Ayoku Liadi is an industry-recognised financial services leader with over three decades of exceptional executive experience spanning commercial banking, financial control, enterprise risk management, and operational strategy.
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), he holds a BSc in Management from the University of Nigeria and an MSc in Marketing from the University of Lagos.
He has further honed his leadership acumen through executive education at some of the world’s foremost institutions — including the Kellogg School of Management (USA), Cranfield School of Management (UK), and IMD Business School (Switzerland).
His track record includes transformative leadership at some of Africa’s most respected financial institutions. As Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank Sierra Leone, Mr. Ayoku steered the bank to become the country’s best-performing financial institution within three years — a testament to his ability to align vision with disciplined execution.
In his subsequent role as Deputy Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA), he provided strategic oversight of over 490 branches, delivering strong performance across retail operations, customer engagement, and profitability.
He later served as Group Managing Director of Sky Capital and Financial Allied International, overseeing capital market strategy and integrated financial services delivery.
Currently, he sits on the board of First Atlantic Bank, Ghana, as a Non-Executive Director. Under his board-level leadership, the bank rapidly rose from a sub-top 10 ranking to become one of Ghana’s top five banks based on multiple performance indicators — within just one year.
In his current capacity as Group Managing Director of Bay Holdings, Mr. Ayoku provides overall strategic leadership and executive governance across the Group’s diverse subsidiaries, including Kayvee Microfinance Bank.
His wealth of experience continues to influence high-impact decisions in risk architecture, credit and treasury management, operational excellence, and leadership development, reinforcing Bay Holdings’ position as a forward-driven institution built on resilience, innovation, and sustainable growth.