Sandie Okoro OBE has been appointed the new chancellor of the University of Birmingham.
Okoro will be the first woman to assume this position, succeeding Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea CBE, which tenure will be ending this July.
Sandie Okoro who is an alumni of the school, where she studied Law and Politics revealed in her acceptance speech:
“The wonderful University of Birmingham is the alma mater to three generations of the Okoros, my mum, me and my son. So my connection to it is very special indeed,”
“I have followed the University’s outstanding progress very closely since my days there as a student on a full grant back in the 1980s – its dedication to impactful research, its focus on creating an inclusive environment for talented, minority students and educational excellence are themes very close to my heart.
“I am truly honoured and delighted to be appointed Chancellor. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to give a little something back to the amazing University that has given so very much to me and my family,” she said.
Becoming a Barrister at the University of London, Okoro has garnered experience over the years serving as the Head of Legal for Corporate Services at Schroders, the Global General Counsel at Barings, and the General Counsel for HSBC Global Asset Management. She has also held positions as the Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, and Vice-President for Compliance, at the World Bank Group.
In the 2024 New Year Honours for her services in International Finance, Sandie Okoro who holds the distinguished title of Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple in the UK, was assigned the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Some of her other achievements are include:
The UK Black Solicitors Network Award for Lifetime Achievement
Howard University’s 2019 Vanguard Women Award
Beyond the Glass Ceiling Award from the Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys (2019)
Chambers 100 Outstanding Global General Counsel (2019)
