Mark Smolik’s title at DHL Supply Chain Americas is general counsel and chief compliance officer. But his title doesn’t really say it all. In reality, Smolik’s role at the Ohio-based company extends far beyond the legal department.

During over nine years at DHL, Smolik says he’s grown the GC post from one focused solely on law to one that also involves being a trusted business partner. It’s not unusual for him to be on a business call to provide non-legal input. That’s partly because Smolik says business is “in his DNA”—he started his first company when he was 16 years old—but it also came about with persistence and strategic thinking.