Clarissa Sowemimo-Coker

Clarissa Sowemimo-Coker has worked for many years as a solicitor and commercial consultant to companies in the retail, telecoms, and pharmaceutical sectors. Following an early career with Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP in London, where she spent time seconded to a range of clients including London Underground Limited and All Saints Retail Limited, she held posts as senior in-house counsel in established corporations including Hutchison 3G UK Limited (Three) and Virgin Media Limited, a subsidiary of Liberty Global plc.

Clarissa joined the Group’s executive team in December 2018 as General Counsel and Company Secretary, with ultimate responsibility for all legal aspects of the business as well as compliance and regulation, diversity and inclusion, people, culture and communications. On 4 February 2021 she became Chief Operating Officer, and is now also responsible for the operational side of the Group in addition to inputting on the Company’s strategic goals. Clarissa is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales and is a student member of ICSA, The Chartered Governance Institute where she is studying for an advanced certificate in corporate governance.

Clarissa is also a management coach and regularly delivers compliance training and management coaching to blue chip clients including Google LLC, Biogen Inc. and McDonald’s Corporation across the EMEA and APAC regions.

Clarissa holds a BA in philosophy and literature from Warwick University and PGDL and LPC from BBP Law School in London. After completing her undergraduate degree, Clarissa spent two years working as a project manager in the residential construction industry before retraining as a solicitor. She was selected as a 2021 mentor by Legal Geek, which connects mentors and mentees across the legal industry, with a particular focus on supporting underrepresented groups. She is also an elected member of the Parochial Church Council of St John the Evangelist, Notting Hill.