Olanrewaju OLALUSI

OLANREWAJU OLALUSI—EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Olanrewaju Olalusi began his career in 1992 with the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIMBANK) as Export Credit Officer. He rose to the level of assistant. Manager in 1998 when he moved into the private sector (Information Technology and Construction) for about four years between 1998 and 2002. By July 2002, he realigned his career back into the financial industry with NBM Bank, a subsidiary of Bank Belgolaise, a wholly owned bank under the Fortis Bank.

By 2006, NBM Bank merged with five other banks to form Sterling Bank Plc, and he became a pioneering member of the new entity. He worked in corporate banking, special projects, structured trade and multilateral finance, commercial and retail banking, and trade and supply chain finance. Lanre was saddled with the mandate to develop Sterling Bank’s strategic focus in the creative and cultural industry as head of the media and entertainment desk. The bank is a reference point in the creative industry today.

He executed several fundraising programs in Sterling of circa USD$1bn with institutions like Citi Bank, Standard Chartered, Goldman Sachs, Afreximbank, AfDB, ADF, IFC, Propaco/AFD, Bank of Industry, NEXIMbank, and Impact Credit Guarantee, to mention a few.

Lanre graduated from Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti, in 1990; he obtained a master's in business administration in 2010 from the Business School, Netherlands. He also has a certificate in Digital Marketing Fundamentals from Nexford University in 2020. In 2022 and 2023, he got certifications from FCI in Supply Chain Finance and Reverse Factoring as well as Selling and Marketing Factoring. Lanre obtained certifications from Music Business Academy in Talent Management and Music Business in Africa in 2020. He led the Business Development team in Reverse Factoring Company from 2024 January before joining Hanson Dredging Services Ltd as Director, Operations.

He has attended several conferences, workshops, and training both locally and offshore during the course of his career. Lanre’s hobbies include exercise, workout programs, football and global/local political/social/economic affairs, particularly new innovations.