"Governance cannot be done at a distance"
Published on April 09, 2026
3 minutes
Long-term ambition, local roots, global reach: Christina Law, Independent Director, shares her view of the Board of Directors' role and Air Liquide's strengths in a rapidly shifting international landscape.
How does the Board of Directors contribute to ensuring Air Liquide's long-term strategy?
Christina Law: The Board helps Air Liquide define and stay aligned with its long-term objectives by regularly assessing the resilience of the Group's strategy against the major transitions reshaping our markets: decarbonization, industrial transformation, shifting regulation, geopolitical developments and the evolving expectations of stakeholders. Additionally, our role is to ensure the Group remains both ambitious and disciplined with clear priorities, striking the right balance between long-term investment for growth and operational performance. That means safeguarding the Group's interests through robust risk oversight, regular reviews of strategic priorities, and governance that promotes sustainable growth throughout cycles. By bringing together diverse profiles, cultures, and perspectives around the table, the Board fosters richer debates and more informed decisions, which in turn strengthen the Group's long-term strategy and performance.
How does the reality on the ground inform your work?
I firmly believe that governance cannot be done at a distance. Exchanges with local management and teams give direct insight into market dynamics, customer expectations and operational challenges and opportunities. Our recent visit to an Airgas facility in the USA is a concrete example: these conversations with incredibly diverse and highly talented people on the ground helped bridge the gap between vision and execution. These insights ensure that our strategic choices are not merely theoretical, but deeply connected to the teams and the processes that drive the Group's day-to-day performance.
Based on your international experience and knowledge of Asia, what are Air Liquide's main strengths in such a complex international context?
Air Liquide's key strength is its combination of a long-term industrial model with a truly global footprint. Europe remains a central key pillar in the global economic balances, and the Group's European roots provide a strong anchor. At the same time, its presence in the USA and in Asia is a decisive advantage: it enables Air Liquide to maintain its growth trajectory despite the dynamics of regionalization and the new realities of a global industry that is reorganizing itself. From my experience in various global roles, I see how critical it is to stay connected to local (and ever-evolving) realities while maintaining a consistent long-term direction. Air Liquide does that extremely well—through strong teams with deep expertise on the ground that are closely connected to the customers, as well as the scale and credibility of an international leader.