Христина

KHRYSTYNA SUSHKEVYCH

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Current location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Summary: Legal & Compliance leader with 10+ years’ experience of in-house and top-tier Ukrainian
law firms recognized by Chambers Global, Legal 500, Who's Who Legal, etc. I am currently serving as
Head of Legal & Compliance in a global pharmaceutical company. I have strong background in
Ukrainian law combined with international (including EU) legal frameworks and cross-border
governance. My expertise includes, but not limited to antitrust & competition, data privacy protection,
commercial contracts, corporate governance, labour & employment law, IP, litigation, distribution
models, procurement, risk management, and global policies localization. I am a country leadership team
member working closely with local and global stakeholders, as well as international colleagues from
different jurisdictions including EU.
I bring a pragmatic and business-oriented mindset, navigate complex legal landscapes, mitigate risks,
and make confident decisions.

Professional skills: legal operations| people management | corporate governance| compliance | data
privacy | employment | anti-corruption | ownership & project management | team leadership | contracts
management | international law | software licenses | commercial and service agreements | IP rights |
Internal and global policies | M&A & company’s restructuring | risk management | budget planning | cost
control | negotiation | talent developing & mentoring | change management | cross-border operations

Interpersonal skills: excellent communication skills | negotiations | leadership | cross-functional
collaboration | attentions to details | business-oriented | team player | problem-solving skills | distributed
global teams | multicultural environment

HEAD OF LEGAL & COMPLIANCE November 2024 - currently

Sandoz Ukraine
Global healthcare company. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.

● Legal & Compliance leader overseeing all legal and compliance matters of the organization,
acting as a strategic business partner to senior management. Member of the Country
Leadership Team. Manager of legal & compliance function with direct reports (two people),
including setting team priorities, defining performance indicators, ensuring effective resource
allocation, monitoring performance, fostering a collaborative and results driven environment.
● Lead cross-functional initiatives aimed at improving governance frameworks, business
processes, and operational efficiency within the organization.
● Provide end-to-end legal support across commercial operations, including distribution and
business models, vendor relationships, marketing campaigns, labour & employment matters,
court disputes, corporate governance matters, conflict of interest, anti-corruption, etc.
● Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of commercial agreements including
supplier, distribution and import, procurement, license (IP), NDA, DPA, DTA, employment
contracts, partnerships, etc.
● Manage corporate governance framework, developing corporate documentation, shareholders’
and board resolutions, and leading corporate actions (appointments, capital changes,
regulatory filings etc.), ensuring compliance with statutory and group requirements.
● Manage employment and labor law matters, including internal policies, workforce-related
issues, and alignment with global HR frameworks.
● Develop, implement, and maintain compliance frameworks, internal policies, procedures, and
training, including anti-corruption, conflict of interest, data protection & privacy, competition law,
and contract management.
● Participate in internal governance bodies and committees, ensuring legal integrity,
transparency, and compliance-driven decision-making.
● Represent the company during inspections and in external interactions with business partners,
industry stakeholders, and professional associations.
● Lead cross-border legal and compliance projects, coordinating with regional and global
stakeholders (EU) in a matrix organization.

Achievements:
● Global Data Privacy framework implementation. Successfully led and implemented global
data privacy framework in Ukraine, serving as the local Data privacy coordinator. Designed and
localized data protection policies, procedures, and documentation to ensure compliance with
local and international regulations, including GDPR and the AI Act. Drove organization-wide
 privacy awareness through targeted training and practical guidance. Partnered closely with
Global Data privacy and IT teams to align systems, processes and governance with corporate
standards.
● Distribution Partner selection & Governance Framework. Led a comprehensive selection
and restructuring of the company’s distribution selection model. Designed and implemented
transparent & antitrust compliant criteria, governance processes, and monitoring mechanisms.
Partnered closely with Commercial & Finance teams to ensure compliant and efficient
distribution model.

LEGAL BUSINESS PARTNER & September 2020 - November 2024
COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Bayer Ukraine
Global enterprise in the fields of healthcare and agriculture. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany.

