Page 82 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

Sandra Wallace

andra is UK Managing Partner, as well
as Joint Managing Director for Europe
Sat global law firm DLA Piper. Based in
Birmingham, she is also an employment partner
offering strategic and commercial advice on
business reorganisations, executive disputes
and employee relations.
She says: “As Managing Partner in the UK, I
work hard to ensure the seven UK offices work in
one seamless way across the country. Sitting on
the firm’s International Executive is an amazing
experience which affords me the opportunity
to direct the company’s future strategies.
Since last year I have also been working as
CityUK Birmingham Chair, helping to represent
professional services firms in the Midlands.
“When thinking about how I do my roles,
it’s a combination of good support and never
thinking I know everything. I’m a married mother
of three, regularly travel out of the UK and
alongside my role at DLA Piper, I also manage
my own practice. It can be hard work, so it’s
really important to surround yourself with good
people. I have a great diverse team who help to
make my life easier. My family are, of course, very
supportive too.
“But it’s also important for me to take time out.
I am working towards the launch of an initiative
in the next few months that will promote agile
working internationally. I’m very proud of this
as it will, I hope, change the way we all work
irrespective of care responsibilities. It is also
important to lead by example so I work in an
agile way. With every job that I’ve applied for,
I’ve made it clear that I was going to continue to
work flexibly. If I don’t make that statement, then
others won’t feel empowered to do it.
“It’s getting better, but when I was progressing
through my career, one of the biggest challenges
was the lack of role models. So you were always
questioning if you could do something because
there were not many above me leading the
way. So sometimes the biggest challenge was
dealing with my own self-confidence. I learnt to
It’s really overcome this by acknowledging what I’m good
at so I can play to my strengths. It’s not the same
important as saying, ‘no, I can’t do this’, it’s about being
honest about development needs and being
to surround willing to learn from others.
“I was number five of six children and was the
yourself with first one to go to university. There was strong
good people family support but little financial support or
educational expectation. People assumed that
you couldn’t do law if you went to the wrong
school or university. People make assumptions
about what you can achieve, so it’s important to
have strong role models and find the right route
for each individual – whether it’s a traditional
route or not – to reach their potential.”

78 Powerlist 2019