In this episode, Cynthia Lareine interviews Samallie Kiyingi, the global General Counsel for Corporate Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank. The two talk about Samallie's impressive career journey, emphasizing her transitions across prestigious organizations like Afreximbank, Clifford Chance, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. Despite initially focusing on international law and human rights, Samallie’s path led her into finance law, a transition influenced by mentors and opportunities to develop a wide range of skills. Her global career, spanning continents including Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and her current role at Standard Chartered reflect a natural progression towards leveraging finance to foster prosperity.
The conversation delves into Samallie’s leadership style, enriched by her culturally diverse work experiences. She discusses the challenges of adapting to different cultural contexts, such as her significant moves from Sydney to London, Cairo, and Singapore. One pivotal moment in her career was negotiating and procuring COVID-19 vaccines for African countries, where her structured finance expertise played a crucial role. Samallie stresses the importance of maintaining personal resilience and celebrating team wins in high-pressure situations. She advocates for clear daily routines, empathetic leadership, and building trust within teams to enhance productivity and innovation.
Samallie also shares insights on elevating the in-house legal team's strategic role within organizations. She emphasizes the necessity of relationship-building, over-communicating, and taking ownership to demonstrate value beyond the traditional legal advisory scope. Additionally, as a member of Standard Chartered’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Samallie highlights the importance of fostering diverse leadership and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. She balances forward-looking perspectives on technological advancements in the legal field with practical advice for young lawyers on betting on themselves and seeking roles that open future opportunities. Her personal reflections and professional guidance make for an inspiring episode, underscoring her belief in leveraging law and finance as tools for broader societal impact.
06:57 Cultural Bias in Leadership Adaptation
08:41 Cultural Sensitivity in Workplace Communication
14:16 Vaccine Collaboration and Coordination
17:16 Managing Stress Through Routine
19:28 Celebrating Wins Amid Challenges
24:04 Surprise Award Highlights Global Impact
27:16 Building Legal-Business Trust
30:17 Boosting Personal Visibility at Work
32:28 Visibility and Relationship-Building Strategies
36:10 Enhancing Diversity Through Senior Engagement
40:10 Tech Innovations in Legal Industry
43:26 Career Decisions: Prioritizing Future Opportunities
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