Alexandra Smyth
General Counsel
London, United Kingdom
As you would expect from a global organisation like RELX, in any given day you are sure to interact with people from different backgrounds and all walks of life.
I joined RELX in 2012 from Freshfields, the international law firm, where I was a senior associate in the corporate department of the London office. I never expected that I would end up moving in-house, but I did a lot of work for RELX while at Freshfields - I knew the business well so the transition was easy for me. I’m very happy that I made the move.
My first role at RELX was General Counsel, Corporate and M&A in which I was responsible for the legal aspects of all transactions globally across the group, as well as being involved in more general corporate legal issues, particularly relating to the structure of the group and its governance requirements. I have now moved and am the General Counsel of Reed Exhibitions.
No single day is ever the same. And it’s the variety I really like. I joined Reed Exhibitions in the middle of a global pandemic, which is a time unlike any other in living memory for the exhibitions industry. It’s incredible to be part of our adaption to the rapidly-evolving environment.
My roles have changed while I have been at RELX, but what has remained the same is the need to get to grips with the legal systems and issues across the world. There are experts around the group in various jurisdictions and areas, but collaborating with them and bringing together the various requirements is very interesting work.
I, like most people across RELX, have been working from home for the last few months. This has actually been an easy adjustment given that RELX is so well equipped with the various tech needed to carry out our roles. Prior to the pandemic, I worked primarily from my iPad and rarely have a need to print things, which is convenient for me and obviously great for the environment too.
As you would expect from a global organisation like RELX, you are sure to interact with people from different backgrounds and all walks of life. In any given day I may encounter people who are French, German, Austrian, Chinese, Singaporean, American, Brazilian and many more (including Australians like myself). Realising that such a diverse group can have more in common than they do differences is a lot of fun.