Barclays announces that Stephanie Avakian joins today and will be appointed Group General Counsel, effective 1 July 2026.
Stephen Shapiro, Group General Counsel, will retire from the Group at the end of June after nearly a decade of service.
Stephanie will work closely with Stephen during a transition period through the end of June.
Stephanie joins from WilmerHale, where she was a Partner and Chair of the Securities and Financial Services Department, counselling and defending public companies, investment banks, asset management firms, boards of directors and individual executives on government investigations, strategic crisis response, and securities litigation.
Prior to joining WilmerHale, Stephanie served as Director of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement until December 2020, having joined the SEC in 2014 as Deputy Director. During her time at the SEC, she worked with domestic and international regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority.
C.S. Venkatakrishnan, Group Chief Executive of Barclays, said:
“Stephanie brings exceptional depth of experience across financial services, regulation and complex litigation. Her leadership and global perspective will be a significant asset to Barclays, and I am delighted to welcome her to the bank.”
“I would like to thank Stephen for his outstanding contribution to Barclays. He has been a trusted adviser to me, the Chairman, the Board and colleagues across the Group, leading with integrity and partnership.”
Stephen joined Barclays in 2017 as Group Company Secretary and was appointed Group General Counsel in 2020. During his tenure, Stephen has played a pivotal role in transforming Barclays’ legal risk and governance framework, significantly enhancing the Group’s management and oversight of legal and regulatory matters. He has led the global Legal function through a period of significant change, materially strengthening the organisation by building capability and elevating culture.
