This week on the podcast, I have a sit down with the phenomenal leader, Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani and we have a rich conversation about her journey so far.
Rolake is a true multipotentialite, she is an experienced senior executive, versatile leader and strategic thinker who helps companies in the infrastructure and energy sector scale, enter new high-growth African markets, and achieve profitability.
She is also an expert conversationalist, speaker, moderator and anchor, able to distil complex issues on a wide variety of global themes to a diverse and cross-cultural audience. Rolakes is not afraid to be more and she embraces her many gifts comfortably.
On the episode today, Rolake speaks about how grit and hardwork are essential to building skills, inner abilities and passion for stewarding greatness. This episode is specially curated to give the motivation and clarity to become more in every sphere of life!
Key Highlights;
- The key defining moments of her life. (15:09)
- How she applied herself to learning and become a pianist and an energy sector guru. (21:50)
- Why communication? (30:41)
- When mentoring becomes essential. (36:30)
- Why it is beneficial to be able to express yourself in multiple ways. (43:15)
About Rolake;
As a reputable infrastructure, energy and investment executive, who, over the last 15 years has built a track-record of helping to finance and scale African businesses, Rolake recently made a career transition to add real estate and affordable housing infrastructure to her portfolio, as the Chief Commercial Officer of leading infrastructure developer, Mixta Africa, helping the group craft its commercialisation strategy, driving growth and market-penetration across the Group’s subsidiaries in Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia & Cote d’Ivoire .
This multi-discplinary professional is also a highly sought-after industry expert and conversationalist, noted for her astute analysis, and able to distil complex topics on global energy, infrastructure, economy, markets, and contemporary society to a wide variety of audiences and is a regular feature on platforms like BBC, CNN, CNBC, and others.
She was the Senior Advisor to IFU, the Danish Investment Fund and recently sat on the global advisory board of Canadian Private Equity firm, Stonechair Capital advising on its $300 million #EnergyAfrica Fund for infrastructure investments in Sub-Sahara Africa. From 2014 – 2019 she was head of energy for FBN Capital and FBNQuest Merchant Bank, investment and merchant banking arm of FBN Holdings PLC, Nigeria’s oldest financial services group. With a deep passion to make a difference in the infrastructure landscape, she is part of a new generation helping to improve access to energy in Africa, and founded InaTidé, a not-for-profit social enterprise aimed at helping renewable energy off-grid and mini-grid entrepreneurs access finance.
From 2017-19 she was a member of the private sector economic advisory group in the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, working closely with the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, and the VP’s office on a range of national development policy issues. Prior to FBNQuest Merchant Bank, she was head of the energy, power and oil and gas research team at pan-African Ecobank Group in their London office covering 33 African countries.
Connect with Rolake
On Instagram: @rolakeakinkugbe, @iarticl8
Website: www.rolakeakinkugbe.com