Geminor is looking for a Legal Advisor

As Geminor expands across nine European markets, we are building the internal capabilities to match our ambitions. The Legal Advisor is a newly created role – and a unique opportunity to be part of that journey from the ground up. You will be Geminor’s first dedicated in-house legal resource, providing practical guidance, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, and helping the business grow with confidence across borders.

Read more about the position at hamnoy.no 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Still för Hamnöj är en podcast som blar dig blir bredt med aktuella stillingar och organisationer. Här vi besöka av olika gestar hos räksamheter vi jobba med. Kätt gut hamnöj daton för mer information om aktueller stilling eller om du har behov för rekryteringsbistonn.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

Welcome to stillingspodden. Today we are sitting down with Gaminor, an international recycling company headquartered on Karma. Currently in the middle of a strong growth journey across Europe. And Gamino is now looking for their first legal advisor. And with me today I have the chief commercial officer Ralph Schoffinkel and Chief QHAC and HR officer Director Jan Hetlan. Welcome to you both. Thank you. Thank you. Let's start with a bit of context. Gaminor has grown into a nine-country operation. For someone who doesn't know the company, would you say a bit more about what Gamon actually does and what makes it a distinctive place to work?

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Yes, I can. The company was established in 2004 by Chet Louvi Kingsa. And even though we have grown in nine country operations, like you said, we still have an entrepreneurial mindset in the company. And if I can explain Gaminor in a really easy way, we connect those who have waste with those who can use it. And we have customers on both sides. Some customers need to get rid of the waste in a responsible way, and others need the waste as a resource, for example, to energy recovery or recycling or other treatments. So our role is to understand both the needs on both sides and find the best solution between them. And this means that our employees are specialists in understanding different types of waste that we have and understand how we can transport it by tracks or by boat or by train. And of course, they are specialists in the rules that apply when you have to move the waste from one country to another. So for us, waste is a resource. And there is an expression which says that one person's trash is another person's treasure. So that's that fits us very well. And what makes Gaminor distinctive as a company is that you are really close to the business in Gaminor, and you are close to customers and the market and the logistics and the decisions that are being made in the company. We are also very international, like you said, because we are across nine different countries. We have different cultures in Gaminor, and we have different rules and regulations, and we have different markets. So the work is never one-dimensional in Gamer. And for me, the exciting part of working in Gamer is the mix of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and the practical problem solving that we do in Gamer. So things move very quickly here, and people are working very close together across the borders, and we are working with something that really matters because we're making sure that the waste is handled in the right way and is used as a resource. And that also gives me a good feeling when I go home from work because I feel proud to be part of something that has a real purpose. And I think that makes Gamanor a distinctive place to work.

SPEAKER_03 3:45

Ralph, you're sitting at the commercial center of the business, and as Janna said, you're operating in different countries and markets with contracts running across borders, customers, suppliers, transport providers, treatment facilities. Can you give us a sense of the commercial complexity you're navigating?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Yeah. First of all, we have set up in nine countries with our own companies or company structure, but we actually are active in many more countries than nine countries. We're active in most of the European countries, actually. And that of course brings also a lot of complexity. I would probably start by dividing the market up into an upstream market, like Janis say, we're connecting people who have waste with people who need it. So we're dividing it in upstream countries and downstream countries. Most part of the waste we are treating is so-called RDF with use-derived fuel. So it's it's the non-recyclable part of the waste sections which can't go for material recycling, are used to create energy in forms of burning it, boiling water into steam, and then running steam turbines, doing electricity and district heating. On that part, on the upstream part, we're serving roughly somewhere between 350 and 400 individual companies or customers. And we're delivering this to between 250 and 300 so-called downstream customers or off-takers, as we very often plastic them to. As I said, some of the nine countries are more upstream oriented. So that's basically collecting waste or taking waste out and importing, we're exporting that waste to downstream countries. And our biggest downstream countries are the Nordic, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. And the biggest upstream countries are the UK, Poland, Italy, and the UK. And then we are in some countries like Germany. It's a quite balanced country. We both export and import. And there are other countries we have on the radar where we try to develop, like France and also Central Eastern Europe now. We normally are in a position where we have to set up contracts with the upstream countries and the downstream countries, and we try to do this as much as possible back to back. And we have also different complexity. Roughly half of the waste market is public waste, so it's household waste, which we generate in the households, and the other half is business waste or industrial waste, which is very often run by private companies. And that brings different juridical challenges. Bringing their own complexity, both in contracts term, but also the whole process is very regulated, while the other part is a straightforward contract term, I would say.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Yes, perfect. Yeah. And like I've said, even though we are in nine different countries, we have more than one office often in one country. So I think 14 different offices that we have. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

