retaining top talent in such a lean environment requires a sharp eye for both skill and values.

“I look for people who have not just the technical qualifications but also adaptability, business acumen, and integrity,” he says. “We support them through training, mentoring, and giving them exposure to cross-border and cross-functional projects. That’s how you grow the next generation of legal leaders.”

For Carreño, the hardest part of the job is also what makes it so meaningful.

“The legal landscape is never static,” he explains. “There are no perfect answers—just strategic choices based on sound judgment. Balancing risk and agility, especially under pressure, is demanding. But what I enjoy most is being a strategic partner to the business. It’s about translating complexity into practical solutions that support growth and integrity.”

That focus on strategic impact extends to Carreño’s thoughts on artificial intelligence. He sees AI not as a threat but as an enabler.

“AI can dramatically increase our efficiency and accuracy,” he says. “It’s not about replacing lawyers—it’s about empowering us to focus on high-value work: critical thinking, ethical oversight, and relationship-building.”

A personal legacy & professional passion

Carreño’s legal journey is deeply personal. “My father and older sister are in-house lawyers,” he shares. “From an early age, I saw law not just as a set of rules, but as a way to think critically and support responsible decision-making.”

While he explored various legal paths early in his career, the in-house role quickly stood out as the right fit.

“Being embedded in the business, understanding its goals, and contributing to its long-term success—that’s what I was drawn to,” he says.

Over the years, one of his greatest professional challenges has been learning to make judgment calls in the face of ambiguity.

“Sometimes there is no clear precedent,” Carreño explains. “You need to trust your instincts, understand the business context, and move forward decisively.”

Beyond the office, Carreño draws strength from his supportive family and his passion for sports.

“Sports have taught me teamwork, discipline, and resilience,” he says. “Those values carry into every part of my life, especially how I lead and collaborate at work.”

With eyes on expanding legal influence within Faurecia and a clear vision for navigating the evolving automotive legal landscape, Fernando Carreño is shaping not just contracts or compliance strategies, but the culture of legal partnership in one of Mexico’s most critical industrial sectors.