Tayo Aderinokun

Tayo Aderinokun was a Nigerian entrepreneur who co-founded Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in 1990 and served as its Managing Director-Chief Executive Officer until his death in 2011. He was also a recipient of the Member of the Federal Republic, one of Nigeria's prestigious national awards. He had his basic education at Baptist Day School, Kano, and later moved to Lagos where he attended Surulere Baptist School, St. Peter's College, Abeokuta, and St. Gregory's Boys College. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, and an MBA in International Business from the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles. He started his career as a Credit Analyst at the First National Bank of Chicago, and later worked as a Relationship Manager at Prime Merchant Bank Limited and Continental Merchant Bank Limited. He joined Fola Adeola to establish Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in 1990 and became the Deputy Managing Director for 12 years. He succeeded Adeola as the Managing Director in 2002 and led the bank to achieve remarkable growth and recognition in the banking industry. He was instrumental in the bank's listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2007, the first sub-Saharan African bank to do so. He also oversaw the expansion of the bank's operations to other African countries and the United Kingdom. He was widely respected for his professionalism, integrity, and visionary leadership. He was also known for his philanthropy and corporate social responsibility initiatives. He supported various causes in education, health, arts, and sports. He was married to Funlola and Salamotu, and had two children, Ire and Olutayo. He died on June 14, 2011, in London after a long battle with cancer. He was buried in Lagos on June 24, 2011.