Sarra Adams
General Counsel, Emea and International Markets @dentsu
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WORK HISTORY
General Counsel, Emea and International Markets @dentsu
London, GB
Headhunted initially as EMEA General Counsel, following a successful 12-month secondment from DLA Piper in 2012. Subsequently, remit extended to include Global Transformation Counsel in 2021 and International Markets Counsel in 2023. Established and led the legal, compliance and data protection functions, bringing together an initial group of lawyers from different teams into a single coherent structure. Grew the legal, compliance and data protection team from 15 to a multicultural group of 110, based in 22 markets in EMEA. Initiated data protection framework, devising and rolling out a GDPR programme in partnership with data and IT teams. Led EMEA-wide acquisition programme comprising over 50 international M&A transactions. Reduced cost leakage in EMEA substantially, strengthening contracting positions, streamlining legal and operational processes, and implementing best practice legal and compliance framework across smaller markets. Minimised cost of external counsel. Designed and launched Risk and Compliance Committees across all EMEA markets in partnership with Internal Audit, giving leadership better visibility of potential exposures and solutions for mitigation. Spearheaded the global transformation of the legal function as Global Transformation Counsel, helping establish a legal operations team and functional operating model. Drove innovation through technology and AI adoption, automation and strategic offshoring. Defended dentsu against formal litigation, cutting settlements and payments and mitigating reputational risk. Served as Chair and Member of multiple board and management committees, giving advice and guidance to the Board of Directors and C-level leadership team on a range of legal, governance and commercial matters. Guided the business through multiple high-profile crisis situations, including the Russia–Ukraine war and COVID-19.
EDUCATION
College of Law - UK
Law, Legal Practice Course
King's Business School, London
Mini MBA for Lawyers, Business Administration and Management, General
Oxford Brookes University
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Law
ABOUT SARRA ADAMS
I am a General Counsel with more than 25 years’ international legal leadership experience in private practice and in-house. I have built and led high-performing legal, compliance and data protection functions across EMEA and globally, managing a headcount of approximately110 and supporting complex operations in 45 markets. I bring both strategic business insight and comprehensive technical knowledge to deliver pragmatic, commercially focused legal solutions that empower business growth and innovation. I have successfully navigated a broad range of legal and business-critical matters, from cross-border M&A and regulatory compliance to crisis management, litigation, internal investigations and global business transformations. I have advised boards and executive teams on diverse legal issues, and I am highly adept at designing and implementing legal frameworks to align with evolving regulation and legislation. As a transformational leader, I have scaled legal teams from scratch, introduced modern operations models, and driven the adoption of automation, AI and offshoring to enhance service delivery while reducing costs and risk.Throughout my career, I have demonstrated an ability to build legal functions that are trusted strategic partners, while also developing the next generation of legal talent through clear career paths and inclusive leadership.
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