Witad Awards 2026: Legal/compliance professional of the year—Sophie McDonald, State Street

What is your position within your firm?
Sophie McDonald, State Street: I am vice president and managing counsel at State Street where I am the lead EMEA counsel for GlobalLINK, State Street’s suite of proprietary trading platforms and solutions business.

How long have you been in the financial services industry?
McDonald: I have worked in the industry for 12 years.

How did you get into the industry? Was it a conscious decision or did you “fall” into it?
McDonald: I fell into it! I began my career as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in the primary industries sector, before taking what was intended to be a short-term secondment to State Street in 2013. Initially, it felt like the beginning of any M&A engagement, requiring a deep dive to learn about a new industry and its plethora of technical terminology and acronyms, but it has proven to be a very fortuitous and rewarding place to have found myself in my career long-term.    

What does your day-to-day role entail?
McDonald: Every day is different and involves something new to grapple with or learn, which keeps me engaged. My focus is on providing practical, implementable guidance to support the diverse range of GlobalLINK business lines to develop new products and expand functionality, grow jurisdictional footprint, and managing client and supervisory relationships. I’m privileged to work with exceptional, collaborative lawyers who always bring positivity and perspective, even to the more routine or challenging aspects of my role.

What single project/piece of work are you most proud of during your career in the industry to date?
McDonald: Successfully restructuring the GlobalLINK offering for recovery and resolution planning (RRP) or Mifid II stand out as particularly complex projects, although I am most proud of the strong relationships I have built with my clients and colleagues. Being a trusted partner to engage as early as possible, whether regarding new regulations, client demands or supervisory communications, has enabled me to collaborate efficiently with my clients to achieve our objectives swiftly without compromising compliance or risk excellence.

Doing your job well is important but ensuring the right visibility is critical. Take an active part in your career progression and make it easy for the people who want to support you, to know how best to do that, in line with your specific priorities

To what extent were you helped during your career by a mentor/role model within the business?
McDonald: I feel extremely lucky to have been backed, sponsored and given invaluable advice by a number of senior lawyers and business management during my time at State Street. In particular, through close collaboration with current and former State Street senior executives, all of whom have been especially generous with their time, I have had opportunities to learn and advance in my career, shaping the lawyer and person I am now.  

To what extent does your firm have a formalized framework that seeks to identify and promote talented women and ensure they have every opportunity to realize their ambitions and contribute to the business?
McDonald: State Street has a number of formal programs I have been able to participate in through its Professional Women’s Network (PWN). I have been sponsored through the executive sponsorship program, acted as a mentor in the mentoring circles program and attended a number of PWN panels highlighting senior female leaders who have shared their career stories and advice. All of these programs provide incredible insight and are designed to amplify and encourage talent within State Street.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far during your career?
McDonald: Doing your job well is important but ensuring the right visibility is critical. Take an active part in your career progression and make it easy for the people who want to support you to know how best to do that, in line with your specific priorities. It’s key to communicate your achievements and goals openly, and to ensure that you take advantage of the resources/programs available to you. 

What would you advise women just entering the industry?
McDonald: Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek guidance. Requesting clarification will not be viewed negatively and often benefits others in the discussion. I have personally found significant fulfilment from training and mentoring more junior colleagues and witnessing their progression. This, in turn, gave me the confidence to seek mentoring and guidance for myself, without being concerned that it was imposing on someone else’s time.    

What does this award mean to you?
McDonald: I am honored and delighted to be recognized with this award, particularly after nomination by my business clients. It is wonderful to see recognition within GlobalLINK and the broader industry that innovation in the capital markets technology space is not only compatible with, but is enhanced by, partnership with advisors to ensure we’re delivering on our objectives within a robust risk and compliance culture.