Meet Our Man Crush For this week, Ambassador Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin.

Meet a man whose passion to educate people on financial literacy and help with finance has pushed him out of his air conditioned office to give help, even to the local people. A man skilled and focus on growth!

Ambassador Gilpin is the Managing Director of the Rokel Commercial Bank. He is a name within to recon with in the financial industry in Sierra Leone. Amb. Gilpin is regarded as a seasoned and internationally recognized financial expert with over 30 years experience in managing complex policies and processes in banking and banking-related institutions in Africa, Europe South Pacific, Caribbean and the USA.

Despite his busy schedule, Ambassador Gilpin normally shows up on a weekly basis in a popular TV program known as the “The Economic Forum” to educate Sierra Leoneans on the financial industry, Business and the banking sector on a voluntary basis. The Managing Director believes that one of the functions of bankers is not to sit in the air conditions, with coat and tie but to help the smaller businesses grow with economy.

In a very competitive environment, Amb. Gilpin introduced “The Rokel Sim Korpor App” under his current reign which is bringing greater financial inclusion and convenience to participants in Sierra Leone’s economy. The App is a game changer that revolutionize Banking in Sierra Leone.

Rokel Simkorpor is an electronic mobile banking application which connects customers to their respective bank account through their mobile phones. It is an application that can be use at anytime and anywhere within the confines of Sierra Leone; thereby creating 24 hours’ access to your account.

With his leadership skills and help of his dedicated staff, Rokel Bank has become one of the most profitable financial institutions in the country.
In 2022, under his leadership, Rokel Bank loaned 101 million Leones to Krootown Road Market Women In a bid to empower women who engage in Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the Bank’s Published financial statements , they recorded a profit (before tax) of Le88,706,445 (Eighty-Eight Billion, Seven hundred and Six Million, Four Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand Leones) for the 2021 financial year. This represents a 6.1% increase from Le 83,566,323 billion (profit before tax) in 2020.

In 2021, he was bestowed the country’s most finest award, Commander of the Order of Rokel (COOR) for his commitment towards the financial growth of the people and country at large.