Olanike Salau

London Business School

“I’m a young, ambitious individual with bold goals of positively impacting Africa’s infrastructure finance landscape.”

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: For someone who’s never been to South Korea, I have seen more than 100 K-drama series with each series having an average of 7 episodes per season.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Benin, Nigeria: Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, Investment Analyst

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree? For as long as I can remember in my career, London has always been, in my opinion, the pinnacle of finance. Every time I visited, I imagined what living, studying, or working here would be like, and it always seemed exciting. London truly has everything, and people from all over the world are here.

I remember visiting Peckham earlier this year and having Amala (a local Nigerian dish), which brought back so much nostalgia. The city’s diversity, culture, and vibrant atmosphere drew me in and London offers incredible opportunities for MBA students like myself who are looking to develop global knowledge and relevance in the finance industry and beyond.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of London Business School’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I am particularly excited about the Global Experience course, which allows students to spend a week abroad to gain insights into the local context and business culture of a country or region, interact with local business leaders, alumni, and members of the LBS community, and, most importantly, apply the concepts we have learned in the classroom.

I hope to use this opportunity to travel to regions I have never visited, such as Latin America or Asia, to broaden my knowledge and experience while exploring the local context alongside my classmates. In the near future, I want to launch an infrastructure fund focused on emerging markets, and the lessons learned from these countries, particularly how they have developed their infrastructure stock, would be immensely beneficial.

London Business School is one of the most culturally and professionally diverse MBA programs in the world. What will make you unique in this class and how will it enrich the experience of your classmates? Around this time two years ago, I moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, to start a new role at the IFC. I was scared, happy, anxious, and feeling all sorts of emotions. During my time there, I was able to build a strong community, learn new skills, and travel all around Southern Africa and the continent. This experience has made me develop a greater appreciation for the world, for cultures, and for the power that Africa holds.

As I traded jollof rice with my Congolese and Kenyan friends and learned Amapiano dance moves from my South African colleagues in Joburg, I discovered how diversity enriches our lives. I’m particularly excited to bring the same energy to LBS and to share experiences with my diverse classmates originating from 60+ nationalities all over the world. I also look forward to sharing my professional experience working with Southern African governments and at Nigeria’s sole infrastructure guarantor.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at London Business School? I look forward to joining and leading activities in the Women in Business (WiB) Club at LBS. I had the opportunity to attend this year’s EQUALL Conference organized by the WiB, and listening to accomplished women such as Baroness Dambisa Moyo share their experiences navigating careers, life, and family was incredibly inspirational.

For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about women’s empowerment and creating opportunities for women and girls to reach their fullest potential. Whether it’s mentoring my younger female cousins or providing structured career mentorship opportunities to girls globally as a Partner at Dream Girl Global, I will always be found at the table where women’s advancement is being discussed.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Growing up, whenever my family journeyed from Lagos to our rural village in North-Central Kwara State for Eid, we never had internet access, and I always wondered why this was the case. In 2020, I joined InfraCredit, Nigeria’s sole infrastructure guarantee firm. One of the first projects I was staffed on was a rural telephony project aimed at bringing solar-powered telecom towers to 120 remote villages.

The project had its fair share of challenges, typically associated with structuring infrastructure projects of this scale in emerging markets, such as investor skepticism and bankability. However, three years later, despite the hurdles faced, I led the project to a successful financial close, making it Nigeria’s first local currency debt issue for telecom infrastructure.

I consider this project one of my biggest career accomplishments, as I was able to contribute tangibly to bringing telecom infrastructure to remote villages that are typically overlooked. I also learned invaluable lessons on how teamwork, innovative problem-solving, and stakeholder buy-in are essential in solving complex problems and creating lasting impact.

Tell us your favorite memory: I love to travel and have a goal to visit 30 countries before I turn 30. In November 2023, I was in Istanbul, Turkey for my IFC induction program, and I truly enjoyed my time there. It is by far the best city I have ever visited. I fully immersed myself in the local culture, food, events, and indulged in a lot of shopping. I also met and laughed a lot with new colleagues who are now some of my closest friends, sharing laughter and unforgettable moments. I really LIVED! As for my travel goals, I’m making good progress and am currently on country number 20.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into London Business School’s MBA program? This may sound cliché, but be yourself and present yourself in the most genuine and authentic way. You may think you don’t have the content. If you dig deeper into your experiences, whether in your career – life, or personal journey – you’ll discover and remember moments when you achieved amazing things that the admissions committee would be happy to read about.

Speak to current students and alumni to learn about their LBS experience. For me, the decision to apply to LBS was easy because my mentor, who I worked closely with at InfraCredit, attended LBS, and I could directly see the positive impact it has had on her career.

DON’T MISS: MEET LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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