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Vario Blog

Sarah Gray: From Lawyer to Business Leader, How In‑House Counsel Can Step Confidently into Non‑Traditional Roles

| 13 Mar 2026 | 10:04 am
James Lewindon

Our 2025 white paper posed the question, “Why are lawyers underrepresented in CEO roles?” The response to the publication was so overwhelmingly positive that the team decided to continue the conversation. We launched an interview series with Heads of Legal and General Counsel to explore what it truly takes to step out of one’s comfort zone and progress up the in-house career ladder. Although these legal leaders offered a wide range of perspectives, common themes emerged throughout their stories: pushing past fear and remaining open to the new and unknown.

In this latest interview in our in-house legal series, we’re joined by Sarah Gray, Strategic Group General Counsel and Company Secretary at Railpen.

Sarah Gray 

  • Seasoned senior in-house leader, most recently Interim Group General Counsel at the Post Office, with a career spanning M&A, insurance, banking, and cross‑border legal leadership.
  • Proven track record of stepping into non‑legal functions, including whistleblowing, investigations, and risk and compliance, often building new capabilities from the ground up.
  • Advocate for modernising the GC role, championing the shift from “department of no” to strategic business leadership rooted in commerciality, financial awareness, and operational insight.
  • Strong believer in continuous learning, having moved across sectors and disciplines to broaden her portfolio and expand her leadership impact.
  • Relationship‑driven operator, emphasising visibility, trust-building, and cross-functional engagement as critical levers for influence and career progression.

    • Sarah Gray

    Strategic Group General Counsel & Company Secretary

    The role of the GC is evolving. I think there are great opportunities for lawyers who want to step up and be business leaders, as well as lawyers.

    Navigating a non-traditional legal role, Sarah encountered the familiar hurdles many lawyers face when stepping beyond the comfort of technical expert status. Her biggest challenge was overcoming entrenched perceptions about lawyers, particularly assumptions of risk aversion, lack of commerciality, and limited financial fluency. She emphasises that the key to breaking through these barriers lies in deliberately widening one’s field of vision: understanding business drivers, speaking in commercial language, and demonstrating genuine curiosity about operational realities.

     

    Sarah's advice to lawyers is to cultivate visibility early, whether by volunteering for cross-functional projects, seeking secondments, or simply getting “in the room” with senior stakeholders. Relationship‑building is key: trust, rapport, and human connection open more doors than technical brilliance alone.

     

    Ultimately, Sarah's message is clear: treat every non‑legal opportunity as a leadership opportunity, step into ambiguity with confidence, and show that lawyers can be business leaders first and legal experts second.

    The GC Series Wrap-Up Event: General Counsel Horizons

    To celebrate the conclusion of our GC Series, we would like you to join us for an exclusive evening event out our Crown Place London office.

    Where? Pinsent Masons, 30 Crown Place, Earl Street, London, EC2A 4ES
    When? Thursday 19 March @ 6pm

    Spaces are limited; click below for more details and to register your interest.

     

     

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