Executive Management
Our executive management team is led by dynamic individuals who have spent over two decades in the financial ecosystem. For us, the bottom-line is always in our clients best interest.
Sonnie Ayere Profile
Background
- 20 years corporate finance, structured finance, corporate banking, and asset management experience.
- Pioneer MD/CEO, UBA Global Markets
- Prior to this, he spent 4 years at the IFC in various roles as Co-Head of the Financial Markets Division focusing on Sub-Sahara Africa
- Worked in various Corporate and Structured Finance, Banking and Asset Management roles in HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland (formerly, NatWest), Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Bank of Montreal Nesbitt Burns in London.
Relevant Experience
- Involved in the origination, structuring and distribution of several of the most complex bond issues in Nigeria to date – CERPAC Securitisation, PRIMERO Securitisation, FMBN Securitisation, NMRC Issuance Programme, Mortgage Warehouse Asset Backed Commercial Paper Programme and many others
- Set up Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Co Plc, Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mortgage Warehouse Funding Limited working with and reporting to the Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
- IFC’s lead in the development of the Nigerian domestic bond market (2004)
- Advised and served on the LagosHOMS committee chaired by Gov Babatunde Fashola
- Originated and structured Kebbi state, Ebonyi State, Nassarawa series I and Private Bonds
- Merger and Corporate Restructuring : AIICO Plc- Financial Adviser- Merger of Aiico Insurance Plc, Aiico General Insurance Plc and Aiico Asset Management by a Scheme of Arrangement- 2010
- Restructuring : Bayelsa State Government- Financial Adviser- Restructuring of the state’s N50 billion bond issuance- 2011
- Corporate Divestment : Bank PHB Plc- Financial Adviser- Divestiture of Legacy Insurance, PHB Capital & PHB Trustees from Bank PHB from Legacy Insurance Limited through a sale of its equity holding – 2011/12
- Part of the team responsible for setting up a US$20bn Fixed Income Structured Investment Vehicle (“SIV”), with a US$2bn Capital Note Program which launched in 1999. He was involved in the company’s set up, compiling aspects of its procedures manual, system evaluation and testing and subsequently responsible for analyzing, investing and trading in various ABS/MBS and other asset classes e.g. bank senior and subordinated debt and other corporate debt plus the on-going credit monitoring of the portfolio.
- He was part of the team that structured the first ever Japanese de-linked Balance Sheet Collaterised Loan Obligation securitisation – GBP1.4bn Aurora Funding. He was also responsible for managing the bank’s fixed income portfolio in Asset Backed Securities (‘ABS’) and Mortgage Backed Securities (‘MBS’) investments and other asset classes for it’s balance sheet.
Professional Experience
Michael Orimobi Profile
Background
Michael is an ingenious and astute commercial lawyer with years of experience in capital markets, M&A and finance. He holds a Bachelors degree in Law (LLB) from the University of Lagos. Furthermore, he has a Masters degree in Commercial Law (with emphasis on Corporate Finance law, International Commercial Tax, International Intellectual Property Law and Corporate Governance) from the University of Cambridge.
He started his career as an investment banker and was involved in structuring several Nigerian and Cross-border commercial transactions, such as Financial Analysis and Valuation of Companies, Mergers & Acquisitions, Listing of Companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Core Investor Sale, Privatization & Commercialization, Balance Sheet Restructuring, Corporate Restructuring, Issuance of Equity, Debt and Hybrid Instruments (Private Placements, Special Placings, Public Offers) and Foreign Direct Investments.
He is currently the Global Chairman of the Tokunbo Orimobi Legal Group – an international legal practice with 10 offices in 7 countries. Michael doubles as the Managing Partner of the Group’s Nigerian Practice - Tokunbo Orimobi LP. Michael, in the course of his legal career has been able to perfectly combine his legal background with his investment banking experience in proffering highest quality legal advisory services to clients.
Michael is ranked as a Leading Lawyer for Capital Markets Deals in Nigeria by the IFLR1000, emerged as Lawyer of The Year, Nigeria & Leading Adviser, Nigeria in the ACQ Global Awards and was awarded Marketing Law with Accolades Award in the 2016 DealMakers Country Awards. Under his tenure as Managing Partner of Tokunbo Orimobi LP, the law firm has won several awards such as Recommended Firm for Financial and Corporate Deals (2020) & Energy and Infrastructure Deals (2019) - IFLR1000; Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria – 2018 Corporate Int’l Magazine Global Awards; Structured Finance Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria – 2017 Lawyers World Country Awards; Corporate Finance Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria – 2016 Corporate Int’l Magazine Global Awards; Most Innovative Law Firm, Nigeria – 2016 Acquisition International Magazine Awards; Corporate Finance Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria – 2015 Deal Makers Country Awards; Regulatory Compliance Practice of the Year, Nigeria, Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria & Best Commercial Law Firm of the Year, Nigeria – 2015 Acquisition International M&A Awards etc.
Michael sits on the board of a couple of African businesses and entities. He is a global business leader and philanthropist.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
Professional Experience
Phillips Olayimika Profile
Background
Olayimika, is a Non-executive Director at DLM Capital Group and a Partner at the leading law firm, Olaniwun Ajayi LP. She is the partner in charge of the Enterprise Practice Group and specializes in corporate and regulatory matters in energy, real estate, manufacturing, health, media, advertising, hospitality and labour .
She also has vast experience advising both local and international clients on group reorganisations, Mergers and Aquisitions, demegers, corporate finanace and corporate governance matters.
Professional Experience
Ighodaro Kennedy Profile
Kennedy Ighodaro is a seasoned Financial Analyst with over 27 years of experience in venture capital operations, financial services, manufacturing and other service oriented industries.
Prior to joining DLM Group, he was the Country Manager of West Africa Venture Fund (WAVF LLC), Sierra Leone for over four and half years. WAVF LLC was established by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the development arm of the World Bank Group to deliver risk capital (private equity/venture capital) and technical assistance services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in two post-war countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Prior to this, he was Chief Finance Officer and General Manager at Armored Technologies & Systems Limited (AT&S).
Professional Experience
Adegbenga Alamu Profile
Adegbenga Alamu has drive and passion to work in a performance-driven environment to achieve set targets. He has excellent leadership skills in business development, particularly corporate banking, mortgages, and real estate finance, and is highly skilled in credit/financial analysis and relationship management.
He has 21 years work experience in Accounting and Audit functions, Banking Services and Customer relationship management, mortgages and Real Estate financing. He is a graduate of accountancy, a Chartered Accountant, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Nigeria. He attended training in the field of financial services, credit and risk management, and corporate governance both in Nigeria and abroad. He is also an Alumni of the prestigious Lagos Business School.
He started his working career with AIM Group in 1999 and rose to the position of Company Accountant of Steam Broadcasting and Communications (Cool FM Radio) and thereafter commenced his banking career in 2001. Some of the financial institutions he worked include defunct Gulf Bank Plc, IBTC Chartered Bank (Stanbic IBTC), and TrustBond Mortgage Bank Plc (FirstTrust Mortgage Bank Plc), HomeBase Mortgage Bank. He held management positions and had responsibility for the profitability and liquidity of the mortgage Banks where he worked prior to joining Citihoms Finance Company Limited as the Managing Director.
Professional Experience