Sophie Chandauka

Last updated

Sophie Chandauka

MBE
Born
Sophia Tendai Chandauka

Harare, Zimbabwe
Alma mater Lake Superior State University (LSSU)
OccupationSenior Corporate Executive
Known forAchievements as a leading and influential corporate executive in Britain with a record of advocacy for equality, diversity and inclusion

Sophie Tendai Chandauka MBE is a Zimbabwe-born corporate finance lawyer, entrepreneur and Head of Americas Risk Management and Intelligence at Meta. Previously, Chandauka was Global COO of Shared Services and Banking Operations at Morgan Stanley based in New York and prior to this, she was CAO of the Legal and Compliance Division of Morgan Stanley in EMEA, based in London. Before joining Morgan Stanley, she was the Head of Group Treasury (Legal) at Virgin Money in London. She began her career as a corporate finance lawyer and Senior Associate at Baker McKenzie in London. Apart from her professional achievements, she is recognised in the United Kingdom for her community work as an advocate for education, equality, diversity and inclusion and also as a mentor for young entrepreneurs and aspiring lawyers.

Contents

Education

Following primary and secondary education in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1994, Chandauka was selected to be sponsored by Rotary International to represent her country as a Rotary Youth Exchange student for a year in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. [1] Upon completion of her year in Canada, the Board of Trustees of Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Michigan awarded Chandauka an academic scholarship for her undergraduate degree.

In her third year of undergraduate study, while undertaking an internship with the Association of Flight Attendants in Washington, D.C., she was awarded a further scholarship as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to the United Kingdom, where she attended the University of Birmingham for a year. On returning to LSSU, Chandauka was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree with highest academic distinction (summa cum laude) and was also selected as the commencement speaker for LSSU's graduating class of the year 2000. [2] Chandauka returned to the United Kingdom where in September 2001, she commenced legal studies at The College of Law of England and Wales and the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice of Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, before commencing her apprenticeship in September 2003 and qualifying, in September 2005, as a corporate lawyer with Baker & McKenzie in London. [3]

Chandauka was invited to return to her alma mater, LSSU, to address the Class of 2011 at commencement proceedings in April 2011. [4] [5]

Career and awards

Since qualification, Chandauka has worked on a number of high-profile transactions, including the attempted hostile takeover of the London Stock Exchange Group by the Macquarie Group; the acquisition of The Body Shop by L'Oréal; Nike, Inc.'s acquisition of Umbro; and the initial public offering (IPO) of Ferrexpo as the first Ukrainian company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. [6] [7] [8] [9]

In 2007, Chandauka was shortlisted as a finalist for the British Legal Awards "Young Solicitor of the Year". [10] In 2008, she was shortlisted as a finalist for The Lawyer Awards "Assistant Solicitor of the Year". [11] Also in that year, Chandauka was selected as one of Management Today 's "35 Women Under 35" businesswomen to watch and was featured on the cover of the July 2008 issue of the magazine with four other women. [12]

In the same year, Chandauka was invited to Lake Superior State University to receive the Paul Ripley Young Alumna Award. [2] [13] In autumn 2011, she was shortlisted as a finalist for the Women of the Future Awards. [14] In March 2013 she was featured in Financial News' editorial pick of 40 Rising Stars in the European legal profession aged under 40. [15] Chandauka has been featured as one of the top 100 most influential Black Britons on the Power List 2014, 2015 and 2016. She has also featured as one of the top 100 most influential ethnic minority business leaders in the Britain in the Financial Times and Sunday Times . She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) – the preeminent membership organisation committed to increasing the number of senior black executives in global enterprises. [16]

In the 2021 Queen's birthday honours she was awarded an MBE "for services to Diversity in Business." [17]

Community involvement

Throughout her academic pursuits and career, Chandauka has actively volunteered time as a personal mentor to many young people and as a motivational speaker to a number of social mobility organisations and schools, and has been an advocate for education of young people and empowerment of women. In 1999, she was made a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, one of the highest honours of this organisation, for her exemplary work as a young ambassador for world peace and understanding. In 2008, Chandauka was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Sentebale ("Forget Me Not" in Sesotho), the African children's charity that was established by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and Prince Harry to help vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho, particularly those who have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. [18] [19]

In 2013 to March 2014, she served as co-chair of the board of trustees for the BLD Foundation. [20] The BLD Foundation's mission is to support young people from ethnic minority and/or socio-economically underprivileged backgrounds in Britain, and with an interest in law, towards achieving their fullest potential by providing them with knowledge and information about the opportunities available in the legal profession, equipping them with the skills to take advantage of these opportunities, and providing them with access to work placements and recruitment opportunities in leading firms and chambers across Britain.