And why and how has this created the need for an in-house legal advisor, would you say?

SPEAKER_01 6:46

With the growth, of course, and the expansion into many new countries, complexity in contracts is also increasing. You have a lot of jurisdictions to rely upon. That's very important. So we we see a need to improve on our contractual sites, templates. A very important part for us also is to improve the juridical competence in our organization, especially in our commercial organization. We have had a few challenging contracts and experience with some of these contracts over the last few years, where we see that the need for an in-house lawyer is increasing and would be very good to have someone on board who can help us and take uh also to reduce our risks.

SPEAKER_03 7:29

And for the candidate who's listening, uh, Yanne, would you say that this is a company still building? Like obviously you're in a growth uh journey right now, but where would you say that you are? Are you like in the beginning phase, or would you say that you have a solid foundation in place at this point?

SPEAKER_02 7:45

Yeah, I would say that Gaminor has a solid foundation, but we are still building. We have grown a lot in the last three to four years. Just to give you an idea of how our journey has been, in 2020 we were 43 permanent employees, and today we are 127 permanent employees across nine countries. At our 20th anniversary in 2024, I looked at the numbers and saw that 43% of the employees has been with the company for less than one year, and that says a lot about the speed of the growth that the company has had. So, of course, when a company grows that quickly, we will naturally have growing pains in that stage. So the last year has been about consolidation and building structure, like Alpha said, strengthening the internal processes that we have, preparing the organization for the next phase. But when that is said, we are not starting from scratch. We have a strong business module, we have strong knowledge in the market, and we have something I call the superpower, which it's called Gamisog. Uh and that is our internal logistics software that we use when we are operating our business and run a business in Gaminov. At the same time, we are operating in different markets. The different markets have different speeds, and some countries are very mature when it comes to using waste as a resource, and others are still growing or moving away from landfills. That makes our work both complex and meaningful. So the candidates that apply for this position are joining a company with a strong foundation, but also a company where you still have room to build and to improve and to influence as an employee. And that that I think makes this position very unique and exciting.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

Seems like a fine balance, and that it's a really exciting times, Gemino, right now.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

And on a few sentences to that, we we are coming from a market where waste was collected and done locally in landfills. And back in the early 2000s, 2005, the big countries in Central Europe changed their policies on this to say, listen, waste should not be allowed to go to landfills anymore. It should become a resource and be used at least to produce electricity and district heating. And the overarching aim is gradually, of course, to build a circular economy. And in the circular economy, the waste industry will be a big raw material supplier in a way in the end. So it's a very interesting industry. It's ever-changing, it's very fast. And you can say that we started to build the markets for this material over the last 25 years with a focus on northern Europe. So here the markets are fairly developed now. We've been a big exporter based out of the UK. They are now closing the gap. They're building a lot of what we call incineration plants to be able to use their own material in the UK. And we need to move more into the southern part of Europe, which is still using landfill and startly as their main solutions. And of course, this brings us into new territory. We need people in here who understands that speed is of the essence. It's very important. And we need people who can help us not put all the brakes on and make everything very complicated and impossible to deal. Or we need people with a practical mindset who understands there are risks, but help us to mitigate us, who sees this and support us in keeping the speed in the organization. It's quite a challenge when you grow and come so many people to keep that pace up on the level where it needs to be to be competitive. It's not like it's a very established market which has a very long time horizon and which is very predictable. It's very opportunistic and entrepreneurial, and that will still remain this way for many years.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

And Ralph, would you like to say a bit more about what this person will be doing? Obviously, this is a newly created position, as we mentioned. So it would be hard to describe a typical week or a typical day. But what do you think would be the first challenges, say the first year or six months?

