Marina Özdemir
@marinazdemir
Senior legal & compliance advisor driving governance, risk, and contracts across LATAM.
BrazilWhat I'm looking for
I’m a senior legal and compliance professional with 15+ years of experience leading governance, risk, and contract functions across LATAM in multinational environments. I build legal frameworks that strengthen internal controls and make executive decision-making more consistent in complex, regulated, cross-border operations.
In my current role as a Governance & Compliance Advisor at OZCO LTDA, I lead governance, risk, and compliance projects for clients across fintech, banking, retail, and industrial sectors. I structure governance frameworks and decision-making processes that reduce fragmentation, improve operational efficiency, and translate regulatory requirements into practical operational controls.
I also run risk assessments and regulatory gap analyses, and I implement mechanisms to capture risks and operational blockers with better visibility for management. In one initiative, a knowledge-management model increased organizational participation from ~38% to ~92% and reduced efficiency losses of up to ~25%—with results documented in a published academic study.
Previously, as a Legal Manager at CBRE Group, I led corporate legal support for multiple entities in Brazil, partnering with global headquarters and scaling the legal function in a high-volume environment. I managed large contract volumes, supported third-party due diligence and internal audits, and drove litigation management—partnering directly with Operations, Procurement, and HR to mitigate risk and protect continuity of strategic contracts.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Governance & Compliance Advisor
OZCO LTDA
Jan 2018 - Jan 2025 (7 years)
Led governance, risk, and compliance projects for multinational clients (fintech, banking, retail, industrial), building decision models and control mechanisms for complex, regulated environments. Increased organizational participation from ~38% to ~92% and reduced decision fragmentation-related efficiency losses by up to ~25%, documented in an academic publication.
Led the legal function for three entities in Brazil, partnering with global HQ to build and scale legal operations in a high-volume environment (~80–120 contracts/month). Managed corporate matters, negotiated complex multimillion-dollar agreements, and coordinated litigation with external counsel to mitigate risk and ensure business continuity.
Provided legal support to business units across energy, industrial, and infrastructure operations, negotiating commercial and operational contracts (~60–70 contracts/month). Supported contractual risk management and decision-making under global compliance frameworks and coordinated legal support for field operations and litigation.
Legal Counsel (LATAM Lead)
Vitopel
Jan 2008 - Jan 2009 (1 year)
Led the legal function for operations in Brazil and Argentina as primary counsel for senior management in an industrial environment. Structured a low-maturity legal function into repeatable processes for contracts and corporate matters, supporting field operations and drafting/negotiating commercial and industrial agreements.
Supported industrial and commercial contract negotiation in a multinational environment, interfacing with international stakeholders to enable project execution and risk mitigation. Provided legal advisory to supply chain and industrial operations to ensure contractual compliance and business alignment.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
University of São Paulo (USP)
PhD, Governance, Decision-Making Processes
PhD in Governance, Decision-Making Processes, and Complex Organizational Environments at the University of São Paulo. Expected completion is 2026.
University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP)
MBA, ESG & Business
MBA focused on ESG and business at USP/ESALQ.
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)
Postgraduate Degree, International Law
Postgraduate degree in International Law from PUC-SP.
Universidade São Francisco
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Law
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Universidade São Francisco.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
BrazilAuthorized to work in
Job categories
Skills
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