Category: Community Cohesion
He is a Chartered Accountant who was headhunted as a Financial Consultant for her Majesty the Queen Mother of England at the Queen Nursing Institute/Queen Nursing Fund where he implemented successful financial and IT controls.
In Barclays Bank, he worked in several capacities and in a joint role with PriceWaterCoopers (PWC) to implement Sarbanes Oxley and IT controls across the bank. Amongst his major achievements at Barclays Bank, is the review and reconciliation of IT systems and accounting records that led to the recovery of £14.6m. In recognition of this recovery, he was sponsored for an MBA in Finance at the University of Manchester Business School.
He has consulted for large Multinational Companies and banks in United Kingdom and is a Board Director of Xcel Digital Bank and a Resource Consultant for University of Edinburgh Business School on Risk Management.
Pastor Festus Ogunmola
Dr Festus Ogunmola (aka Olatunde)
He is the Co-Founder of African Forum Scotland which has been endorsed by the Scottish Government and United Nations. He founded a philanthropic organisation “Greatway Foundation” which is partnering with the Scottish Government and many institutions to work on youth empowerment and poverty alleviation.
He is also the founder and sponsor of Greatway Youth Football Academy Lagos that is empowering and raising talented youth footballers from the deprived communities in Nigeria.
He is the President and Chief Executive of Scottish Council of African Churches (an established executive body that works in partnership with the Scottish government, different religious organisation, agencies, and institutions of learning across the world).
He is also the Vice Chair of Next Step Initiative Glasgow (www.nextstepinitiative.org.uk) – an organisation that secured £500,000 to help its community during the pandemic. It has just secured £700,000 to support businesses in the community for 2023.
He has co-authored two publications namely – (Championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Within the Scottish Heritage Sector) and – (The Ethnic Minority Career, Museum & Built Environment Heritage Programme - Interim Good Practice Guide). The books address the marginalisation and poverty trap among the black ethnic communities and has been endorsed by the United Nations for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Scottish Government.
He has initiated and developed in partnership with Comic Relief and the Scottish Government, a mental health application that is assisting the Scottish and African Community in Scotland.
He holds an MBA in Finance from University of Manchester, MBCI from the Business Continuity Institute United Kingdom and a PhD in Finance from California State University. He is a Fellow of African Centre for Policy and Research Glasgow and a member of Harvard School of Divinity summer leadership program.
He is a prophet, pastor and a professional harmonica and table tennis player.