LADI BALOGUN EMERGES YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER

                                              LADI BALOGUN and wife, Banke Balogun

 Ladi Baolgun's rating as an emerging global business leader was confirmed again recently when he was honoured with the prestigious This Day Newspaper's Young Global Champions award.  This highly rated award, which is specially reserved for  young, daring and enterprising Nigerians under the age of 50, who have taken the presence of Nigeria into the global competition, was recently bestowed on Mr. Ladi Balogun, the young but influential Group Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc. Ladi Balogun received this honour at the 16th Annual This Day Awards for Excellence and Good Governance which took place in Lagos, recently. Ladi Balogun was honoured for transforming a family owned bank in the face of the demise of other family owned banks. According to the organizers of the yearly awards, leaders of 14 corporate organizations in the country who have built new companies from scratch and made them world class received this year’s awards in this category.
Ladi Balogun, son of Otunba Subomi Balogun, remains one young man who has done tremendously well for himself. Ladi Balogun's impressive story could not have been otherwise, seeing that Ladi Balogun attended some of the best educational institutions in the world, which Ladi Balogun complements with his prestigious and enviable Otunba Subomi Balogun background. Ladi’s wealthy father appears to have conquered all challenges of life with his wealth, Ladi remains undaunted in his desire to further solidify and sustain the financial base of the balogun's mega-business, especially, the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), where Ladi Balogun sits as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

That Ladi Balogun rose to the leadership position in the thriving bank could be attributed to his  passion for hard work and resilience. Ladi Balogun joined the bank (now FCMB Capital Markets Ltd) as a Senior Manager/Team Leader in 1995 and rose to become Executive Director, Investment Banking Division. Ladi Balogun has been a team leader on capital raising, mergers and acquisition, as well as privatisation assignments 
Ladi Balogun has over 18 years experience in commercial and investment banking abroad. In 1996 Ladi Balogun joined FCMB as Executive Assistant to the Chairman/CEO. In 2000, he was made Executive Director in charge of Strategy and Business Development and in 2001, Deputy Managing Director. Ladi Balogun was appointed the Managing Director in 2005.

LEGENDARY BANKER, OTUNBA SUBOMI BALOGUN CLOCKS 75

The founder and Chairman of the FIRST CITY FINANCIAL GROUP, Otunba Subomi Balogun,GCON, attained the age of 75 recently. to celebrate the man who singlehandedly built of one Africa's biggest financial institution, an elaborate society party was put together in his honour. The event for Balogun's 75th birthday started with a well-attended book launch on Thur March 5th, at the Muson Centre in Lagos while the second phase started with an inspiring church service at the Cathedral Church of Christ Marina which was followed immediately by a colourful reception at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, all on Monday 9th March, 2009..The celebrant is one of the few Nigerian elites who have touched so many lives with their various acts of philantropy. When he clocked 70 in 2004, he donated a multimillion Naira Paediatric centre purposely built to offer free medicare to children and the less privileged in the society. This probably accounts for why there was a massive turn-out of distinguished Nigerians and eminent personalities at his 75th birthday yesterday..Below are the pictures of some of the guests at the event as captured by SOLA FOLOWOSELE.


(above)The celebrant, OTUNBA SUBOMI BALOGUN,GCON & his wife, Olori Abimbola

( above) Ladi Balogun & his wife, Banke..(Ladi is no 3 of the four all-boys children of the celebrant. He is the Managing Director of FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK, FCMB, a subsidiary of his father's FIRST CITY GROUP)

(above) Bolaji Balogun & his wife, Kemi.(Bolaji is the first born of the celebrant. He is also a topshot within his dad's FIRST CITY GROUP)

(above) This is gangling Jide Balogun & his wife, Uche( Jide, number 2 in the family, also calls the shots at The First City Group. Uche is the daughter of Asaba-born business mogul, Chief Sony Odogwu. She has two sons already for Jide) (above) This is Gboyega Balogun and his charming wife, Emma..Gboyega is the youngest of the Balogun boys..He also occupies a strategic position at the FCG HQ)

( Above) One of the two magnifient cakes for the event

(Above) MC of the event, Abuja-based Mrs Dayo Benjamin-Lawuyi, she did a great job at the event
(above) Funke Bucknor-Obrothe of ZAPPHIRE EVENTS (standing left) at the event admiring the work of her hand..Her firm handled the planning of the event including the massive decoration at the foreground, the supply of usherettes & other aspects. For doing just that, heavily pregnant Funke got a princely sum N5million Naira for herself.
(above) The ever-glamourous OKOYA couple, 70-year old Razak & 31-year old Shade..(He is the Chairman of the gigantic Eleganza Group while She is the Deputy Managing Director of Eleganza Fashion & Beauty Products, all based in Lagos Nigeria..They' ve been together as a couple for the past 10 years and they have 4 lovely kids (2 boys, 2 girls) together.

(above) The celebrant with Ex-Nigeria's Minster of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange..(the internationally recognized Paediatrician who lost her Ministerial appointment over an alleged N300million scam in her then Ministy of Health in Abuja, was recently appointed by Otunba Subomi Balogun as the new Head of his National Paediatric Centre, Ijebu., Ogun State Nigeria.

(above) Afenifere & NADECO veteran, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, still looking handsome and fresh at 81

(above) Former Head of State,Gen Yakubu Gowon(left) & The Alake of Egbaland,Oba Adedotun Gbadebo during the church service..In Nigeria, Kings and Bishops are permitted to wear their caps in the Church, others can't try it.

(above) (R-L) Uche Jide-Balogun,Lagos fashion designer, Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber fame, with their friends Dolores Hart, & Yvonne Aleyideino

(above) Lagos High Society woman,Chief (Mrs) Joko Oni(right) and her sister..(when Joko Oni's son Niyi got married on 21st February,2009, Otunba Subomi Balogun was the Father of the day)

(above) The hardworking Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola(middle) flanked by The Alake of Egbalaend, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo(left) & the celebrant(right)

(above) Governor Fashola's Bullet proof Range Rover

(above) Mrs Mami Adeyemi(left) & Mrs Shade Oredugba(right)

(above) Impeached Deputy Gov of Lagos state, Femi Pedro(left) chatting with Air Marshal Anthony Okpere(rtd)

(above) (L-R) Jide Balogun, Sola Ojora, Onuorah Iyizoba & his wife

(above) (L-R) Tola Olagbegi, Toks Akerele& his brother Segun Akerele

(above) one of the many stlyes at the event

(above) Lady of Stlyes, Sade Okoya
(above) Erelu(DR) Abiola Dosunmu looking respledent in one of her unique white attires..(she doesnt wear any other colour apart from white)

(above & below)-THE CELEBRANT's customized ROLLS ROYCE

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