DR. SANDIE OKORO

Born in London to a Trinidadian mother and a Nigerian Father Sandie grew up as an only child in Balham, South London. Her love of the television show ‘Crown Court’ inspired Sandie’s passion for the law and made her want to be a judge. When Sandie shared this ambition in class with her primary school teacher, she was told that ‘little Blackgirls from Balham don’t become judges’. Even though Sandie felt upset and embarrassed by this response, she realised that, as her teacher was not a judge, her opinion was irrelevant.

Sandie attended Putney High School, an all girl secondary school where she received a rigorous academic education. Outside of school, Sandie was a passionate activist, from the age of eleven taking part in protest marches including many of the organised anti-apartheid marches. Sandie applied to study politics at the University of Birmingham, but a chance encounter with another student at Fresher’s week encouraged her to ask if she could combine her politics degree with law. She became the thirteenth student on the university’s twelve place Law and Politics degree.

After qualifying as a Barrister and eventually re-training and qualifying as a solicitor, Sandie began working in the corporate sector where she held various roles including Global General Counsel at Barings and Group General Counsel of HSBC Asset Management. In 2017, Sandie was appointed as the first black female Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group. Sandie is also a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and an Honourary Bencher at Middle Temple, along with holding two Honourary doctorates in Law from City University and London South Bank University.

From 2014-2016 she was also on the Equality Standards Panel of the Premier League.