With the aura of being judiciously selected as the African Banker of the Year in December 2023 by Reputation Pool International, a leading global reputation management firm that manages local and international reputations for organizations, brands, and individuals, Amb. Dr. Ekudayo Walton Gilpin, Managing Director (MD) of Rokel Commercial Bank (RCBank) on Friday 9th February 2024 served as a host to the media in a press conference held at the Rokel Commercial Bank Clock Tower Branch Conference Room at Kissy Road.
Amb. Dr Gilpin unreservedly articulated the African Banker of the Year Manifesto, which encapsulated the Vision of RCBank for the Year 2024.
In his presentation Amb. Dr Gilpin demystified the vision and categorized it into five key priority areas vis-à-vis a Cashless Ecosystem, Banking Process Automation, Cybersecurity Resilience, Digital Transformation, and Artificial Intelligence. Amb. Dr Gilpin maintained that the rolling out of such an ambitious project requires a lot of expertise. He informed the press that RCBank would embark on providing capacity-building programs for its current crop of personnel and called on young Sierra Leoneans to pursue professional disciplines that are in line with market demand
Amb. Dr Gilpin is of the strongest conviction that a robust and resilient financial system will help change negative perceptions about Sierra Leone. He opined that Rokel Commercial Bank is rightfully earning its position as a local bank with a global reach and that RCBank has over the years developed products that enable customers to access financial services from far and wide in the international system.
Amb. Dr Gilpin captivated journalists and further informed them that RCBank will begin to host seminars on cybersecurity this month with experts from the UK, who will capacitate Sierra Leoneans on the subject matter. He also stated that: “Cybersecurity has become a global concern and it is important that we put more premium on it to protect our financial system”
At the end of his submission, Amb. Dr Gilpin concluded that the bank will show high spirits and be committed to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in education, sports, environmental protection, and other areas of philanthropy; as and when necessary.
under which RCB will operate in 2024. It is not gain saying that Dr Gilpin is been lauded for his initiatives to make things happen considering the magic bullet he initiated to catapult Rokel Commercial Bank from its dilapidated state of liquidation to becoming a magnet of attention in the country for which Reputation International recognized him as the African Banker of the Year 2023.
By and large ‘’Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin is a professional economist with qualifications in international relations, finance, public policy, and debt management. He is well-known for his profound contribution to the business world and the leadership role that he has been playing in several institutions in the academic, business, humanitarian, and religious fields. He is a seasoned and internationally recognized financial expert with over 30 years of experience managing business houses, complex policies, and processes in banking and banking-related institutions in Africa, Europe, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, and the USA. Previously, Dr. Gilpin was an economist at the Bank of Sierra Leone, then a team leader and advisor to the Commonwealth Secretariat in the United Kingdom, where he served as an international civil servant leading in-country missions and managing significant financial initiatives that formed the basis of effective and sustainable reform strategies in more than 38 countries. In this capacity, Dr. Ekundayo Gilpin led technical and budget-impacting missions that helped strengthen the technical and management capacity of business leaders, financial and banking sector professionals by emphasizing approaches and skillsets that bode well for profit orientation, institutional transformation, and enduring change’’ sourced from International Achievement Researched Center.
With his extensive knowledge and experience in the banking sector for over three decades, there is no doubt that the Manifesto of the African Banker of the Year would yield the sweetest of fruits in abundance to the benefit of Sierra Leone’s economy.
It was therefore not a surprise when the Global Reputational Forum & Reputation Fintech and Award ceremony was hosted by Reputation Poll International on the 8th & 9th of December 2023 at the Marriott County Hall in London. The event was staged to acknowledge rapid expansion, integration, accelerated growth, and reforms of Africa’s banking and financial sector. The event honoured and celebrated outstanding Banks and Fintech Institutions that are moving Africa’s rapidly transforming financial sector.
In the symposium on the 8th of December, Amb. Dr. Gilpin impressed the high-level panelists of finance, economic experts, and leaders whilst deliberating on the operations of traditional banks in Africa and how they are embracing technology for enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiency. His articulation and exemplary leadership, innovation, and transformation of RCBank mesmerized the organizers of the Fintech award ceremony and emerged as the “African Banker of the Year” a testament to the cutting-edge strategies in the technological and innovative drive of RCBank to place itself among key players in the African Continental Innovation Drive.
The African Banker of the Year
