Adekemi Ajayi

I am a senior finance and strategy leader with over 25 years’ experience building, financing, and scaling organisations across Africa and the UK. My work spans strategic and operational finance, capital allocation, investment, and governance, supporting organisations operating in complex, multi-country environments. I have led finance functions at group and regional levels, partnering closely with executive teams and boards on budgeting, forecasting, treasury, performance management, and growth strategy. My experience covers telecoms, infrastructure, financial services, investment banking, and impact investing, where I have worked at the intersection of execution, capital discipline, and long-term value creation. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and an MBA (Distinction) from Imperial College London. This combination of scientific training and strategic finance underpins my data-driven approach to decision-making, risk management, and institutional resilience. Over my career, I have mobilised more than US$3 billion in capital, executed complex M&A and financing transactions, and supported the scale-up and transformation of both commercial and mission-driven organisations. I have worked extensively with governments, regulators, investors, and development partners, and have served in board, governance, and advisory capacities across multiple sectors. I am motivated by roles that combine strategic leadership with practical execution, particularly where finance is a lever for sustainable growth, operational resilience, and systemic impact across emerging and frontier markets.