Ayodele Olajiga | Director
Ayodele Olajiga is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in Agribusiness, Investment Banking and Management Consulting. He is passionate about driving economic development in Africa through business transformation and scaling enterprises.
Ayodele is the Co-Founder of Foodpro Limited, a leading Nigerian FMCG business focused on processing and producing superior quality cashew nut products for retail and commercial customers in Nigeria and across the globe.
In 2013, he led the efforts that secured a merchant banking license for Rand Merchant Bank in Nigeria, playing a huge role in developing the strategic vision for the bank and the recruitment of the key hires for the organisation.
He executed corporate transactions in excess of US$5bn in the areas of financing, mergers & acquisitions and corporate restructurings. He also established and managed the FirstRand Bank representative office in Nigeria.
As a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, Ayodele implemented performance improvement & turnaround programs using lean network principles. He developed expansion strategies, performed operational diagnostic assessments of operating systems, performance management as well as designed the organizational structure and operational processes for several African & global businesses.
Beyond executing business strategies, Ayodele is deeply passionate about the development of SMEs and scalable start-ups and has facilitated several industry specific workshops, trainings and masterclasses focused on organisational excellence, business transformation and strategy. Feedback from attendees were that his sessions provided the clarity require to gain new perspectives which led to the structuring and restructuring of their businesses thus repositioning them for bigger opportunities and sustainable growth.
He has a first degree in Electronics/Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and earned his MBA in 2004 from the Kellogg School of Management. He also has a Masters in Telecommunications from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Ayodele is a certified executive coach. by The Centre for Executive Coaching (FL USA).