PERSONALITY: Profile of a Performer

 

His smile is calm, his overall demeanor unassuming. But make no mistake; Akinwunmi Ambode is no push over. He is a man of high intellectual character.

Starting his career at a very young age, Ambode rose to the very pinnacle of the Civil Service, by dint of hard work, focus and altruism. Above all, he always has his head clear, his goals and perspectives well conceived from the start. He doesn’t mince words. He neither gives vain flattery nor expects to receive it, as those who have come to know him will attest to.

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My first impression, when I first saw him, was of a man very simply and attentive, listening to you when you’re speaking, not one to intimidate others with his position or ‘lord’ over his subordinates. It was at a function he was holding in his home town of Epe. He wore this smile on his face, saying very little at a time as he greeted his guests and visitors. And when they would serve the food and drinks, many of the people I was with expressed open shock that there were no beer and other alcoholic drinks; just juice, wine and ‘soft’ drinks. That made quite an impression on me, for a man who could very well afford to get everyone drunk that day.

Akinwunmi Ambode is honest as he is disciplined. For him; integrity is key, and service is everything. For, in his own words: “Serving freely without concealed intent adds a little more in the realm of goodness and kindness.”

From his waking moments to when he draws the curtains at night, these thoughts ring uppermost in his mind: “How best can I serve? What more can I do? How can I improve the lot of the man next to me?” Ambode, a staunch workaholic, would not stop until he has done all there is to do and more.

Mr. Akin Ambode is a seasoned Accountant, an astute Public Finance Expert whose impact in the Financial Sector of Lagos is still being felt today, two years after he retired from service. In fact, it was his genius that saw Lagos State pulling through a most difficult period in time when the OBJ-led FG unlawfully withheld funds accruing to Lagos State Council Areas for 2 years.

Ambode was also instrumental in drawing up the current Lagos State Tax policies that has effectively placed Lagos as the number one state in Nigeria in terms of internal revenue generation.

Mr. Ambode has held several key positions in Lagos State Civil Service, including Auditor-General for LGs, Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General at various times. He is a Fellow of the distinguished Hubert H. Humphrey Leadership Academy, Boston and the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, ICAN.

He is an alumnus of the Wharton Business School, Cranefield School of Management, the Institute of Management Development (INSEAD), Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston.

Akin Ambode is presently the Managing Consultant/CEO of Brandsmiths Consulting Ltd, a Public Finance Management consulting firm. He is the Founder of the La Roche Leadership Foundation, an NGO dedicated to raising the nation’s next generation leaders.

A stickler for high performance, Mr. Ambode has worked with people from various cultures and background, and does not make decisions based on mundane considerations like tribe, gender or religion.

Ambode believes that everyone is important, and that everyone can make a difference. In his own words: “You, too, can make a difference. A little effort in your daily life goes a long way. By so doing, you inspire others to do things differently and excellently.”