Name: Velma Okoth
Position: Senior Legal Counsel
Company: KCB Group
Sector/Industry: financial
Worked in current position for (number of years/months): 6 years and about 5 months
Total years as an in-house lawyer: 10 years
A day in my life as an Inhouse Counsel:
I begin my day by journaling. Part of my journaling ritual entails self-motivation through words of affirmation and gratitude, “when you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears”-Tony Robbins.
As a senior legal counsel, I need to stay updated and so I also like catching up with the Business Daily, an insightful Kenyan daily newspaper that covers topical news on economy, business and markets around Kenya and Africa. I begin my day in the office by reading and responding to all emails in my inbox. This allows me to review and respond to business concerns, partners and/ or regulator inquiries as needed. My role entails providing advice and guidance to business division/ department. Majorly I identify, evaluate and not only provide solutions but also provide risk appropriate solutions to further the business. I provide advice and guidance on legal and business-related issues to senior business leaders. Briefly, my work is to identify and mitigate risks. This is legal risks, operational as well as reputational risks and any other risks.
Physical activity is good for the mind and the body. I wind up my day by hitting the gym to recharge my sense of wellbeing. In as much as I enjoy working out, working out literally make me feel better and clear my mind. I have realized that mental health and physical health are loosely connected. What is good for the body is often good for the mind.
The best thing about my current job is:
The best part of my current role is not only being a legal advisor to the business units but also being an integral part of the business processes. It is exciting for me because I have the chance to provide valuable input and guidance on a wide range of business issues. I help to identify potential legal risks and opportunities, and work collaboratively with other departments to develop effective strategies and solutions.
Being a strategic business partner also means that I have the opportunity to build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the company, including senior management, operations teams, and other business units. This I believe, makes me valuable asset in KCB’s fast-paced and complex business environment. I am happy I provide strategic legal advice and support, while also contributing to the overall success and growth of the company.
The most challenging thing about my current job is:
The most challenging aspect of my work is the balancing act between risks and business opportunity. Finding this balance can be difficult, as it requires a deep understanding of both the business and legal landscapes. You need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the various departments and units within the company, and understand the impact that different decisions may have on their operations and bottom line.
At the same time, you need to be able to provide legal guidance and ensure that the company is complying with relevant laws and regulations. This can be particularly challenging in industries that are heavily regulated like in banking.
To manage this balancing act effectively, I have learned to approach decisions with an entrepreneurial mindset. This means being able to think creatively and identify new opportunities, while also being able to assess and manage risks effectively.
In addition, I have come to treasure the importance of building strong relationships at the work place and with key stakeholders. By do you so, you are able to understand their needs and priorities and that makes it easy for you to effectively balance risks and opportunities thereby making decisions that in the best interests of the company.
Most pivotal career decision:
Whilst I loved private practice with all my heart, I did not want to pigeonhole myself so I moved in-house practice to get a feel of how practising In house would be. It has been ten years later and am loving the In-House life.
Efficiency is highly valued and you get to be integrally involved with business in developing or implementing the business strategy. This shift to In-house has made me horn broad skills which include management skills, financial acumen, project management skills(needed to see through implementation of business) and many other skill sets that are not taught in Law school or attributable to private practice lawyers.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to face in your in-house career journey is:
Managing cost and evaluating value add is indeed one of the biggest challenges that I have as an in-house lawyer. The pressure to do more with less is constant, and the need to balance budget constraints with the desire to provide high-quality legal services can be daunting. I have had to learn to be strategic in my approach to cost management. This involves identifying areas where costs can be reduced without compromising on quality, and finding ways to optimize processes and resources. I have also learned to prioritize and focus on high-value work that is most critical to the organization’s success to ensure an optimal risk-reward balance is achieved at all times.
Going forward, I believe technology and automation of routine tasks will help in-house lawyers to save time and reduce costs while still delivering high-quality legal services.
What advice would I give my younger self?
