Chineye O

Commercial and technology contracts leader with 14+ years' experience managing the full contract lifecycle for complex technology transactions, strategic partnerships, enterprise customer agreements, procurement arrangements, and SaaS transactions across EMEA and global markets. Trusted business partner to product, sales, procurement, operations, finance, research, and executive leadership teams, recognised for negotiating complex commercial agreements, developing scalable contracting frameworks, driving process improvements, and delivering practical, pragmatic solutions in fast paced, high growth environments. Extensive experience supporting global legal organisations, implementing contracting playbooks, delivering stakeholder training and enablement programmes, managing regional legal matters, and translating global legal strategy into scalable regional execution.

Deep expertise in SaaS, cloud services, AI contracting, data privacy, intellectual property, commercial risk management, and technology transactions.

Legal Counsel – Global Supply & Procurement - Diageo Great Britain Limited - London

(2022-11)

Senior legal business partner supporting technology, AI, cloud, digital transformation, commercial contracting and strategic supplier relationships across 180+ countries.

• Negotiated 1,000+ complex technology and commercial transactions valued at over US$1 billion, spanning master services agreements, SaaS, outsourcing, licensing, data processing, and AI-enabled agreements, while advising senior leadership on legal risks and optimizing legal and business advantages.
• Closed a US$82.9M Application Management Services (AMS) outsourcing transaction (Project Reimagine), structured, negotiated and closed complex technology agreements, including master services agreements and service delivery contracts covering automation and AI-enabled service delivery enabling a business-critical transformation on time and within programme parameters.
• Led legal negotiating and contracting for Project Leapfrog, a US$150m+ order-to-cash digital transformation project, negotiated and executed MSA, statements of work and SaaS agreements with an ecosystem of technology vendors, mitigating commercial risk and delivering contractual frameworks aligned to programme objectives and milestones.
• Provided legal support on Project Voyager, Diageo's most significant ever technology investment, in partnership with SAP and IBM, negotiated RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud agreement, encompassing cross-border data transfer mechanisms (SCCs and DPAs), IP ownership frameworks, and tailored liability caps and indemnity structures across a complex multi-party, multi-jurisdiction programme.
• Spearheaded the global rollout of multiple global procurement contracting initiatives across 180 countries, standardising Diageo purchasing terms and conditions, digitalising contractual frameworks within SAP, CLM, and Coupa platforms, and embedding ESG obligations into supplier agreements in partnership with market legal counsel.
• Developed and implemented global contract templates, contracting playbooks, approval frameworks, and operational guidance, achieving a 90% improvement in contract lifecycle efficiency and significantly reducing time to contract across multiple business functions.
• Procurement legal lead for creating the AI governance strategy for Diageo's global procurement function, developing AI provisions and addenda, AI contracting playbooks, risk assessment questionnaires, embedding AI risk provisions into supplier agreements across Diageo operating markets globally, and delivering training programmes for procurement and legal stakeholders thereby ensuring Diageo's contracting approach kept pace with the fast-moving regulatory developments in AI regulation and data p
• Partnered with legal and business stakeholders across 180+ countries to triage regional legal matters, coordinate global and local legal priorities, and ensure consistent implementation of contracting standards and legal policies.
• Designed and delivered stakeholder enablement sessions and training programmes covering AI governance, contracting standards, data privacy, and risk management, improving legal awareness and contracting capability across global business teams.
• Structured and negotiated a high-volume global marketing agency portfolio spanning advertising, content creation, production, experiential marketing, media, and talent agreements, advising on AI, IP, competition law, and data privacy implications.
• Negotiated complex enterprise customer, vendor, strategic partner, SaaS, cloud services, data processing, confidentiality, licensing, and procurement agreements, independently managing transactions from intake through execution.
• Served as a trusted advisor on contractual disputes arising from supply chain, procurement, and commercial arrangements, developing pragmatic resolution strategies that safeguarded business continuity, minimised financial exposure, preserved key supplier relationships, and avoided escalation into formal litigation or arbitration.

Legal Manager – Supply Chain, Strategic Projects & Data Privacy - East African Breweries PLC (A Diageo Company) - Kenya

(2021-08 - 2022-11)

Served as Supply Chain Counsel and member of the Kenya Supply Chain Leadership Team, providing strategic legal advisory to the Supply Chain Director and leadership team and the wider East African markets.

