_________________________________________________________________________ Chrissy
Seethaler- Embecta Corp
Since the spin, the global legal team has grown from five people to 19. Legal operations remain a lean two-person team, but Chrissy’ s philosophy shapes how the entire group works, especially in a multinational environment.“ As a multinational company, working outside the US brings a variety of challenges. You have different cultures, different operating mechanisms, and local laws.”
She learned that firsthand while supporting global supply chain agreements. One moment stands out.“ In India, a stall in a market square holds a valid pharmacy license to be able to sell embecta products,” she affirms. The reality changed how she assessed risk and contract language.“ Only by viewing those risks differently could I be sure that the agreements had language that made sense for that market.”
She encourages her team to understand the business at that same depth. Borrowing from the idea that it takes a village to raise a child, she asks them to identify stakeholders, understand why they matter, and learn how their functions work.“ Only by answering those questions can they really understand what the village represents and what it needs to thrive,” she observes.
Redefining success
Chrissy’ s definition of success has evolved over time. Early in her career, success meant pulling metadata from printed contracts. Later, it became about best practices, efficiency, and process design. Today, success looks different. It means understanding global business needs, aligning resources thoughtfully, and using technology to support strategic priorities.
One constant remains.“ I still need to make the General Counsel and embecta look good. But what‘ good’ looks like has changed,” she reflects. Today, Chrissy is more willing to step into strategic conversations.“ I’ m not afraid to take a seat at the table,” she acknowledges.“ I’ ll ask to join calls or project teams when it makes sense.”
Leading through uncertainty
Chrissy credits her mentors with teaching her not to fear failure, a mindset that serves her well as
As a multinational company, working outside the US brings a variety of challenges
legal operations explores emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools within the CLM.“ I need to know my limitations,” she says. She relies heavily on subject-matter experts across IT, data privacy, information security, internal audit, and compliance.“ If I don’ t lean on these people, I will fail,” she stresses.
Clear communication anchors her approach. For large initiatives, she builds structured communication plans with clear audiences, timelines, and milestones. Delegation is an ongoing discipline.“ I’ m a bit of a perfectionist. I like to think that I can do everything myself,” she admits. But Chrissy keeps learning about balance, trust, and her own limits.“ I discover my own limitations every day,” she adds.
That self-awareness, paired with humility and consistency, allows Chrissy to lead through complexity without losing sight of the people around her. In a global organization navigating constant change, her message remains simple and powerful. Anyone can cook. And with the right support, anyone can contribute something meaningful to the table. ■
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