Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford, CBE is Chancellor of Coventry University, a role she has held for close to 4 years. She has had an extensive career in law, having been a partner at Dentons for close to 20 years, and has held roles as NED of the NHS, as a Special Trustee at Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens’ Charity, Chair at Shakespeares’ Globe, and as a Board Member of Co-op, to name just a few.

Our conversation starts with her upbringing and her journey into the law. It was not necessarily a smooth path through planning law, but through some setbacks and unexpected loyalties Margaret built a solid practice and rose to senior levels.

We dedicate a lot of the conversation to Margaret’s portfolio career since retiring from law, and discuss what it takes to be an effective board director and chair, and equally some of the challenges that charities and the arts are encountering today due to the pandemic. Another one of Margaret’s passions is education, and now as Chancellor of Coventry University she is in the throes of combatting the Covid related disruptions there. We move past Covid though to a more uplifting discussion of what the future of education may look like – how online and in person delivery may be fused to massively expand offerings, opportunity and interdisciplinarity.

There is more information about Margaret’s journey in this wonderful profile, https://wearethecity.com/inspirational-woman-margaret-casely-hayford-cbe-chancellor-coventry-university/ and also on: https://margaretcasely-hayford.com/

This series was made possible by the kind support of GuyLaine Charles and Charles Law PLLC, a law firm based in New York City, representing clients in the negotiation of a wide range of financial trading agreements.