SPEAKER_01 12:07

That's a good question. Of course, as you say, we haven't had this position before. So there's a great opportunity to build a legal function in Gaming Nueva from the ground up. Of course, there will be some contract review works going on permanently. We hopefully managing to grow also in the future. So there will, of course, be a larger number of projects coming our way. So it is this kind of balance between what we would call the operational business, the day-to-day business, but also to build a strategic around our legal position. So going through templates, training the organization, building an archive system for contracts, stuff like that, I think would be probably the first year or maybe a couple of years the uh the main agenda points for that person.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

And uh this person will work closely to you. Who else will this person work with the day to day and and where will the position be like placed in the organization?

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Yeah, yeah. So that that position will report to me in the organizational diagram, but we are very flat company. We have a very flat structure, so this person will be used wherever the company needs it. We we have a small management team of I think we have six people in the management team. Yeah. So that person will also be used by the management team on other legal matters, and then I think also it depends on the profile of the person. It's not nothing is hammered in stone in Gamino, we normally use to say. So uh things are moving fast. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:37

So that's good. And and in terms of location, you are open for this person to be located in different offices across the Gamino. Could you say a bit more about that, uh Janna?

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Yeah, we as you said, we have opened the role for Kalme, Copenhagen, and August because we want to find the right candidate, not just the right location. Kalme is our head office, and since the role reports to Alf, where he is based, that will naturally be a good place to sit. But at the same time, Geminor is an international company, and this role will support several countries, and we are used to working across the different offices. So, what matters the most is that the person is close to the business, builds strong relationships, and gets a good professional environment around them, and they will get that. Either they are in Kalmay, Copenhagen, or Aarhus. So we are flexible, and we will choose the setup that gives the candidate and us as a company the best condition to succeed, I think.

SPEAKER_03 14:43

Let's talk more about the profile and what you guys are looking for in this person. We can start with the hard skills as well. What would you say are the non-negotiables when it comes to background and experience?

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Yeah, we need, of course, someone with a strong legal foundation, someone who has experience in international contract management, would be very favorable for us, of course. So the person must be confident with contracts, commercial law, and legal risk. But legal competence is not enough. The role will work very close with a commercial organization. So we need someone to understand our business, our industry, who can translate the legal topics into practical advice. We don't need someone to stop us. We need someone to support us. That's very, very important. Since this is our fourth legal role, we also need someone who can work independently and build structure where it does not already exist. We are not looking for someone who only points out risk and says no. We need someone who can help and support our business to move forward in a safe and professional way. Industry experience would, of course, be useful, but it's not the most important requirement, as this can be trained by us. The most important thing is a combination of legal competence, commercial understanding, and pragmatic solution or intended mindset. Our markets are moving fast and our commercial colleagues are often meeting tight deadlines. We need someone who understands this and who can prioritize and support swiftly.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

And uh beyond the CV, what kind of person would you say would thrive in in Gamino?

