Lagos Business School Announces Change in Leadership

The Pan-Atlantic University Governing Council has confirmed the appointment of a successor to Professor Chris Ogbechie, the current dean of Lagos Business School (LBS). Following a distinguished career at the school spanning twenty-three years, Professor Ogbechie has announced his retirement from active service, effective December 31, 2024. He is to be succeeded by the current associate dean, Professor Olayinka David-West.

Professor Chris Ogbechie joined Lagos Business School in 2001 as a senior fellow in the Analysis of Business Problems department. He was appointed dean in 2021. Prior to this appointment, he held several vital positions in the school, including the directorship of the Etisalat Sustainability Centre (now called the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre)

Under Professor Ogbechie’s leadership as dean, Lagos Business School recorded tremendous growth and success. The school retained its status as Africa’s premier business school, maintaining its global accreditations and achieving record enrollment numbers. During his tenure, the school also launched several new programmes, including a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and an MSc in Management (MiM). Professor Ogbechie’s tenure also saw the Global Chief Executive Programme relaunch with a focus on Africa. A tireless advocate for sustainability, he championed the school’s sustainability initiatives, achieving 90% renewable electricity use and a near elimination of single-use plastic in the school.

An unwavering dedication to the well-being of students, faculty and staff characterised Professor Ogbechie’s inspirational leadership. We are deeply grateful for his contributions to the school. The LBS community remains indebted to him for his exemplary service.

As we bid farewell to Dean Ogbechie, we are pleased to welcome his successor, Professor Olayinka David-West, as the new Dean of Lagos Business School, effective January 1, 2025. Professor David-West is the school’s current Associate Dean and a Professor of Information Systems with more than three decades of experience in the IT and financial services industries. She is a passionate advocate for digital transformation and inclusive finance. Her research and practice engagements involve policy and strategic management interventions for digitally transformed businesses and societies.

Olayinka is a member of the African Women in Finance and Payments. She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), and an academic advocate for the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). She is also a qualified practitioner of the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). In addition, Olayinka serves as an independent non-executive director at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management and Sterling Bank Ltd. She is a member of the Mastercard Policy Centre Advisory Board.

We are confident that Professor Olayinka David-West will continue to build upon the strong foundation established by the outgoing dean, Professor Chris Ogbechie, leading the school to even more remarkable accomplishments. Please join us in expressing our gratitude to Professor Ogbechie for his exemplary service and in welcoming Professor David-West to her new role.