Sandie Okoro

Sandie OkoroOBE(born 1964)is a British lawyer who served as general counsel ofStandard Chartered Bank,until 2024 and Chancellor of theUniversity of Birmingham.
She previously served assenior vice-presidentandgeneral counselat theWorld Bank Group.She has previously been general counsel atBarings Asset Management, and head of legal atSchrodersInvestment Management International.
Okoro was born inFulham, London, in 1964, and grew up in nearbyBalham. Her father was a teacher fromNigeria, and her mother a nurse fromTrinidad. At the age of nine she decided she wanted to become a judge: she was influenced by the television programmeCrown Court, and undeterred by a school teacher, asking the class their chosen careers, who said "Sandie, little black girls from Balham don't become judges."
She attendedPutney High Schooland then studied law and politics at theUniversity of Birmingham.After university she studied at theInns of Court School of Law, now part ofCity, University of London, and joinedLincoln's Inn, qualifying as abarristerin 1988.In a change of course she re-qualified as a solicitor and in 1990 joinedSchrodersas head of its trusts team.
Okoro worked atSchrodersfrom 1990 to April 2007, rising to be head of legal for corporate services and then joinedBaringsas its globalgeneral counsel. After seven years at Barings she moved to become global general counsel atHSBCGlobal Asset Management.
In November 2016 she was appointedsenior vice-presidentand general counsel for theWorld Bank Group.
Okoro has been involved with organisations including theBlack British Business Awards,theLaw Society's Diversity Access Scheme,andInternational Lawyers for Africa(ILFA), of which she was president in 2014.
In July 2024 she was appointedChancellorof theUniversity of Birmingham,of which she is an alumna, taking up the role on 1 August.
Okoro has been listed several times in thePowerlist, a listing of the most influential black people in the United Kingdom most recently being listed in the2020edition. In the 2015 list she was at fourth place (or fifth, as third place was shared).
In 2014City, University of Londonawarded Okoro an honorary doctorate for her "outstanding achievements in the legal profession and financial services", noting that in her then role of general counsel at HSBC Asset Management "She is the only female lawyer from an ethnic minority holding such a position in the City".
In 2014The Guardianlisted Okoro as one of "10 women who are changing the face of the City".
At the 2016 UK Diversity Legal Awards, Okoro was given a BSN Lifetime Achievement Award.
In July 2019 Okoro featured in a biography filmas part of theFirst 100 Years of Women (2014–2019): Women in Lawcampaign, created to mark 100 years since British women were legally allowed to join the professions, including law.
Okoro was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in the2024 New Year Honours, "For services to Diversity in International Finance".
Okoro has a son and a daughter,and in 2010 was on the board of governors of her daughter's school.
Okoro completed theLondon Marathonin 1997 and 1999.
She has said that the two people she most admires areNelson Mandelaand a family member.