● Manage legal & compliance affairs of Consumer Health and Pharmaceutical business units in
Ukraine, member of business units’ Leadership Teams, integral business partner to the
strategic & operational decision-making process, contributor to the global compliance-business
projects.
● Act as end-to-end legal and compliance owner for business initiatives, advising on commercial
business models, distribution and supply structures, e-commerce activities, marketing
programs, corporate governance, employment matters, and cross-border operations.
● Approve and negotiate cross-border and local agreements covering trademark & software
licenses, data processing, product distribution & supply, marketing, confidentiality,
pharmacovigilance, commercial services, etc.
● Lead high-level negotiations with local & multinational counterparties from Germany, the UK,
Croatia, Poland, Turkey, etc. securing favorable terms and mitigating legal & compliance risks.
● Represent Bayer in litigations, inspections, and investigations of controlling state bodies.
● Participate in global compliance projects to develop and implement a comprehensive
compliance framework, including code of conduct & business ethics, corporate compliance
policies, social engagement principles, anticorruption, anti-bribery, insider trading, conflict of
interest, antitrust, etc. following the UK Bribery Act, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the
2003 EU Council Framework Decision on combating corruption in the private sector, TFEU
Competition law Articles, Block Exemption Regulations, other EU regulations and law
enforcement practices.
● Implement locally all global Data privacy regulations, prepare applicable privacy written
standards, and detect opportunities for developing granular documents with strong focus on
GDPR.
● Act as the Ukrainian local compliance lead during audits, collaborate closely with Global
Compliance Auditors in audit investigations from start to finish, including analyzing incoming
factual allegations, identifying, and alerting appropriate internal and external stakeholders,
gathering, and reviewing relevant information, interviewing witnesses, and identifying any
remediation measures.
● Oversee third-party due diligence and vendor compliance controls in cooperation with
procurement and business stakeholders.

Achievements:
● Compliance investigation & Company reputation protection. Partnering with the Global
Auditor Team, I conducted an internal compliance investigation concerning breaches of Bayer’s
Code of Conduct & Business Ethics by a senior manager and an employee in Ukraine. This
comprehensive investigation was imperative to uphold the integrity and ethical standards of our
global operations. Following the investigation, I led the dismissal procedure of the implicated
senior manager, ensuring that the process adhered to all legal & compliance requirements. I
also successfully represented Bayer in a court dispute with the employee regarding violations
of the company's Fairness and Respect Policy, thereby protecting the company’s reputation.
Partnered closely with Global audit and HR teams.
● Business crisis resolution. I navigated a critical impasse with major Ukrainian pharma
distributors related to introduction of new commercial model of cooperation. Within one month
I led the development of an updated commercial model, collaborated with global & local
stakeholders, and negotiated with the distributors to successfully implement the revised
conditions. My efforts were pivotal in maintaining the company's market presence and securing
its financial stability. Partnered closely with Commercial, Marketing and Finance teams.

LEGAL COUNSEL August 2018 - September 2020

Takeda Ukraine
Global healtchcare company. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
 ● Act as a single legal counsel for Takeda Ukraine and partly Takeda Moldova, manage and
handle legal matters while supporting day-to-day activities and company’s projects, provide
legal guidance to compliance projects.
● Advise on antitrust and competition, contract law, civil, commercial, and business law,
advertising law, IP, corporate law, public procurement, personal data protection, anti-
corruption, pharma regulation, etc.

Achievements:
● Legal & Compliance lead for business optimization and structural reorganization. During
the Takeda Company and Shire Company integration (merger) period, I spearheaded the
business optimization and structural company’s reorganization of Takeda Ukraine from a legal
and compliance standpoint. Partnered closely with global and local HR teams and global
Operation team.

LEGAL ASSOCIATE, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW June 2018 - September 2020

Legal Alliance
Leading Ukrainian law firm.

Act as a legal counsel at Takeda (secondee).
Main practices: antitrust & competition, employment law, data privacy protection, anti-corruption,
business ethics and compliance, litigation, public & private partnering, unfair competition.

JUNIOR LEGAL ASSOCIATE November 2015 – April 2018
PARALEGAL

Arzinger
Leading Ukrainian law firm.

Main practices: antitrust & competition, intellectual property, litigation, unfair competition, rulemaking
activities.

Education:

2014 - 2015 School of American Law (Joint program of Chicago-Kent College of Law and Lviv
National University) covering the courses such as U.S. Corporate Law, International Business
Transactions, Technologies in Corporate Transaction, Corporate Governance, Antitrust Law, E-
commerce, Global IP Law, Introduction to the American Legal System, etc.
2014 - 2015 Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko. Master of Laws
2010 - 2014 Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko. Bachelor of Laws

Public Activities and Publications:
2026 - published article “The importance of soft skills in the legal manager: A personal perspective”
2018 - Public speech at Ukrainian bar Association event re Key issues of the pharmaceutical market -
adaptation of internal documents to GDPR and the activity of competition authority
2018 - Public speech at Legal Alliance law firm event re Promotion of medicines through mobile
applications & special programs
2018 - published article “Exclusivity in supply agreements: approaches in the EU and Ukraine”
2019 - published article “Unfair competition is the enemy of goodwill (available in English)”
2017 - published article “Determination and appeal of competition authority’s fines: will it be the
European standards in Ukraine?”

Languages:

English - fluent
Ukrainian - native
German - intermediate