Berlin to Barcelona: How Maryam built a global career at scale

Navigating employment law in a global business requires deep technical expertise, a willingness to rethink traditional frameworks, and the confidence to lead.

For Maryam Karchani Gomez de Aranda, Director - Head of Legal Logistics, leading Delivery Hero's Legal Logistics team is about building clear, fair, and innovative solutions for platform work at scale.

From a Temp Contract to Building a Global Function

Maryam’s journey with Delivery Hero started in 2020. After qualifying as an employment lawyer in Spain and spending a decade in private practice, she moved in-house in Ireland before relocating to Berlin. Joining Delivery Hero on a temporary contract, she became the very first member of what is now the Legal Logistics function.

Her career path demonstrates how internal mobility and flexibility go hand in hand. Taking advantage of Delivery Hero’s structure, Maryam eventually relocated back home to Barcelona. 

"Because our team is international with entities across the globe, relocating was seamless," Maryam shares. "It’s a level of trust and flexibility I really appreciate."

Solving Challenges Across 65 Countries

Unlike traditional corporate employment legal teams, Maryam’s function oversees the legal risks of platform work across 65 countries. Her day-to-day focuses heavily on product counseling, working directly with tech and product teams on the rider app to ensure engagement models respect local regulations and case law.

Right now, the team is preparing European markets for the transposition of the European Platform Workers Directive. This multi-entity effort involves reviewing rider engagement models across different brands and implementing algorithmic transparency. 

"It’s about ensuring our operational practices shape positive standards, while maintaining clear risk communication across the entire business," says Maryam.

Leading an International Team Without Hierarchy

Managing a team spread across eight countries comes with unique dynamics, from navigating non-native language nuances, to coordinating across different time zones. But Maryam’s approach to leadership keeps the team grounded and closely connected.

Rather than relying on hierarchy, the Legal Logistics team operates with high autonomy and open communication. They connect regularly on Slack and structured calendar touchpoints to share peer-to-peer learnings. 

"We encounter problems that have no standard legal blueprint," Maryam explains. "That makes us a very flat, collaborative team. There’s no internal competition, we’re always eager to support and learn from each other."

Real-World Impact and Advice for Future Candidates

The real reward of the work comes from its tangible impact. By collaborating closely with product, operations, finance, and public affairs, Maryam’s team actively shapes emerging regulations and protects business operations.

For legal professionals looking to join her team, Maryam emphasizes that mindset matters just as much as technical knowledge: "We look for people with a strong technical foundation, but you also need an open mind and the ability to think creatively. We are building solutions in dynamic environments where things haven't been built before."

Ready to take ownership, solve complex problems, and make a real-world impact? Explore our open roles in Legal today.

Ready to take ownership, and make a real-world impact? We’re hiring employment lawyers in multiple locations across Europe for (Senior) Legal Counsel roles.  (The right candidates can be located in Budapest, Vienna, Stockholm, Oslo, Milan, Barcelona, Prague or Berlin.)