Since October 4, 2024, Cameroonian Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade has been the new Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank.
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated: “I am pleased to appoint Ms. Marie Laure Akin-Olugbade to the position of Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group. Marie Laure is a highly experienced, committed, and effective team leader with an in-depth knowledge of the African Development Bank, its rules, processes, and systems, and a proven ability to successfully carry out operations across the Bank while maintaining team cohesion. I am confident that Marie Laure will bring refreshing leadership and dynamism to the management team and the Bank.”
This seasoned senior executive with 32 years of experience in capital markets, treasury, asset management, product development, policy, and debt management was previously Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Service Delivery at the Bank.
In this role, she played a key part in driving regional economic integration initiatives, resource mobilization, and developing innovative financial solutions for sovereign and non-sovereign clients.
Speaking after her appointment, the Cameroonian stated: “I am deeply honored by the trust President Adesina has placed in me. I look forward to working closely with the President, the Management Team, and our Boards of Directors to enhance the Bank’s impact and effectiveness in implementing programs that benefit our regional member countries.”
It should be noted that Akin-Olugbade holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Paris Dauphine and an advanced degree in Management from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in France. Her career at the African Development Bank began in 1991 in the Treasury Department’s trading room. She subsequently held numerous positions of responsibility, including Head of the Financial Technical Services Division, where she led the development of new financial products and risk management solutions.
As the Bank’s Country Manager in Ghana in 2010, Akin-Olugbade oversaw a portfolio of lending and non-lending operations worth $1 billion. Among her many achievements was the financing of the Accra Pokuase Interchange, which she led, the first four-tier interchange in West Africa, having a lasting impact on the region’s infrastructure.
After assuming high-level responsibilities, Akin-Olugbade was appointed Director General for the West Africa Region in 2018 and, five years later, Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Service Delivery at the Bank.
