ACC InConversation: Adrian Goss of Bauer Media Group

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“It’s about walking the walk,” Adrian Goss says. “Leadership is about being a model for what those around you should aspire to be like.” 

In a recent conversation hosted by ACC, Goss shared his wide-ranging perspective on leadership and the future of legal work with ACC President and CEO Veta T. Richardson — highlighting the usefulness of AI, the positive impact of mentorship, building rapport with team members, critical negotiation skills, and work-life balance in the legal profession. 

Goss serves as Vice President, Legal and Licensing at Bauer Media, a large European media group that has 12,000 employees and an audience of 200 million users. The group is headquartered in Germany, with operations in many European countries. Bauer Media has a rich portfolio of activities, including publishing, audio and broadcasting, digital and online media, and advertising. Goss is also a former ACC global board chair. 

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A day in the life 

Goss began his journey in Melbourne, practiced in New York, returned to Sydney, and now works out of London — an international trajectory that reflects both a professional thirst for challenge and a personal love of adventure. 

“It’s such a privilege to have a role that allows for global movement,” Goss says. “Especially in-house, where there’s more opportunity for cross-border work than in private practice.” 

Though his legal journey began in private law firms, it was the opportunity to work closely with creative people that ultimately drew him in-house.  

“That’s one of the things I love about the media space — working with creative people on both the content and advertising sides. But it’s also one of the challenges,” he admits. “Creative minds are wired differently. Their attitude toward risk is very different from how lawyers think. That contrast can be both exhilarating and difficult to manage. Creative people bring a different energy, approach to problem solving, risk. I like the energy that creative people bring to a business.” 

It’s about walking the walk. Leadership is about being a model for what those around you should aspire to be like.

The power of calmness 

In a business where reputations can rise or fall based on how deals are struck, negotiation is a critical skill. For Goss, calmness is the cornerstone. 

“The best negotiators I’ve worked with are very calm,” he says. “It took me a long time to learn that. Earlier in my career, I was more hot-headed. Now, I see that stepping back from emotion and ego, being more objective, and bringing the temperature down, is a really valuable skill.” 

This ability to adjust tone and approach for different kinds of settings, he notes, is especially important when dealing with different cultures and legal frameworks across Europe and beyond. 

Leading with presence and team engagement 

Goss believes leadership is best expressed through presence and personal engagement.” A personal level of engagement requires having a genuine level of interest in people.” 

“Because of the size of the teams I’ve led, my leadership style has been quite interpersonal,” he explains. “It’s about role modeling, understanding what matters to people, and adjusting your approach accordingly.”  

Still, he acknowledges that as teams grow, so must leadership strategies. He shares that communication becomes particularly important when working with larger groups: “You have to be much more deliberate about cadence and consistency of messaging.” 

His former long-term contacts and colleagues would agree. ACC President and CEO Veta T. Richardson recalls Goss’s ability to “draw people out” and ensure everyone had a voice at the table during his time as board chair — a trait that helped shape ACC’s global strategy. 

When asked about what leadership qualities he finds most critical, he stated, “modeling behavior.” “Good behavior, modeling how you approach a problem, how you resolve an issue, how you present to a board.”  

Goss learned a lot from having terrific bosses. “If you’re not seeing the modeling of good behavior, you may want to think whether you are in the right place. It’s important to see what a good in-house lawyer looks like. It’s about walking the walk, being the model that you want others around you to be like.”  

Mentorship that goes beyond legal 

Mentorship has played a pivotal role in Goss’s development — and he encourages in-house lawyers to seek guidance not only from legal mentors, but also from across the business. “Mentoring takes a lot of different guises. And, you know, often it is just learning from other colleagues.” 

“I’ve had some fantastic lawyer bosses,” he says, “but I’ve also learned a lot from businesspeople. You’re missing a trick if you’re not building relationships across the organization — especially with your CFO.” 

Goss is a strong supporter of ACC’s mentoring initiatives and believes mentoring is mutually beneficial. “Most people want to help. If you give someone the opportunity to be invested in you generally, they take that opportunity.”  

A seat at the table 

Goss encourages in-house counsel to take board or governance roles where possible — not only for career growth but also to gain perspective. 

“Take the opportunity to sit on governance bodies. That gives you the perspective regarding what the governance body wants — what level of detail they want.” “That perspective is so helpful when you're reporting up from an operational role,” he says. “It changes how you think about presenting issues and data.” 

Building networks that span 

A self-described natural extrovert, Goss has embraced the challenge of rebuilding networks with each international move. “Networking has never felt like a burden — it’s something I genuinely enjoy,” he says. 

Goss emphasizes the value of joining professional associations like ACC as one of the keys to building and sustaining relationships over time. “ACC has been a great help in that regard, as an international body, the networking opportunities it creates are fantastic. ACC has been a wonderful vehicle for that. In Sydney we have a strong community around ACC, and across all the major cities in Australia, and in London as well.” He stresses that, “being a joiner is important.” 

Embracing AI with curiosity  

As media organizations grapple with the implications of artificial intelligence, Goss is clear: AI isn’t the future — it’s already here. 

“I’m amazed at how many legal teams still aren’t using it,” he says. “We have a walled garden version of ChatGPT for internal use.” He shares it’s a fantastic tool to produce first drafts. 

However, he’s candid about AI’s limitations — particularly in contract drafting. “I think it's still not enormously strong in contract drafting, and I think that's interesting. Still, for first drafts of non-contractual work, it’s a huge time saver and great starting point.” 

Goss views adoption as a necessity, not an option. “The biggest risk is not adopting AI or not adopting it fast enough.” 

A mindful approach to well-being 

As hybrid work becomes the norm, Goss says well-being has taken on a new level of urgency — both personally and for the teams he leads. 

“It took me a long time to find a sensible work-life balance,” he admits. “And post-pandemic, it’s still a challenge. The meeting load has exploded for many of us, but hybrid work has brought huge benefits too. We just need to be more intentional — even simple things like using ‘delay send’ on emails to avoid intruding on people’s personal time.” 

When it comes to working from home, Goss appreciates the flexibility, but recognizes the boundaries can blur. “We’re much less tethered to desks, and that’s a good thing … But there’s no one-size-fits-all model.”  

Each person has different priorities and rhythms — the key is finding what works and recognizing that your team might have a different balance. 

He adds, “Lawyers are good at communicating. We just need to bring that diligence and care to how we support each other’s well-being.” 

Perspective with hindsight 

When asked what advice he’d give to his younger self, Goss reflects on the nonlinear nature of a legal career. 

“There are no wrong decisions. Just choices with different outcomes,” he says. “Some jobs have a shelf life, and it’s okay to recognize that. I’d tell myself to be a bit more strategic — to pause and think, ‘Here’s where I am, what comes next?’”

As ACC’s conversation with Adrian Goss reveals, successful in-house lawyers aren’t just legal experts — they’re mentors, negotiators, strategists, and above all, human.  

Whether adopting AI, mentoring across departments, or setting boundaries in a hybrid world, Goss’s perspective is clear: lead with intention, stay curious, and remember that success comes in many forms.