At the GCN Annual Summit 2026, led by Mahutin Awunou on 25 March 2026 and themed “Creating Value in a Changing Corporate Legal Landscape”, one message came through loud and clear: the role of the General Counsel is rapidly changing.
The following insights particularly resonated with the more than 175 GCs/CLOs present, inspired by Bjarne P. Tellmann’s keynote on “How GCs Can Redefine Legal Value in the Age of AI” and the GCN Roundtable discussions with fellow GCs:
- The GC is shifting from legal advisor to strategic orchestrator.
- This broader role requires a “dragonfly lens” (a 360‑degree perspective) that extends far beyond the legal lens.
- The Legal Department should become a “gazellephant”: a stable, tech‑enabled backbone combined with a nimble, fast‑moving front end.
- The legal value stack can further increase enterprise value by adding scale (multiplying Legal’s impact across the business).
- Agentic AI should be embraced and embedded thoughtfully, with the right governance, controls, and human judgment.
Two additional messages also stood out:
A clear call to action from Hidde Bruinsma and Casper de Jong for General Counsel to be more visible on LinkedIn. As a profession, we often work behind the scenes, but there is real value in sharing perspectives and lessons learned.
And last but not least: as the cherry on top, Maarten van der Weijden concluded with a powerful story about setting goals and accepting that sometimes bad luck is simply part of the journey — and a meaningful reminder that if you fail the first time, you can always try again.
Many thanks to everyone present for your contributions, and we look forward to seeing you soon at one of the next GCN Masterclasses, GCN Peergroups, or the GCN Summer Event!
GCN Annual Summit 2026 Aftermovie & photos
