Sarah Walker-Smith

Sarah initially qualified with Deloitte before working with PricewaterhouseCoopers and then learning change management and marketing skills during eight years at Boots the Chemist. Sarah joined Browne Jacobson in 2004 and was recognized the following year with the sector’s award for Best Regional Marketing Director before becoming the firm’s first Chief Operating Officer. Whilst at Browne Jacobson she drove internal and external transformation through strategy and brand development and new ways of working which resulted in organic growth from £18m to around £80m and recognition for its quality and innovation including entry to the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, being the first UK Law Firm to be accredited with the Investors in Customers award and winning Best Managed Law Firm jointly with legal giant Linklaters; twice! She has also been a passionate champion for diversity as a key enabler of change and in 2017 Sarah was given the honorary award of Nottinghamshire Business Woman of the year by Nottinghamshire Evening Post as well as being admitted into St George’s House Leadership Fellowship at Windsor Castle and The Lawyer Hot 100 for 2019.

In 2019 Sarah was appointed Chief Executive of Shakespeare Martineau LLP making her the first female and non-lawyer CEO of a top 50 law firm. As a double alumni, Sarah is also very proud to be a Trustee Governor of Nottingham Trent University which was awarded the University of the Year in 2017.