Cherie Blair
Co-Founder & Chair | Omnia Strategy LLP
Cherie Blair CBE, KC is the Chair of Omnia Strategy LLP, a pioneering international law firm she co-founded in 2011. Omnia’s unique, multi-disciplinary, law+ practice offers more than just legal representation, but the capacity to project influence and deliver impact through a worldwide network and skills across advocacy, communications, policy, intelligence and diplomacy.
Cherie is a King’s Counsel and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. With over 40 years’ experience as a leading barrister specialising in human rights, international arbitration, strategic legal and advisory work. Through Omnia, Cherie advises clients on complex issues relating to dispute resolution including investor-State and commercial arbitration, mediation and general government relations. Cherie’s team at Omnia is also leader in the field of business & human rights, and Cherie advises on corporate responsibility and improving and sustaining strong environmental, social and governance standards. A supporter of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals and a World Benchmarking Alliance Ambassador, Cherie advises on implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and other international human rights instruments and norms. Cherie works closely with businesses to develop and strengthen their corporate citizenship, deepen their partnerships with stakeholders, and secure a strong social licence to operate.
Cherie has a longstanding commitment to African causes and she works for both States and investors striving to deliver elegant solutions to their challenges wherever and whatever they might be. Recently her work has involved successfully finding solutions to cases concerning oil and gas concessions in The Gambia, power projects in Ghana, energy and power distribution in Tanzania and construction in Egypt.
Cherie is closely involved with various charities and is a strong advocate for women’s rights. She is the Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which runs programmes to support women entrepreneurs across the developing world, with a prominent role in Africa. She is Vice Chair of the International Council on Women’s Business Leadership founded by Hillary Clinton. She is a Director of the Dangote Group, and an adviser to the B Team, a not-for-profit initiative formed by a global group of leaders “to create a future where the purpose of business is to be a driving force for social, environmental and economic benefit”. Cherie is also a member of Concordia’s Leadership Council, and helped officially launch the Concordia Africa Initiative in New York in September 2018.
