Tackling Change from Within an In-House Legal Function

Maximilian Henkensiefken, Trainee Legal Counsel, Amadeus, Germany

Different Different, But Same: the Magic Mix for Change to be a Catalyst for Success ’Same Same, but Different” is an expression heard regularly in Thailand (and elsewhere), often used when a person wants to tell someone nicely the opposite of what that person expected or wanted to hear. Some companies still metaphorically assert ’Same Same” when it comes to recognizing change or believing it can be a force for good. Those that did not evolve because they viewed past success as justification for stagnation, blind to the evolution of what people wanted, the availability of innovative alternatives (Blockbuster, Kodak) or those whose early success lead to unchecked arrogance (and a deteriorating, toxic culture) created space for others to do better who then, in fact, did better. In response to those with this ’Same Same” attitude towards change, the market answered using the full expression, emphasizing ’but Different.” Such companies needed to have a fundamentally different mindset towards change as their overconfidence and wilful blindness was a recipe for failure.

Maximilian Henkensiefken has been with Amadeus since 2014 and rotated within Amadeus as legal counsel, before taking ownership of legal technologies since 2018. With a team of 9, he implements cutting edge tech and uniquely develops custom solutions and integrations for and even beyond Legal, External Affairs & Governance. As of late, Max has been at the forefront of developing AI solutions in risk and contact analysis, as well as legal reference data management. Max was born in Germany, but has lived abroad for most of his life, including in York in the UK where he obtained his BSc in Account, Management, Finance and Business before converting to law.

Amadeus’ purpose is to make the travel experience better for everyone. Our technology powers the global travel and tourism industry, inspiring more open ways of working and more connected ways of thinking, always with an eye on how the industry can evolve and how our customers can better serve travelers. https://corporate.amadeus.com/en/annual-reports/amadeus-annual-report-2022