Jim Trainor is General Counsel, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of Volkswagen Group UK overseeing legal and compliance across a diverse portfolio of activities supporting its iconic automotive brands — Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, CUPRA, SEAT and VW Commercial Vehicles together with its TPS parts business. He has been with the company since 2007 and GC since 2010, before which he was at Addleshaw Goddard focusing on general commercial and competition law matters working on cases in both Leeds and London. Jim studied law at Leeds University and has a Diploma in Competition Law from King’s College, London. His wife, Natalie, is a Partner at Addleshaw Goddard and they live in Hertfordshire with their two boys (and now two cats!)

What’s the biggest pressure point you face as a GC today?

Wow, straight into the big questions! For me it’s having to adapt to and navigate the business through the ever-increasing and complex regulatory landscape whilst ensuring we play our part in ensuring the business remains agile and customer-focused. Our industry is going through huge changes with vehicle electrification and the use of data and AI throughout the supply chain and customer interfaces – all bringing with them complex regulation and technologies and the need for infrastructure investments to meet present and future customer needs. So, pretty straightforward!

How has your approach to leadership evolved over time?

If I reflect back to early in my career, I probably saw leadership as leading from the front and being involved in everything across the business, but it’s not sustainable. Over time and as my team has grown, I’ve learned real leadership is about trust, engagement, collaboration and team development – enabling the team to take leading roles whilst always being there for them, either as a sounding board or to advocate for them in any tricky situations. I like Nike founder, Phil Knight’s principle: “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” So, it’s about setting the goals and the direction, but empowering the team to find their own path and innovations to get there.

The toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last year?

Tough and complex decisions are made every day and sometimes as in-house leaders this becomes the “norm” and we can forget how difficult and challenging our daily work can be. This is why I believe it is so important to build strong and trusting relationships with business colleagues so that we are working together and the legal team is not siloed from the rest of the business. We have a value at Volkswagen Group UK called “We’re in it together” and I see this as a key guiding principle in everything we do. I am so proud when a team member is recognised by the business for their part in problem-solving an issue or getting through a tough project as part of a wider team. Less about business partnering and more about being part of the business!

One leadership habit you swear by under pressure?

Keep smiling! It’s important to stay calm, controlled and adaptable to the situation. And the skills honed over the years can come to the fore. We have been through our fair share of difficult situations over the past 10 years, but with strong team work and a measured approach you get through it.

How do you personally recharge when things get intense?

Spending time with my family is number 1! Even if it’s just sitting down and watching a film. Also doing some exercise, playing footy in the garden or indulging in my coffee making passion – especially when my cats show an interest!

What’s one wellbeing practice that’s actually stuck for you?

Steven’s practice of looking at the sky before the phone first thing in the morning really resonated with me and is something I try to regularly do. Especially when working at home, I really try to just go into the kitchen, make a coffee and sit down (I am lucky to have a lot of light come into my kitchen) or go outside (if not raining!!) for a few minutes. I haven’t quite got to the point of starting the day with a cold shower (my eldest son swears by it!), but this little ritual sets things up well for me.

If you had to give your younger self one tip about avoiding burnout, what would it be?

Quickly learn to prioritise and test people that tell you something is urgent - distinguish urgency from importance! Don’t take on everything alone – find the right people to work with you. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness! We have a little quote in our team area we look at when things come in last minute: "Your failure to prioritise is not my reason to panic!" This gives us a bit of perspective and also gives us a little smile.

Best book, podcast, or film you’ve discovered recently?

I’ve been an avid podcast lover since the Guardian Football Weekly and Mayo and Kermode Film review podcasts first came out (maybe around 2010?) Great for the commute and a bit of a mental escape! I’ve also re-found my passion for history through the Rest is History Podcast.

One thing your team would be surprised to know about you?

Hmmm. They probably know most things about me! But maybe they’d be surprised to know that I played classical guitar to Grade 5 until my early teens!

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be doing today?

When I realised I wouldn’t be a professional footballer (well maybe I still haven't quite accepted it!), I always wanted to be a football agent (one of the reasons I got into Law). So maybe I’d be flying around on Private Jets doing deals on the image rights of Premier League players, or (more likely) getting a bus to Mansfield to negotiate a contract extension for a journeyman player!

Your go-to guilty pleasure after a long week?

It has to be enjoying a nice bottle of wine (or preferably Champagne!) with Mrs Trainor and watching a film with the kids – we’ve just gone through all of the Mission Impossibles and are now onto the Star Wars films! Definitely a guilty pleasure!

GC Corner: An Interview with Jim Trainor

The Lawyer as Designer