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Yeah, beyond the CV, I think the people who thrive at Gamino are people who like to be close to the business and who want to contribute to something meaningful. We are an informal company and we do have a lot of humor, and that means that we are quite direct. We have short lines of communication, and people are expected to speak up and contribute in our company. We do not take ourselves too seriously, but we take the work seriously that we do. One thing that also makes Gemino special is that our owners are very involved in the daily business. There is a short distance to the owners and to the decision making. And I think that makes the company both exciting and dynamic. I also think that people at Gamer generally care about each other in the company. And we want, of course, the other employees or our colleagues to succeed. And we try to help each other as much as we can across the countries. So the right person should enjoy being part of a team where people are pragmatic or practical and open and good at finding solutions, I think, in the company. And for this role, especially, the person must enjoy building a structure, like Alf said, because everything is not set already. It's a new role, so we don't have everything in place. And they need to work independently, like Alf said, and and of course understand the commercial side of our business, uh, and then turn legal advice into practical solutions, which will make the sales team um they will understand the uh the um difficulty that they have with the contracts.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

That's a good point, if I might add on there, that we need someone who doesn't sit and wait until we tell him what he should prioritize, but someone with a strong engine who can see himself be proactive. Yes, yeah, who can be proactive and and help us build this um this job and this role and integrate themselves into the company and support us going forward.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

Yeah, and I would say that the people who thrive and succeed in our company is people who are confident and are humble, but also curious and proactive. And they also want people around them to succeed.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

Yama, a final word to anyone listening who is considering applying for this position. Why would you say that this is the right moment to join Gaminor for this role?

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Yeah, I think now is the right moment because Gaminor is at an important stage in our development as a company because we have a strong foundation, but we are also growing and trying to professionalize uh more into becoming a more international company. And that means that this role as a legal advisor will not step into an existing role because it's a new role, and they will not maintain what's already there because they have to make that structure. So this person will have the opportunity to build that legal function and create the structure and work closely with the business from the beginning. And for the right candidate, I think this is a rare opportunity because you will be close to the decision making, you will be close to the commercial teams which are working in our markets every day, and you will be involved in the legal questions across different countries and cultures and markets. So this is not a role where you will sit far away from the business. You will not only review contracts, uh, because this is a role where you can help enable the business and reduce the risk by the work that you're doing and support Gaminor in growing even further into the future. So I would say if you are motivated by building something and working internationally and being part of a company with a clear purpose, then I think this is a very exciting time to join Gaminor as a company.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

And what would you say to a lawyer who is wondering whether to make the move into the industry?

SPEAKER_02 20:36

I would say that if you want to be closer to the business and an industry where you can, or if you want to be in an industry where you can be very close to the business, this is actually an exciting move because as an in-house lawyer, you are much closer to the decisions, the commercial discussions that we have in a company, and the people who actually run the business. So you're not only give advice from the outside into a company, but you become part of a team and you see how your advice helps the business move forward. So this role is especially true because it's our first in-house legal position, and the person will have the opportunity to build the function, create the structure, and develop the templates and become a trusted advisor to the commercial organization that we have. So I think this role will suit a lawyer who is practical, curious, and commercially minded, like Ralph said before, and someone who wants to use legal competence not only to identify the risk, but to help the business find good solutions going forward. So you do not move away from law, I think, by joining Gaminore. You will move closer to the legal advice that creates the business impact in our company.

SPEAKER_03 22:06

And for anyone who wants to know more about the process, the position, uh, what should they do next?

SPEAKER_02 22:12

I would say read the job description and reach out if they have any questions. Because I know this is a newly created role, so it's natural to have questions about the mandate, the organization, and of course, maybe they have questions about how old my first year look like being or working in Gaminar. And we are happy to talk about it if they want to. But I would also say that do not hold back if you do not every single box of the job description. Because if you have a strong legal foundation, a commercial mindset, and you are curious about building something new in an international company, then we would really like to hear from you, I think. So please take contact, ask questions, and explore whether this could be the right step for you.

SPEAKER_03 23:06

To anyone who's listening, if this sounds like the right move for you or for someone you know, please don't hesitate to get in touch with either me or one of my colleagues who's also working on this process. And you can also find more information about the position at uh. A big thank you to Ralph and Yanne from uh Gaminor. It's been uh great getting to know you, the company, and the legal advisor role a little better. So thank you for the conversation.

SPEAKER_02 23:35

Thank you.