18
THE REEDER 2018
OR & SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Stuart Popham QC From the City to Philanthropy When you look at the biography of Stuart Popham QC (Mullens 1972), there is no question that his experience in senior corporate, governmental and regulatory roles is unrivalled. As a keen sailor who has just taken on the Chair of the RNLI, we asked him to navigate his way from his time at Reed’s to a lifetime career in the City… it proves to be a fascinating journey where integrity has been the mainsail! by Sharmaine Matthews
Convincing a lawyer! Every year, I have the pleasure of presenting to our Upper Sixth students before they leave School about becoming an OR, explaining the strength and depth of our unique network. To demonstrate this, I hold a short quiz about several of our ‘more public’ ORs; to keep it fresh, this group tends to alternate each year, except for one person – Stuart Popham – who is always mentioned. The reason for this: Stuart is a perfect example of an OR who, regardless of the pressures on his time, never fails to respond to my messages, even the most trivial! As you read on, you will understand why his ability to manage relationships at whatever level is such a positive message for our young leavers. When I asked Stuart if he would be our lead feature in this year’s magazine, I immediately sensed an unease with speaking about himself, a trait you would never imagine in such a high-profile individual. Indeed, I had to convince him that the focus would not be his stellar career (although it would be remiss not to touch upon it briefly), but instead be an interview to discover how his personal integrity has steered him through life and led to this ‘Reed’s boy’ being described in the national press as the ‘most connected lawyer in the City’ or, indeed, ‘The King of Global Finance’.
Right place, right start In our conversation, Stuart remembers: ‘my time at Reed’s was always incredibly busy and full, with a positive buzz about the place, the pupils and the staff’ – very much like it is today. This is possibly why he describes himself as ‘more of a sprinter, than a long-distance runner’ and why, post-retirement from Clifford Chance, he has found the energy and drive to take on so many senior directorships. He enjoyed his academic studies at School but says, ‘I was grateful also for being encouraged to take on acting which helped me to project a greater confidence than I had naturally’. ‘I was not ambitious at School,’ Stuart denies, ‘but rather I reacted well to encouragement and support which, in turn, fed an impatience to succeed in whatever task I undertook.’ Perhaps this way of learning helped Stuart to develop his affable and consensual management style that was so ahead of its time in the then commercial, legal and financial services industry. In the words of a colleague: ‘Stuart has become one of the titans of the worldwide legal profession without making enemies.’ An achievement worthy of note bearing in mind the complex, intellectually demanding and, in some instances, controversial situations he has had to deal with. However, importantly, he
