March 5th: Today’s Feature

March

Sophie Tendai Chandauka, MBE, is a Zimbabwe-born corporate finance lawyer, entrepreneur and Head of Americas Risk Management and Intelligence at Meta. Previously, Chandauka was Global COO of Shared Services and Banking Operations at Morgan Stanley based in New York and prior to this, she was CAO of the Legal and Compliance Division of Morgan Stanley in EMEA, based in London. Before joining Morgan Stanley, she was the Head of Group Treasury (Legal) at Virgin Money in London.

She began her career as a corporate finance lawyer and Senior Associate at Baker McKenzie in London. Apart from her professional achievements, she is recognised in the United Kingdom for her community work as an advocate for education, equality, diversity and inclusion and also as a mentor for young entrepreneurs and aspiring lawyers.

Education

Following primary and secondary education in Harare, Zimbabwe, in

1994, Chandauka was selected to be sponsored by Rotary International to represent her country as a Rotary Youth Exchange student for a year in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Upon completion of her year in Canada, the Board of Trustees of Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Michigan awarded Chandauka an academic scholarship for her undergraduate degree.

In her third year of undergraduate study, while undertaking an internship with the Association of Flight Attendants in Washington, D.C., she was awarded a further scholarship as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to the United Kingdom, where she attended the University of Birmingham for a year. On returning to LSSU, Chandauka was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree with highest academic distinction (summa cum laude) and was also selected as the commencement speaker for LSSU's graduating class of the year 2000.

Chandauka returned to the United Kingdom where in September 2001, she commenced legal studies at The College of Law of England and Wales and the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice of Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, before commencing her apprenticeship in September 2003 and qualifying, in September 2005, as a corporate lawyer with Baker & McKenzie in London.

Chandauka was invited to return to her alma mater, LSSU, to address the Class of 2011 at commencement proceedings in April 2011.

Career and Awards

Since qualification, Chandauka has worked on a number of high-profile transactions, including the attempted hostile takeover of the London Stock Exchange Group by the Macquarie Group; the acquisition of The Body Shop by L'Oréal; Nike, Inc.'s acquisition of Umbro; and the initial public offering (IPO) of Ferrexpo as the first Ukrainian company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

In 2007, Chandauka was shortlisted as a finalist for the British Legal Awards "Young Solicitor of the Year". In 2008, she was shortlisted as a finalist for The Lawyer Awards "Assistant Solicitor of the Year". Also in that year, Chandauka was selected as one of Management Today's "35 Women Under 35" businesswomen to watch and was featured on the cover of the July 2008 issue of the magazine with four other women.

In the same year, Chandauka was invited to Lake Superior State University to receive the Paul Ripley Young Alumna Award. In autumn 2011, she was shortlisted as a finalist for the Women of the Future Awards. In March 2013 she was featured in Financial News' editorial pick of 40 Rising Stars in the European legal profession aged under 40.

Chandauka has been featured as one of the top 100 most influential Black Britons on the Power List 2014, 2015 and 2016. She has also featured as one of the top 100 most influential ethnic minority business leaders in the Britain in the Financial Times and Sunday Times. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) – the preeminent membership organisation committed to increasing the number of senior black executives in global enterprises.

In the 2021 Queen's birthday honours she was awarded an MBE "for services to Diversity in Business.”

Community Involvement

Throughout her academic pursuits and career, Chandauka has actively volunteered time as a personal mentor to many young

people and as a motivational speaker to a number of social mobility organisations and schools, and has been an advocate for education of young people and empowerment of women.

In 1999, she was made a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, one of the highest honours of this organisation, for her exemplary work as a young ambassador for world peace and understanding. In 2008, Chandauka was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Sentebale ("Forget Me Not" in Sesotho), the African children's charity that was established by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and Prince Harry to help vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho, particularly those who have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.

From 2013 to March 2014, she took on the role of co-chair of the board of trustees for the BLD Foundation. The BLD Foundation is dedicated to assisting young individuals from ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the United Kingdom who have an interest in pursuing a career in law. The foundation's primary objective is to empower these individuals by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and information about the opportunities available in the legal profession.

Additionally, the foundation aims to provide them with the essential skills required to seize these opportunities. Moreover, the BLD Foundation strives to offer access to work placements and recruitment opportunities in leading law firms and chambers throughout the country.

In 2014, Chandauka played a pivotal role in co-founding the Black British Business Awards. She was also appointed as the chair of the judging panel for these prestigious awards. These awards, which were endorsed by former prime minister David Cameron and former secretary of state for business Sir Vince Cable, are recognized as the sole premium awards program of its kind in Britain.

The primary objective of the Black British Business Awards is to highlight and celebrate the often overlooked and significant contributions made by entrepreneurs and professionals of black African and Caribbean heritage to the British economy across all sectors. The awards have garnered exceptional support and endorsement from various multinational corporations, as well as from individuals across the business and political spectrum.

In 2016, Chandauka's dedication to making a positive impact continued as she was appointed as a member of the board of trustees for Protimos. Protimos is an organization comprised of development lawyers who are committed to providing access to law and legal education for impoverished and marginalized communities in resource-rich emerging economies. By offering legal support and education, Protimos aims to empower these communities and enable them to overcome the challenges they face.

Chandauka's appointment to the board of trustees further demonstrates her commitment to social justice and her desire to create a more equitable world.