No company is complete without a Legal team. They deal with compliance with company law, listing rules, shareholder agreements, regulatory requirements, and much more. The legal team is undoubtedly a key part of the fabric that holds organisations together.
In the Fintech space, women represent less than 10% of leadership, and in light of the International Women’s Day celebration we held in March 2023, we had a conversation with one of the 10% — our Senior Legal Associate at Leatherback, Nengi Spiff. She has been with Leatherback for almost a year.
She shared her inspiration, details about her role, and how she keeps going even on tough days. In this article, we explore the details of our conversation with her in hopes to inspire and motivate women all over the world who are looking to follow a similar path. Let’s dive in.
How did you get started in your field?
As part of our conversation with her, Nengi shared how she got started in her career and her educational background.
She got her bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Hull and a Masters’ Degree in International Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of York. And has since amassed 5 years of experience in Legal services, dating back to the start of her career in the Law firm of George Ikoli and Okagbue. Where she gained experience in Corporate Law, Company Secretarial services, and Litigation.
Her passion for her practice shines through. When asked what she loves most about her job, she responded:
"The learning experience – I truly have gained the most experience in the shortest amount of time. I also never get bored with the work that I do.”
Is there a woman who inspires/motivates you?
We also discussed her inspiration, and this brought about a heartwarming discovery. While she draws inspiration and motivation from several sources, one stands out. She says:
"The largest inspiration in my life is my mother. She is a hardworking woman and a go-getter, and her no-nonsense approach to life is inspiring. My mother showed me early on in life that the only limitation is ourselves. She taught me that it was possible to navigate different fields and excel at them because of how well she wore two hats - she excelled in Law and Construction. Her dogged determination inspired me to operate the way I do."
From her words and what we’ve seen, it is very clear that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Share a quote that keeps you going on your off days
Nengi is a superstar, but even superstars have their down days. At times when she needs motivation, she reminds herself of this quote: “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn.
It helps her remember that she’s in charge of how she reacts to events and also helps her approach situations with a positive attitude.
Share some advice to younger women kickstarting their career
We concluded the interview by discussing advice that younger women getting started in their careers would find helpful.
"Study like your life depends on it because it does. Don’t be quiet or shy, apply yourself as much as you can and as many times as you can. People are important to your growth, value people in your life."
This serves as a reminder to women all over the world. You deserve to take up space. Go after your goals fiercely and with determination, and never give up. It was an absolute pleasure sharing Nengi’s story, and soon, hopefully, the world will hear yours too.
