Effie Markopoulos

Background

About Effie Markopoulos

As a member of the Asahi Executive Leadership Team, I oversee legal governance, business partnering and company secretariat – leading a team of 11 lawyers providing legal oversight across product development, supply chain, innovation, M&A, sales, marketing, incident management and risk. Passionate about building diverse, courageous teams that show emotion and think independently, I personally prefer conversation over confrontation and simplicity over formality. Having joined Asahi 10+ years ago during its early Oceania expansion, I’ve advised and guided the company with drive, clarity and certainty through many acquisitions. I take great pride in having successfully normalised “legal compliance-by-design” as a cultural driver in our core business processes – from marketing approvals through to contracting protocols. Currently, my role takes a central hand in shaping governance frameworks including our board procedures, regulatory engagement, and the behaviours that underpin our One Asahi strategy – ensuring that “doing the right thing” becomes business instinct, not just a legal requirement. Drawn to the mix of structure and spontaneity in my work, I believe in “less bureaucracy, more pace and connection”, and encourage my team to use their own best judgment to make sound and savvy legal decisions when working with marketing, sales, and executive teams to balance our legal, commercial, and ethical responsibilities. Prior to Asahi, I started my career at Mallesons, where I specialised in intellectual property law, transitioning in-house via Cadbury Schweppes.