From Legal Counsel to Global Business Leader - Part 1

Beyond the Legal Function: Leading Transformation, Culture, and Business Strategy

The role of today’s legal leader extends far beyond governance and risk management. Increasingly, the most influential executives are those who can combine legal expertise with commercial acumen, cultural intelligence, and the ability to drive transformation across complex global organizations. 

In this conversation, Anna Jacobs, Senior Partner and Head of the Legal Practice at Page Executive US, speaks with Banke Odunaike, a Global Executive Leader, whose career has evolved from senior legal leadership into broader enterprise roles spanning operations, culture, talent, and business transformation. Throughout her career at CBRE, Banke partnered with senior leadership to oversee a multi-billion-dollar global platform, shaping organizational strategy, operational excellence, and long-term growth initiatives across international markets. 

Drawing on her experience as General Counsel, Chief Culture Officer, and Global Executive Committee member, Banke shares valuable insights on leadership beyond the legal function, building trust as a strategic business partner, navigating global careers, leading through change, and embracing the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and organizational transformation.

In this interview, she reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped her leadership journey and offers practical advice for legal executives aspiring to broaden their impact and lead at the highest levels of business. 

Anna Jacobs: Your career has evolved from a traditional legal path into broader business leadership. What prompted that shift, and how did you know you were ready to step beyond a purely legal role?

Banke Odunaike: Honestly, I didn’t see it coming. For years, my North Star was clear: to become General Counsel of a FTSE or Fortune 100 company. Then I got a call from a very senior executive that changed the trajectory. It turned out my performance had been on the radar of a group of executives who felt I was the right person to build and lead CBRE’s Culture Office.

I recall distinctly asking, “Why me?” The reply has stayed with me ever since: “Why not you?”

That reply, paired with the substance of the role, made the decision to pivot a no-brainer. The Culture Office rested on four pillars I was already passionate about: Ethics & Compliance, Philanthropy, Belonging & Inclusion, and Senior Leadership Succession Planning & Talent Identification (which included responsibility for CBRE’s top 100 executives globally).

And because I’ve never been one to allow myself to stagnate, the chance to stretch into unfamiliar territory was simply irresistible, even without any guarantee of success and despite the very real challenges of uprooting my family (dog in tow) to another country. I just knew that growth was inevitable whatever the outcome, and that is exactly why I said yes, with my family’s blessing, of course.

Looking back, that leap changed my life for the better. When I eventually returned to a purely legal role, I felt a void I hadn’t expected. It was made clear that the skills I’d built in business leadership weren’t a detour; they were part of who I’d become, and it told me it was time to define a new North Star.

Anna Jacobs: You’ve worked at the intersection of legal, people, and culture. How do you define the role of legal leadership in shaping not just governance, but organizational direction today?

Banke Odunaike: It starts with the right mindset and the confidence to redefine what a lawyer is supposed to be. I made a habit of stripping away the traditional preconceptions of the role and instead treating myself as a co-owner of the organization’s strategy, not just its legal advisor.

Whenever a problem landed on my desk, even one framed purely as a legal question, I’d start by asking myself: “What would I do if this were my business?”

From there, I’d work backward: define what success looks like, separate the real obstacles from the perceived ones, and drive toward pragmatic solutions that deliver measurable results at scale.

In short, you must be willing to put on a commercial hat. That’s what allows legal leadership to shape organizational direction, not just keep it compliant. 

Anna Jacobs: In your experience, what does it take for legal leaders to truly become strategic partners to the business?

Banke Odunaike: Trust. Full stop. Your counsel is only as good as the company’s confidence that you understand them: their goals, their market, their competition.

When I led CBRE’s EMEA legal team, we ran a program called Vis ma Vie (Live My Life), credit to the Head of our French legal team, which immersed new lawyers in the life of a business leader as part of their onboarding to the legal function.

My view has always been simple: you cannot counsel a business you don’t know.

That principle became a core requirement of our function and over the years it grew into a series of “swap and share” and SPOC initiatives. They were central to our success, not only in helping us give timely, commercial advice, but in earning us a seat at the table well before the ambulance crew was needed.

That’s what trust buys you: not just credibility, but the standing to be called a true partner. 

Key Takeaways

• Career-defining opportunities often emerge when leaders embrace unfamiliar challenges.
• Legal leadership is increasingly about shaping business outcomes, not only governance.
• A commercial mindset strengthens a legal leader’s strategic impact.
• Trust is the foundation of every successful business partnership.