The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has announced the appointment of Ayodele Olojede,, as its new Chief Operating Officer.
In a statement, the bank expressed delight at welcoming Olojede, describing her as a seasoned finance executive with an impressive career across leading financial institutions.
“Ayodele brings deep expertise and a genuine commitment to empowering SMEs and nurturing emerging leaders,” the bank said. “We are confident her leadership will strengthen our mission of promoting gender equality and drive continued impact.”
Olojede joins DBN with extensive experience in retail banking, SME financing, digital transformation, and strategic leadership. She most recently served as Divisional Head of Retail and SME at Wema Bank Plc, where she led a major transformation of the division comprising over 2,000 employees.
Her notable achievements at Wema Bank include revamping the SME strategy with a focus on digital efficiencies, resulting in a 50% increase in profitability. She also spearheaded the platformisation of the bank’s agency banking, POS, and merchant acquiring businesses, achieving a 10-fold improvement in operating efficiency. Additionally, she transformed the digital lending platform, driving a 100-fold increase in loan volumes while maintaining strong risk management.
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Prior to Wema Bank, Olojede held senior roles at Access Bank Plc, where she served as Group Head of Emerging Businesses Africa. In that capacity, she led the deployment of emerging business propositions across multiple African countries and played a key role in innovative initiatives such as digital lending platforms and the establishment of a $1 billion Immersion Fund aimed at impacting millions of MSMEs across the continent.
Her earlier career includes leadership positions at Diamond Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, HSBC Bank Canada, and Prudent Bank Plc, with consistent success in SME banking, women-focused financial initiatives, digital innovation, credit risk management, and business growth.
