Page 48 - Powerlist 2020

Business, Corporates, Financiers & Entrepreneurs

Sandra Wallace
Joint Managing Director Europe, DLA Piper

Formidable lawyer Sandra is DLA Piper’s UK Managing
Partner having been with the company since graduating
in 1992. She was instrumental in launching the Careers
Pathways initiative, designed to help lawyers as their
careers progress from Associate through to Partner. She is
also developing the firm’s Partner Life Cycle which supports
the firm’s Partners through to retirement.
Sandra has been clear in reinforcing the importance of
regional and UK city offices and understands the need for
strong regional support in the firm’s One UK vision.
In November 2017, Sandra was asked by CityUK to become
the Birmingham regional chair of City UK, one of only seven
regional chairs appointed by the organisation.
In 2018 the Law Society recognised Sandra’s contribution
to the profession by awarding her their first Leadership
Award at the Birmingham Law Society Awards ceremony.
Sandra has a market-leading reputation, advising a
portfolio of UK and multinational businesses including
NCR, Hilton, Genting and Avon. Her current remit is to lead
the 2,000 legal and business services staff that are based in
Tavaziva Madzinga the UK’s seven major centres.

CEO, Swiss Re Sandra is one of 12 Social Mobility Commissioners
(UK and Ireland) offering advice directly to the Government.
In 2018 she stepped down at the end of her three-year term
as UK Managing Partner and focused on her position of joint
Tavaziva Madzinga – known as Tava – was appointed CEO managing director for UK and Europe.
of global reinsurance firm Swiss Re’s UK & Ireland (UKI) In 2019 she was named among the Lawyer magazine’s Hot
operation at the beginning of 2019. 100 list, which comprises ‘the standout lawyers in the UK’.
The company is the world’s second largest reinsurer, Among her many activities this year, Sandra chaired the
based in Zurich but operating in 25 countries internationally. judging panel of Birmingham’s Young Professional of the
Prior to the move, Tava was market executive for the year business awards.
Middle East & Africa (MEA) working across property and
casualty as well as life and health.
Based in London, he continues to serve as a member of
the EMEA management team.
In 2016, Madzinga joined Swiss Re from South Africa-
based insurance firm Old Mutual, where he worked as
regional CEO for South and East Africa.
Commenting on his appointment, Swiss Re CEO of
reinsurance for EMEA Russell Higginbotham said: “Tava’s
strong and successful leadership of the Middle East & Africa
region shows that he is the ideal candidate to lead and grow
our UKI business.”
“His strong and successful leadership of the Middle East
& Africa region shows that he is the ideal candidate to lead
and grow our UKI business.
“This appointment also shows our intention to
continuously develop and grow the strong bench of talent
we have at Swiss Re.”
Before joining Swiss Re, Madzinga was regional CEO for
South & East Africa at Old Mutual. He had been with Old
Mutual since 2007.
Educated at the University of South Africa, where he
studied for a degree in Actuarial Science, he is a qualified
Actuary and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) and
the Actuarial Society of South Africa (FASSA). He is also a
Fellow of the UK’s Institute of Actuaries.
Tava has also studied at INSEAD Business School in
France and Harvard University.

44 Powerlist 2020