Tayo Aderinokun
Today has been a day of mixed emotions, at work I have been so busy working to meet up my deliverables. I got to the office this morning and met a sad news, a former colleague, Eboka Nkencor passed away. It was a bad moment for me cos he had actually battled the illness for a very long time. Finally he lost the battle. I mourn him and pray for his soul.
This evening as I checked my Blackberry status, I found a more shocking news, TAYO ADERINOKUN, former Guaranty Trust Bank Managing Director, passes on In a UK Hospital.
I took a deep sigh of shock and anger, why him? Why now? But I paused to contemplate on his life and times, as the MD of GTB, one of the most innovative banks ever in Nigeria. Tayo has redefined banking, raised the bar and others still find it hard to come close. As one of the new banks the confidence customers have in GTB is astonishing, the loyalty to the brand is immeasurable. This man with his team created a benchmark in the banking industry. I’m not sure there is anyone who doesn’t have a GTB account, well maybe a few people.
I met him once during Troyka Holding retreat in 2008, he was a guest speaker, I was amazed at the pictorial description of the issues behind the collapse of the global market, his eloquence was admirable, his charisma, his simple nature, his class, his intelligence, I applauded, his sense of humour stood everyone up during the session. Yet he is no more.
The cause of his death as reported is Cancer of the lungs, he has been battling this ailment for years now.
Death where is your sting?
This sun has set, the candle is off, the comet is dimmed, this giant has fallen, an icon is gone, he would be missed not only by his family or his colleagues, but the entire Banking industry and Nigeria.
We miss you man, God loves you more, you have set a standard for us, you have left your landmark, your foot prints can never be erased, your shoes too big to fit anyone struggling to wear them, your cap oversized for the next person, Sleep on pal.
HIS BIOGRAPHY
“Tayo Aderinokun holds a first degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos and an MBA with special concentration on International Business from the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles.
His professional education includes Credit and Relationship Management training at the Chase Manhattan Bank Institute for International Banking New York, USA (1982-1983). His professional working experience was gained working with several financial institutions beginning with the Central Bank of Nigeria in Calabar, where he did his National Youth Service (1977-1978).
He worked with Chase Merchant Bank Nigeria Ltd (later renamed Continental Merchant Bank) from 1981 to 1988. He was at Prime Merchant Bank Ltd (1988 and 1989) as an Assistant General Manager rising to the position of Head of the financial services division of the Bank. In 1989, he set up a non-bank financial institution, First Marina Trust Ltd., which he ran for a year. In 1990 he co-founded Guaranty Trust Bank Plc where he served as Deputy Managing Director before taking over in his current position as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer in August 2002. He is responsible for strategic policy direction as well as day-to-day administration of the Bank.
He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and holds a recipient of the national award – Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”