Dr. Ekundayo Walton Gilpin, the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, has been recognized as one of the 25 Top Financial Leaders in Africa for 2023 by the African Leadership Magazine (ALM).

During a visit to the bank’s headquarters on May 11th, 2023, Dr. Gilpin was presented with a “Certificate of Emergence” by a team from the Magazine’s UK-based headquarters, in honor of his ranking as the 17th among the 25 prominent personalities across the continent.

ALM’s selection process for the Top 25 African Finance Leaders involved a two-step, points-based system that included nominations by a global pool of financial experts and writers, as well as a voting process to determine the final rankings. The list was unveiled on April 13th, 2023, during the African Finance Leaders Networking Conference held in Washington DC, USA, on the sidelines of the Annual World Bank Group/IMF 2023 Spring Meetings.

In an official statement signed by ALM’s Kingsley Okeke, the magazine described the listing as a special recognition of the exceptional contributions made by Africa’s top finance leaders towards stabilizing the challenged national economies of Africa through innovative policies and programs.

The release also said those listed were selected and ranked through a rigorous two-step points-based selection process that included nominations by a pool of global financial experts and writers using hard evidence as well as a voting system to arrive at their final decisions of listing the 25 individuals whose contributions to the continent’s financial industry continues to impact lives.

Dr. Gilpin emerged 17th on the list of eminent personalities across the continent, which also includes political leaders in charge of financial portfolios, financial experts in bilateral organizations, and the private sector.

Accepting the Certificate of Emergence, the Rokel Commercial Bank Managing Director said he was humbled and filled with pride to see a Sierra Leonean like himself being recognized by a credible outfit like the African Leadership Magazine and expressed hope that the recognition would motivate other professionals in the financial sector to work hard and bring more laurels home.

“The successes at Rokel Commercial Bank have not come through me alone. On the back of all these achievements, there is also a dedicated team of bankers across the country, there is a Board with a clear vision, there are supervising entities with a passion for excellence and there are customers that are dependable. I am grateful to God and I feel extremely blessed to be part of a family that has completely changed the story of RCBank…” he said.

 

The African Leadership Magazine’s list for African Finance Leaders also includes political leaders (in charge of financial portfolios) and financial experts in bi-lateral organizations and the private sector. Some notable names include: the Ethiopian Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, Madagascar Minister of Finance, Rinda Rabarinirinarison, President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and  Heirs Holding Chairman, Tony O Elumelu.