Key influencers that have shaped my journey:
I have encountered great men and women along my career path. John F Kennedy said that we must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.
I would like to thank my pupil mistress whom I shadowed during my pupillage time and was gracious enough to hold my hands during my elementary entry into the legal career and a few years later. This woman taught me hard work, confidence, self-belief, generosity, success and resilient. She made me realize that I had more ability than I thought I did as a young advocate then, and to date this has made to consistently do my best.
I also want to recognize the immense influence of my former boss who believed in me and allowed me to transition from Private practice to In-house. He started me off on the right foot. He built a team, he empowered not only me, but also the team to make meaningful contribution and imprint on the business. I will never forget the time he was leaving the organisation and he literally dragged me to the CEOs office and told the CEO that he was in safe hands with me. Talk of placing me in a positon to succeed!
One cool thing I’ve observed in the legal industry recently?
I would say technology. Tik Tok lawyers and all the cool but fun legal stuff we learn from the short videos. Alex Su is my favourite, he is a lawyer turned legal tech who makes videos poking fun at law firm culture, big law and corporate counsel. He is a breath of fresh air! The practice of law is stressful already so he really makes my days.
Personally, I am also excited about the advancements in technology and how they are revolutionizing the legal industry and creating new opportunities for lawyers to provide better, more efficient, and more affordable legal services to clients.
Favourite pro bono/ volunteer or charitable activity:
I am philanthropic to a fault. Am a firm believer of improving the human welfare. I support and sponsor education for needy students. I attend and participate in charitable runs/ marathons and concerts. It is my desire that when my time is up in this world, I am remembered for the impact that I made in people’s lives. I don’t want to be remembered for materials things I had, I want to be remembered for lifting the status of others. I want to be remembered as someone who raised someone from one level to another. I want to be known as someone who tried to bring equity to humanity. I know life is not ideal. We cannot all be equal. But I just want to be known to have changed someone’s life.
If I were not practising law, I would probably be:
A journalist. I always wanted to be a journalist. But something funny happened when I was in high school.
I was part of a group of 12 girls and one of the girls’ birthday was coming up. So, we planned and executed a plan to sneak out of class and celebrate her birthday one evening. We were busted. One of the prefects in school snitched on us. She reported us to the school administration and as part of our punishment, a teacher asked us to write why we were in school because he did not believe we came to school celebrate birthdays. Out of the blue, I wrote, “I want to be a lawyer’, that was in form one. But I still wanted to be a journalist. But law had found me.
What (singular) achievement are you most proud of?
Seeing the business units/ departments faces beam with such delight after a training session. There is nothing as beautiful as receiving excellent feedback from business for breaking complex legal issues into palatable ones during training. I am always inspired to make a difference in the lives of people around me. The knowledge that I have made a difference for my colleagues and contributed to the success of the business fills me with immense pride.
Something you love doing that but you’re not that great at?
One activity that I enjoy but am not particularly skilled at is gift-wrapping. But the joy that comes from wrapping gifts for the people I care about is immeasurable. The act of selecting the perfect wrapping paper, choosing a coordinating ribbon, and carefully folding the paper around the gift is a labor of love. As I wrap each gift, I envision the recipient’s reaction upon receiving it, and it fills me with happiness. Even if the creases never seem to cease, the thought and care put into the process makes the gift all the more meaningful. I think there is something special about presenting a beautifully wrapped gift, and it brings me great satisfaction to know that I have put effort into making the presentation as special as the gift itself even when the output is not perfect.
Something you dislike doing that you’re pretty good at ? I have cracked my head on this. It looks like I enjoy doing everything am good at!
In 5 years-time I’d love to be: Someday I would want to be a General Counsel/ Head of legal in a large multinational Tech Company. As I move forward am aware that I need to develop some new sets of skills to propel me to my goal. For instance, I need to develop my digital skills like use of artificial intelligence to have a competitive edge and leverage myself for the top positon.