Kola Owodunni is a consummate professional with over two decades of cognate experience principally in the financial services sector spanning Investment Management, Risk Management and Treasury. Currently serving as an Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (“NSIA”), he is responsible for deploying over US$4.3 billion across various investment mandates in the Authority’s core funds: Stabilisation Fund, Future Generations Fund and Nigeria Infrastructure Fund. In his role, Kola oversees a large, diverse portfolio of equity, fixed income, and alternative investments, leading both the direct investments and third-party investments on behalf of the Authority. Kola joined the NSIA in 2013 as the Head of Investment Risk Management, was appointed CIO in 2020 (a role which he still acts) and an Executive Director (Investments) in 2022. In addition to his role as ED/CIO, he serves on the Board of some NSIA investee companies as a Non-executive Director.
Kola’s previous roles include Head of Risk Management at Dunn Loren Merrifield, a boutique Investment Bank headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. He was also a Risk Manager in Credit Suisse, London. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Kola was one of the pioneer team that started the Hedge Fund Development and Management Group at Merrill Lynch (now Bank of America Merrill Lynch) in London. Kola began his professional career at Goldman Sachs, London as an analyst.
Kola holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College, London and an MBA from INSEAD, France. Kola is a CFA Charter-holder