Currently Finance Director at AECOM in Dubai, Folly (as he likes to be known) has been on a more-than-challenging journey via Nigeria and the UK to reach his current position as a highly successful professional and active member of the Bayes Alumni network. He recounts the lessons he has learned along the way and why he is especially keen to use them for the benefit of others.
Your upbringing was a challenging one – how did you navigate it?
I was born in Nigeria and then moved to the UK at the age of 5 with my father. During my childhood I went through a period in foster care, so growing up was pretty difficult in East London at the time. As you can no doubt imagine, I didn’t see myself where I am now, so I hope my journey can inspire those going through such challenges as growing up within a single parent household and being raised in working class surroundings to put their focus and dedication into studies. To help me process my early years without forgetting my roots, I’ve started getting into stand-up comedy, tackling tricky topics such as depression and divorce. This approach helps engage and entertain other people through your own experiences. It’s therapeutic for me and beneficial to others in equal measure.
Why the Executive MBA Dubai with Bayes?
I was looking for an “in-person” experience from a credible university offering continuous learning, which is exactly what I got from the Executive MBA in Dubai. In my cohort there was a really interesting mix of people, many of whom were self-funding their studies like me, so we were a highly diverse bunch but also with points in common. Prior to this I’d completed my accountancy qualifications so after a 10-year period without studying I found it was the right time to refresh my mind and knowledge.
What experience did you have prior to studying at Bayes?
I’d been a senior project accounting manager and was looking to transition towards something else. In fact, I was promoted to an associate director position just when I started the EMBA, so it was the ideal time to explore in greater depth areas such as HR strategy, organisational behaviour and corporate governance and then apply them directly – to improve my own performance, understand and support my staff and get the most effective output from them.
What were the key takeaways from the Executive MBA Dubai?
We were a part of the COVID cohort, so the first six months of the programme were undertaken online. Lockdown wasn’t as strict for us in Dubai and we were allowed to travel to campus for the lectures that weren’t delivered remotely but it was a challenge nevertheless. Some of the key takeaways from the programme I could apply straightaway when I was promoted to finance director. Especially useful was the Business Mastery Project (BMP), as that knitted everything else together. We got to conduct financial analysis and conduct our own research. In my case my business partner and I did our BMP on a subscription-based plant delivery and maintenance service, called Botany Box. For which we got the highest mark in the cohort! That gave me the confidence and strategic thinking I needed to then speak with more senior-level directors and get promoted, for sure.
What impact has the Executive MBA had on your career since?
The Executive MBA definitely implanted business ideas in me that I didn’t have previously, in areas such as HR, marketing and private equity. We were also able to take an international elective in Silicon Valley, where we were given tours of some incredible tech companies to improve our understanding of the eco-system. Above all, it really accelerated my career and planted in me the idea of maybe developing an entrepreneurial project of my own in parallel. I now have a much clearer idea of how to follow up a business case and potentially start my own venture in the future. In the more immediate present, the Executive MBA has enabled me to evolve to the Finance Director level I now occupy in the Middle East KSA, with the ambition to become a CFO.
What are your professional plans for the future?
I have a succession plan in mind but am focussed very much on my current responsibilities, as well as teaching in my role as a mentor to Bayes students and continuing to learn from others in business. There weren’t so many people available to me when I was younger, given the kind of upbringing I had, so I’m extra determined to put my knowledge to the benefit of others.
I’ve developed leadership and development skills that I want to apply through teaching, especially in the area of finance, all of which I want to share with others, especially female students and graduates to help them break through the glass ceiling. It’s not rocket science – many of those I try to help have the skills and the knowledge. They just need the confidence boost to realise their potential. Doing the Executive MBA helped me appreciate that I could match the people I’d been working with in industry and was studying the alongside, so if I can help remove the imposter syndrome in others that I sometimes had, then job done!
What links do you have with the Bayes Alumni network?
I’m already involved in the MENA area, where we have monthly and sometimes bi-monthly meet-up sessions with fellow alumni. I’ve indicated my interest to join the new board for the region and am already very much into mentoring. If we can get more Bayes and City St George’s graduates into my current place of work that would be great so I’m always keen to leverage any connections that can be established via the alumni network.
What advice would you give to current students reading your story?
In a nutshell, go for it! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and ask questions. Whether you’re the smartest person in the room or not, there are always lessons to be learned from others and challenges to pose yourself. Staying in your comfort zone won’t get you as far as you can go, so push yourself during your studies and maximise the alumni network once you’ve graduated. Connect with the alumni community because we’re all here for one another!
