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CILEX has appointed NHS lawyer Sara Fowler as its new president, alongside the announcement that Jennifer Coupland, former CEO of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), will take over as chief executive in September. The appointments mark a significant moment for the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives as it continues to champion diversity and modernisation in the legal profession.
Sara Fowler (pictured), who begins her term as the 62nd president on 16 July, is head of clinical services at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and co-leads the Covid-19 Inquiry team for her trust and Barts Health. A Chartered Legal Executive who qualified through a graduate apprenticeship, she said she wants to ‘build on the work of my predecessors’ to ensure CILEX professionals are ‘rightly recognised’ across the legal sector.
Fowler, who spent time in care as a child and left school with no qualifications, said: ‘At 18, I was a single mum living in a hostel… Studying with CILEX alongside full-time work allowed me to qualify as a lawyer and get where I am today.’ She described CILEX as ‘a profession that rewards resilience, opens doors and sees talent for what it is, not where it comes from.’
Incoming CEO Jennifer Coupland brings extensive experience in education and technical qualifications, having led the development of over 700 apprenticeships and the T Level programme. She said: ‘CILEX plays a critical role in widening access to justice… I look forward to leading CILEX as we continue to improve diversity in the profession.’ Coupland also highlighted the importance of adapting to technological change, adding: ‘As artificial intelligence democratises access to the law… this is an exciting moment for CILEX.’
Coupland takes over from CEO Craig Hamer, while Fowler takes the reins from Foot Anstey partner Yanthé Richardson.
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