In-house luminary and Vodafone group general counsel Rosemary Martin is set to retire after more than a decade at the helm, to be replaced by well-respected easyJet GC, Maaike De Bie.
Martin, who joined Vodafone in 2010 after stints as Reuters’ GC and a partner at Rowe & Maw, will retire on 31 March 2023. The move will bring to an end a glittering career which saw her become synonymous with the development and the increasing influence of the GC role, as well as for championing diversity and ESG initiatives.
Speaking to Legal Business, Martin (pictured) said: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Vodafone. The company’s aim is to keep everyone connected and playing a role in that has felt worthwhile. I have been so fortunate throughout my career to work with terrific people in many different countries on interesting challenges and projects.’
A recent example of her forward-thinking, last year’s Vodafone panel refresh was predicated on a mutual commitment among firms to share diversity and ESG best practices, as well as a range of ‘mindful working principles’ to reduce unnecessary professional stress.
In addition to her innovative approach to panel appointments, Martin oversaw complex litigation such as a large 2014 antitrust damages action pursued by Vodafone against three semiconductor companies active in the smart card industry. On the transactional side, she led on the company’s 2012 buyout of Cable & Wireless Worldwide for £1bn.
In 2014, Martin and her Vodafone legal team were honoured as In-House Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards.
Martin’s colleague Wayne Spillett, head of legal for commercial operations, IP and corporate secretariat, said in an interview with Legal Business earlier this year: ‘Rosemary is excellent as a leader. She’s very astute, got great energy and is very forward-thinking. Whether that’s tech or diversity and inclusion she’s always pushing the boundaries.
‘When I first joined Vodafone… I wasn’t out (as gay) at work. It was small gestures of allyship from people like Rosemary – like hosting an LGBT lunch where the executive committee get to know the LGBT community better – that made me feel more comfortable in my own skin. In some ways I held myself back a bit when I wasn’t out at work, but Rosemary was the first one to show me support from the top.’
For her part De Bie, Martin’s replacement, has similar standing among the in-house community. She received significant plaudits in her role prior to easyJet, as GC of Royal Mail. One of her initiatives there was setting up an internal training academy, which schooled junior lawyers on soft skills such as networking and leadership in addition to traditional legal training.
Routinely featured in the GC Powerlist, the 2018 edition saw then Uber EMEA GC Matthew Wilson comment: ‘The way in which [de Bie’s] taken a very traditional institution, transformed the legal function and played a significant role in transforming the business in the face of much more agile, unencumbered competitors has been hugely impressive.’
Her acclaim has continued at easyJet, as evidenced by her winning GC of the Year at last year’s Legal Business Awards. De Bie and her in-house team received recognition for piloting the company successfully as the aviation industry was ravaged by the pandemic, while responding robustly to a sophisticated cyber-attack.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: ‘Group General Counsel and Company Secretary Maaike de Bie is leaving easyJet to join Vodafone early next year and we would like to thank Maaike for her contribution to the airline over the past three and a half years.
‘Rebecca Mills will be promoted to Group General Counsel, reporting to CEO Johan Lundgren. Having been with easyJet for nearly 12 years Rebecca brings a wealth of experience to the role, most recently holding positions as easyJet’s Deputy General Counsel and Legal Director for easyJet holidays. Deputy Company Secretary Ben Matthews will be promoted to Company Secretary, and both will provide a seamless transition and strong leadership at easyJet.’