• Negotiated and executed a KES 10 billion+ complex commercial contract portfolio spanning MSAs, framework agreements, SaaS agreements, data transfer agreements, and equipment supply and installation agreements, eliminating reliance on external counsel and delivering significant cost savings to the business.
• Led a cross-functional contracting transformation programme, redesigning contracting processes, improving governance frameworks, streamlining approvals, and establishing scalable contracting practices that unlocked operational efficiencies and reduced legal bottlenecks.
• Acted as primary legal point of contact for regional contracting matters, coordinating business priorities, managing stakeholder expectations, and ensuring effective alignment between local and global objectives.
• Pioneered EABL's first-ever data privacy and protection audit across Kenya and Uganda, benchmarked against GDPR standards, identifying compliance gaps, creating governance documentation, embedding data privacy processes into business operations, and remediating all identified gaps to strengthen the organisation's regulatory compliance posture.
• Led end-to-end contract negotiations for supply chain and capital expenditure projects including the EABL Microbrewery, spanning building and construction agreements, complex supply agreements, commercial contracts, and equipment and raw materials agreements sourced from multiple jurisdictions. Managed complex cross-border contracting arrangements, balancing legal, regulatory, and commercial considerations to support the successful delivery of a critical business investment.
• Managed and resolved high-risk, business critical contractual disputes and arbitration matters, deploying strategic legal counsel to protect business interests and secure favourable commercial outcomes.
• Partnered with senior leadership to design compliance procedures, controls, and reporting frameworks; conducted investigations, prepared confidential board reports, and managed government investigations and regulatory inquiries.

Commercial Legal Manager & Data Protection Officer - Guinness Nigeria PLC (A Diageo Company) - Nigeria

(2019-09 - 2021-07)

Full-scope commercial legal lead and Data Protection Officer, providing risk-based legal advisory across all business functions in one of West Africa's largest markets.

• Led a cross-functional export expansion project, unlocking new revenue streams through market entry into Europe and North America, advising on commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and international trade requirements.
• Delivered 1,000+ commercial contracts valued in excess of NGN 100 million, including MSAs, SaaS agreements, cloud services agreements, outsourcing agreements, data processing agreements, and licensing agreements, ensuring full legal, regulatory, and commercial compliance.
• Advised the sales team on the Route-To-Consumer (RTC) transformation project, providing strategic guidance on the distribution agreement framework to align with the new route to market model. Advised on consumer and competition law risks, enabling the business to achieve its transformation objectives while maintaining regulatory compliance and facilitating successful business transition to the new operating model.
• Designed and delivered enterprise-wide legal training programmes on anti-money laundering, anti-bribery & corruption, competition & anti-trust, data privacy, information management and security and records retention, raising compliance awareness and capability across the organisation.
• Advised the Board and senior leadership on compliance and legal risk exposure; managed the full litigation portfolio, overseeing external solicitor relationships and ensuring zero court deadline failures.
• Supported the Company Secretary on governance advisory, regulatory compliance including drafting shareholder, board, and board committee minutes, and coordination of key governance processes for the Guinness Nigeria Board.

Commercial Legal Advisor - MTN Nigeria Communications PLC - Nigeria

(2016-02 - 2019-09)

• Partnered with MTN's Enterprise Business Unit and Sales & Distribution teams to negotiate and execute a broad portfolio of customer facing technology and telecommunications agreements, including internet connectivity, leased circuits, fixed voice, IPConnect, USSD, mobile solutions, and managed service arrangements, enabling revenue growth across enterprise customer segments.
• Supported the negotiation and implementation of commercial programmes and partnership arrangements, value added services agreements, and distribution agreements, strengthening market reach and supporting the delivery of telecommunications products and services across Nigeria.
• Negotiated commercial, reseller, distribution, channel partner, and value-added services agreements supporting expansion of enterprise technology services across multiple customer segments.
• Drafted and negotiated MTN's commercial channel and partner agreements, including convenience channel partner agreements, inter-carrier partnership agreements, trade partnership agreements, and trade partner loyalty agreements, supporting the sales team in structuring and formalising MTN's commercial distribution network.
• Led a team of 5 legal professionals managing a portfolio of over 1000 complex commercial agreements per annum, drove risk-based contract negotiation and risk mitigation strategies, achieving timely closure of over 95% of the contract portfolio to enable speed to market.
• Leveraged principle-based negotiation and dispute resolution skills to mitigate contractual risk, reduce costs, and protect the business from undocumented transactions.
• Reviewed and monitored changes to industry and local laws, modifying contractual terms accordingly to ensure ongoing compliance and risk management.
• Managed the MTN litigation portfolio; developed litigation strategies for all matters and ensured timely filing of court processes.

Associate – Corporate & Commercial Team - Odujinrin & Adefulu (Law Firm) - Nigeria

(2012-01 - 2016-02)

• Advised and executed complex national and international corporate transactions across corporate finance, energy, real estate, and commercial sectors, providing end-to-end transactional legal support.
• Negotiated and reviewed project finance documentation including facility agreements, security packages, and project documents for major infrastructure and energy transactions.
• Advised foreign investors on Nigerian legislative and regulatory frameworks, including providing in-depth regulatory analysis for participation in the Nigerian coastal trade sector.

Solicitor of England & Wales - Law - Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

LL.M - International Business Law - BPP University London

Bachelor of Law (B.L) - Law - Nigerian Law School

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) - Law - University of Lagos