A total of 72 nations, 4,600 athletes, 1.3 million attendees and 1.5 billion global spectators. Caroline McGrory pioneered all things legal for one of the largest sporting events in UK history for 2022’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Managing a fluid team of lawyers and secondees dependent on what was needed at the time, she delivered a highly successful Games in a challenging environment post-Covid and within a reduced time frame.
Her role saw her work with the UK Government to get a bespoke piece of legislation through for the Games to assist on brand protection enforcement. Everything was done on time for the immovable deadline of the Games from finalising contracts, to procuring batons and medals and ensuring everything was in place on the day. The Games also achieved net zero and came in below budget thanks to the finance department and to McGrory and her team’s role in negotiating the best contracts with suppliers.
The scope she covered was far broader than just legal for the Games; McGrory ran one of the first legal teams of a multi-sport event responsible for not just sporting but also the culture festival, the legacy team and a big learning programme for schools. Across just three years she gave real meaning to the idea of giving back, as well as giving the UK a games to remember.