Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola, has been appointed the new managing director and chief executive officer of Polaris Bank.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had dissolved the Board and Management of Polaris Bank on Wednesday.
In a statement by Mrs Sidi Ali, Hakama, the acting director of Corporate Communication of CBN, on the Bank’s verified X handle @cenbank directed Mr. Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola, the newly appointed MD/CEO of Polaris Bank to assume his role with immediate effect.
SO, who is Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola?
Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola has a strong educational background that has equipped him with the knowledge and skills to excel in the banking industry. Here are some of his educational qualifications:
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos.
He has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Netherlands Business School.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
He is an Alumnus of the Lagos Business School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the University of Oxford.
Career
Lawal Mudathir Omokayode Akintola has a long and successful career in the banking industry, spanning over 25 years.
He has worked in various capacities and sectors, such as corporate and investment banking, treasury, risk management, and business development.
He has also led and executed many strategic projects, initiatives, and transactions that have added value to the organizations he worked for and the customers he served. Here is a summary of his career path:
He started his career in 1998 as a Senior Manager at Prime Merchant Bank, where he was responsible for managing the bank’s treasury operations and foreign exchange dealings.
In 2000, he joined Ecobank Nigeria as a Group Head of Corporate Banking, where he oversaw the bank’s portfolio of corporate clients in various sectors, such as oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
In 2003, he moved to Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria as a Regional Executive of Corporate and Institutional Banking, where he led the bank’s business development and relationship management activities in the South-West region of Nigeria.
In 2006, he was appointed as the Executive Director of Corporate and Investment Banking at Sterling Bank Plc, where he was in charge of the bank’s strategic business units, such as corporate banking, institutional banking, project finance, structured finance, and trade finance.
In 2018, he left Sterling Bank to set up Intermediate Equity Partners Limited, a Lagos-based firm that provides advisory and consultancy services to corporate and institutional clients in various sectors and markets.
In 2020, he became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fractional Investment Services Limited, a real estate company that offers innovative and affordable housing solutions to Nigerians.
In 2024, he was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria, with over 300 branches and millions of customers.
He led the successful acquisition and integration of Equitorial Trust Bank by Sterling Bank in 2011, which increased the bank’s assets, branches, and customer base.
He initiated and executed several landmark transactions in the corporate and investment banking space, such as the $1.2 billion MTN Nigeria syndicated loan, the $1 billion Dangote Cement bond issuance, and the $300 million Lafarge Africa rights issue.
He was instrumental in developing and implementing the Sterling Bank’s corporate transformation strategy, which improved the bank’s performance, profitability, and reputation.
He received several awards and recognition for his leadership and excellence, such as the Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Leadership Awards, the Most Outstanding Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Bankers’ Merit Awards, and the Most Influential Banker of the Year Award by the Nigerian Banking and Finance Awards.
