Page 4 - Prime - Marking Ten Years

Voice of the client
Vodafone’s PRIME partnership (with Hogan Lovells) has now been running for ten years and colleagues from both organisations continue to support each event with enormous creativity
and enthusiasm. This is always heartening to see but not at all surprising. Making space for people to work on projects with true purpose is of course a great motivator. However, perhaps the real magic behind PRIME is the power of the simplest of actions to make a real difference to the career
aspirations and prospects of the next generation.
Turning on your cameras for a few hours one afternoon is now easier than ever and will enable you to reach those feeling left behind, wherever they are in the country. We have found that just an hour’s insight from a busy general
counsel or law firm leader on the innate skills required of a good lawyer or how to influence at executive level can be enormously thought provoking for students as they make their academic choices. Hosting a student for a few days and setting
them a case study on which to research and present couldn’t be more straightforward. However, the experience might just provide the confidence boost and substance that they need to succeed at their next interview.
For us, PRIME is also about creating valuable, lasting networks for the students and we are always delighted to keep the door open. We are mindful that even the smallest offer of support at a crucial juncture can make all the difference.
As Nicholas rightly points out as he looks to The Future at the end of this publication, there is still quite some work to do to ensure that once through
the door new recruits from non-traditional backgrounds get the chance to progress. For us, the problem should be tackled at all levels within an organisation if we are to see more diversity of thought and experience within the profession. At Vodafone, this is why we have recently agreed to a set of diversity and inclusion commitments with our panel law firms. These relate to the make-up of the advisory teams working on Vodafone matters as well as to the relationship teams that look after our account. With regular reporting and constructive dialogue we are hopeful that this will make space for the brightest stars to shine and progress to the top, whatever their background.
Rosemary Martin – General Counsel and Company Secretary, Vodafone Group Wayne Spillett – Head of Legal, Commercial Operations and IP, Vodafone Group