In 2014, Chandauka co-founded and was appointed as the chair of the judging panel of the Black British Business Awards, [21] which were endorsed by former prime minister David Cameron and former secretary of state for business Sir Vince Cable as the only premium awards programme of its kind in Britain. Its goals are to shine a light on the often unsung significant contribution of entrepreneurs and professions of black African and Caribbean heritage to the British economy across all sectors. The Awards have received exceptional endorsement and support from across the business and political spectrum, including more than 25 multinational corporations. [22]

In 2016, Chandauka was appointed as a member of the board of trustees of Protimos, an organisation of development lawyers who provide access to law and legal education for impoverished and marginalised communities in resource rich emerging economies. [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Guardian</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series

The Guardian is an American drama television series created by David Hollander for CBS. It originally aired from September 25, 2001, to May 4, 2004. In the United States, as of September 2018, it was being broadcast in re-runs on Heroes & Icons and Paramount+. The Guardian has aired in the United Kingdom on the Hallmark Channel, ABC1 and, more recently, 5USA and Five. In Turkey, the show aired on TNT and in Australia on Network Ten; as of 2011 re-runs are airing on the Nine Network following episodes of Simon Baker's 2008–2015 vehicle The Mentalist, but before on free-to-air television, the show has also aired on Foxtel's defunct station TV1 in 2003 during the Saturday Night's Crime Time Block before Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: SVU. In India and Pakistan the show airs on Animax from June 2010 and AXN and FX. In Singapore, the show airs on AXN through Starhub Cable Television. In New Zealand, the show airs on Vibe, channel 7, via sky TV. In Latin America, the series premiered in October 2012 on the Sony Spin channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker McKenzie</span> Multinational law firm

Baker McKenzie is an international law firm located in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1949, originally named Baker & McKenzie. It now has 77 offices in 46 countries and employs 4,809 attorneys and approximately 13,000 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Alioto</span> American lawyer and politician

Angela Mia Alioto Veronese is an American attorney, politician, member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and founder of the Knights of Saint Francis at the Porziuncola Nuova. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the daughter of Joseph L. Alioto, the 36th mayor of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zia Mody</span>

Zia Mody is an Indian corporate lawyer and businesswoman. Zia is the daughter of Soli Sorabjee, a former Attorney General of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Sophie Elliott</span> 2008 murder case in New Zealand

On 9 January 2008, 22-year-old Sophie Kate Elliott was stabbed to death by ex-boyfriend Clayton Robert Weatherston, in Dunedin, New Zealand. The crime and trial were covered extensively in the news media, and contributed to the government abolishing the partial defence of provocation in cases of murder.

MacKenzie Scott is an American novelist and philanthropist. As of December 2022, she has a net worth of US$27 billion, owing to a 4% stake in Amazon, the company founded by her ex-husband Jeff Bezos. As such, Scott is the third-wealthiest woman in the United States and the 47th-wealthiest individual in the world. Scott was named the world's most powerful woman by Forbes in 2021 and one of Time's 100 most influential people in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Addison (lawyer)</span> American lawyer

Linda Leuchter Addison is an American business executive, lawyer and author. Addison served as U.S. Managing Partner, Chair of the U.S. Management Committee, and global board member of Norton Rose Fulbright. She is Founding President of the Center for Women in Law, and co-chaired the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession. Crain's New York Business named Addison one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in New York." She is a member of the Board of Directors of Globe Life Inc. Addison also is an independent board member of KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm. She previously served on the Advisory Board of Northern Trust Bank, N.A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Musisi</span> Ugandan lawyer, administrator and academic

Jennifer Semakula Musisi is a Ugandan lawyer and public administrator. She is the first City Leader in Residence at Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. She was appointed to this position in January 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiona Woolf</span>

Dame Catherine Fiona Woolf, is a British corporate lawyer. She served as the Lord Mayor of London (2013–14), acting as global ambassador for UK-based financial and business services. She has held and still holds many other significant positions in the City of London.

Sonita Alleyne, is the Barbados-born British co-founder and former CEO of Somethin’ Else, a cross-platform media production company. Alleyne is a member of the BBC Trust, the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.

<i>Gray Mountain</i> (Grisham novel)

Gray Mountain is a legal thriller novel by John Grisham, published in hardcover on October 23, 2014. The book is set in Appalachia after the Great Recession and follows third-year associate Samantha Kofer after the Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, when she becomes a legal clinic intern in Virginia's coal mining country.

Jelina Rahman-Berlow is a British solicitor whose practice J R Rahman Solicitors specialises in human rights, asylum, family and immigration legal advice and assistance.

