Katrin O’Sullivan, the general counsel of a respected international not-for-profit, says the law firms she sometimes turns to for external support are surprised by the complexity of her work. 

As the chief legal officer of the Fred Hollows Foundation, which aims to provide high-quality, affordable eye health care and end avoidable blindness in disadvantaged communities around the world, it seems that O’Sullivan has to do everything and be everywhere all at once. She is in charge of seven different legal entities across 25 mostly African and Asian countries and oversees 500 staff.