Lilian Ferrete – Sandoz

As Legal, Ethics, Risk and Compliance Director for Brazil and the Andean Cluster at Sandoz, Lilian Ferrete steps into a daily balancing act, deciphering complex legal and regulatory terrain while ensuring her team helps move the business forward with integrity.

Lilian Ferrete | Sandoz | Legal, Ethics, Risk and Compliance Director for Brazil and the Andean Cluster

“The biggest challenge,” she says, “is translating the complexity of legal frameworks into plain language and practical application in regulatory, economic, and political scenarios that business leaders can act on, and showing them how we can overcome those hurdles together.”

Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, operates in a highly regulated sector that’s constantly evolving. The company’s mission, to pioneer access for patients, relies heavily on legal and compliance teams like Ferrete’s to mitigate risk, advise on strategy, and uphold the company’s ethical foundation. In South America, that mission can be uniquely complex.

“At Sandoz, we believe legal and compliance are not just support functions-they are strategic partners that help us deliver on our mission to expand access to healthcare responsibly, ethically, and sustainably,” says Marcelo Belapolsky, Brazil’s Country President.

“It’s not just about navigating legal risks,” she explains. “It’s about understanding the political, social, economic, and cultural pulse of each market, and adapting with speed and strategy.”

Rather than shy away from that complexity, Ferrete leads her 10-person team (spread across Brazil and the Andean Cluster) with transparency, resilience, and collaboration. She sees legal and compliance not just as a support function but as an integral and strategic business partner.

“We are businesspeople with strong legal and compliance knowledge,” she emphasizes. “So, we need to dive deep into the strategic business world and dilemmas.”

That mindset is essential when navigating the introduction of biosimilars, crafting public partnerships, or rolling out innovative technologies. These initiatives require legal foresight, operational creativity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo—traits Ferrete works hard to model and cultivate in her team while maintaining high ethical standards.

Leading with purpose, mentoring with vision

Ferrete’s leadership philosophy is rooted in ethics and human connection. Her approach is consistent: foster trust, reward purpose-driven work, and make room for innovation.

“You can teach the technical,” she says. “But the drive to do the right thing, and help others grow, that comes from within.”

Her team is young, motivated, and mission-driven, something she considers an advantage, not a challenge.

“There are no issues with recruiting,” she notes. “They’re eager to make a difference in the health and pharma sector.” Retention, in her view, comes down to meaning and momentum. She keeps her team engaged by constantly talking about how they can innovate, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and make legal a true strategic partner.

“It’s about advising, taking risks, being strategic, asking questions, and having a seat at the table,” she says. That sense of empowerment, she believes, is what keeps people invested in their roles and inspired by their work. And while she doesn’t divulge specific projects for the coming months, Ferrete says the roadmap includes major focus areas: biosimilar launches, compliance trainings and new approaches, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Every focus area reflects her values and the evolving role of law in the life sciences.

From childhood passion to corporate counsel

Ferrete’s passion for justice began early.

“Since I was five or six, I told my parents I would defend others from injustice,” she recalls. “I never had to decide what I wanted to study, it was always there.” Initially drawn to criminal law with dreams of becoming a prosecutor, she pivoted after discovering the power of in-house legal roles.

“I had this one perfect boss who taught me the beauty of being an in-house lawyer,” she says. “You can help a company grow and, in doing so, positively impact the whole community around it.”

Now at Sandoz, she’s doing just that: using her legal expertise not just to protect the business but to amplify its impact on access to healthcare. And her passion runs deep. She even began teaching her son about the importance of healthcare and the health ecosystem early, buying him a book on how vaccines work when he was only 10 months old. And he loves it!

Despite her love for the work, Ferrete is candid about what frustrates her most.

“The hardest part of the job? Bureaucracy,” she says without hesitation. “I love simplifying policies, processes, and paths. Anything that gives us more time to focus on value-added initiatives.”

That drive to streamline and modernize is one reason she sees artificial intelligence as a natural ally for in-house legal teams.

“AI is already helping in some areas,” she says. “It can take over repetitive, bureaucratic tasks, freeing us up to focus on strategic advisory work.”

“I’m a true believer in the infinite mindset, as described by Simon Sinek in The Infinite Game: ‘Infinite-minded leaders understand that “best” is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be “better.” “Better” suggests a journey of constant improvement and makes us feel like we are being invited to contribute our talents and energies to make progress in that journey.’ We need to always be making things better and shooting for the stars.”

Building resilience, driving change

Ferrete’s career hasn’t been without challenges. Political and economic instability and uncertain macroeconomic conditions can derail even the best-laid plans, especially in a region as complex as South America. But she’s used to navigating turbulence.

“I’m resilient. But I do wish we had more political and economic stability. So the great ideas we all invest in have more room to succeed.”

Her resilience, clarity of purpose, and focus on people-first leadership have made her a key driver of transformation within Sandoz’s South American operations. She blends legal rigor with strategic insight and personal conviction – an ideal combination for someone who sees her role not just as a lawyer, but as a catalyst for ethical business growth.

In an industry that impacts lives at every level (from global regulatory bodies to local clinics) Ferrete’s work is both high-stakes and deeply personal.

“Everything I do ties back to access, inclusion, and innovation. That’s what drives me: every single day.”