Sophie MacKenzie is a New Zealand Olympic rower and, together with Julia Edward, double world champion in lightweight double sculls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katarina Barley</span> German politician

Katarina Barley is a German politician and lawyer who has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019, serving as one of its Vice-Presidents. She served as Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection in the fourth Cabinet of Angela Merkel. Prior to that, she had served as Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and, from 28 September 2017, as the acting Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, both until 14 March 2018.

Paul Rawlinson was a British intellectual property lawyer who was the Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, one of the world's largest law firms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqueline Shumiatcher</span> Canadian philanthropist (1923–2021)

Jacqueline Fanchette Clotilde Clay Shumiatcher, was a Canadian philanthropist, arts patron, and art collector. She and her husband Morris C. Shumiatcher began supporting the arts community in Regina, Saskatchewan, shortly after their marriage in 1955, an endeavor which she continued since Morris' death in 2004. The couple were avid collectors of Inuit art and artwork by local artists. In 2014 she donated 1,310 Inuit sculptures and paintings by the Regina Five, worth an estimated C$3 million, to the University of Regina. She received many honours and awards, including the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2001 and the Order of Canada in 2017.

Margaret Henrietta Augusta Casely-Hayford CBE is a British lawyer, businesswoman and public figure who is active in the voluntary sector. She is Chancellor of Coventry University, chairs the board of trustees of Shakespeare's Globe, and was formerly chair of ActionAid UK and company secretary and head of legal services for leading retailers the John Lewis Partnership. She is in the forefront of working to create diversity on boards.

Jacqueline (Jacqui) McKenzie is a British human rights lawyer specialising in migration, asylum and refugee law. Her legal career encompasses practice in the areas of civil liberties, crime and immigration with solicitors Birnberg Peirce and Partners, and since 2010 running her own immigration consultancy, McKenzie Beute and Pope (MBP), having previously spent more than a decade in senior local government roles with responsibility for equalities, community development, communications and urban development. She joined human rights law firm Leigh Day as a partner in 2021. She is the founder of the Organisation of Migration Advice and Research, which works pro bono with refugees and women who have been trafficked to the UK. McKenzie has won recognition for her work seeking justice for victims of the Windrush scandal that initially gained notoriety in 2018. She was named one of the top 10 most influential black Britons in the Powerlist 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal tours of Saint Lucia</span>

Royal tours of Saint Lucia by its royal family have been taking place since the 20th century. Elizabeth II, Queen of Saint Lucia, visited the country twice; in 1966, and 1985.

References

  1. ↑ Hearn, Wayne (September 1999). "Youth Exchange: Generations of young lives promote world peace". The Rotarian. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Paul Ripley Young Alumna Award 2008: Sophie Chandauka". Laker Log. Fall 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Find a Solicitor". The Law Society of England and Wales. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  4. ↑ Pink, Tom (29 April 2011). "Zimbabwe native and LSSU alumna Sophie Chandauka to speak at commencement". Lake Superior State University Campus News. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Sophie Chandauka to speak at LSSU graduation ceremony". Soo Evening News. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Sawyer, Donna (25 November 2005). "Bakers scoops prize Macquarie role on LSE bid". The Lawyer. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  7. ↑ Ganz, Kian (23 October 2007). "Bakers wins Nike role on £284m Umbro takeover". The Lawyer. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Sawyer, Donna (17 March 2006). "Baker & McKenzie lands lead role on Body Shop takeover". The Lawyer. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Binham, Caroline (14 June 2007). "Bakers and Links bullish on Ferrexpo IPO". The Lawyer. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  10. ↑ "2007 Winners and Finalists". Legal Week – British Legal Awards. Incisive Media. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Lawyer Awards shortlist 2008". The Lawyer. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Devita, Emma (3 July 2008). "MT's 35 Women Under 35 2008: The List". Management Today. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "Four to be honored by Lake Superior State University during Great Lake State Weekend". Soo Today. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Women of the Future Awards 2011: shortlist announced". Real Business Caspian Media. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Coe Smith, Claire (11 March 2013). "FN 40 under 40: The rising stars of legal services". Financial News. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  16. ↑ ELC website
  17. ↑ "Queen's Birthday Honours 2021: All the Surrey residents recognised in the latest honours list – Surrey Live".
  18. ↑ "Our Team", Sentebale website. Archived 2 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine .
  19. ↑ "Our People", BLD Foundation website.
  20. ↑ "Founders", BBBA.
  21. ↑ "Supporters", Black British Business Awards website.
  22. ↑ Protimos website.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.