Rachel Roche wins prestigious Yorkshire leadership award

March 2024

Rachel Roche, owner of York based Roche Legal, has collected a prestigious award which recognises her impact as a transformation leader at the BusinessDesk Yorkshire Leadership Awards in Leeds.

Rachel, who recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme in a ceremony at the Saïd Business School, Oxford, collected the Professional Services Leader award at the ceremony.

The judges highlighted her impact on the legal profession saying: “Rachel champions a transformative ethos at her York-based firm and combines a culture of mentorship and professional development with a commitment to financial astuteness and operational excellence. The impact of her journey is such that the Law Society commissioned her and co-author Darren J. Sylvester to write “How to Start a Law Firm”.

Rachel said: “Receiving this leadership award holds profound significance for me, as leadership has been a paramount focus for me throughout the latest part of our business growth journey. I firmly believe that genuine leadership transcends mere metrics; it’s about the ability to inspire, empathize, and steer with unwavering purpose, even through the stormiest times.

“None of this would have been possible without the incredible dedication and talent of our exceptional team, who continuously demonstrate their unwavering commitment to our shared vision.”

Rachel, who has studied extensively in the United States alongside American lawyers, has been appointed co-chair of the New York State Bar Association London branch after creating a UK/USA probate offering which has attracted funding from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Nearly 300 people gathered at the Queens Hotel, Leeds, to celebrate the region’s finest leaders at the Yorkshire Leadership Awards and the judging panel included Karl Oxford of African and Caribbean Business Ventures, Bex Williams of Bradford 2025, Dan Fell of Doncaster Chamber, and 2019 winner Taryn Edge.

Andrew Staples , theBusinessDesk.com Yorkshire editor said, “I continue to be impressed by the quality of leaders within Yorkshire and Humber. The breadth and depth of talent within the region is truly impressive – leaders who not only have the vision and drive to achieve great things but motivate and empower their teams to unleash their own potential.”