Biography

Ms. Toyosi Kolawole is a seasoned entrepreneur, business leader and an experienced management consultant with a demonstrated history of successfully establishing, and scaling businesses across various sectors. With over 25 years of experience, she is recognized for her expertise in developing innovative business models, crafting robust strategies, and executing growth initiatives. 

Ms. Kolawole is also Founder/ Principal Consultant at Audeo Consulting Services and the Co-Founder/ Principal Consultant of Integrated Business Strategies. In her role as a management consultant, Ms. Kolawole has advised numerous clients on developing and launching new ventures, optimizing their business operations, enhancing their competitive positioning, and accelerating expansion efforts. Clients have ranged from fortune 500 companies in the US to African startups across a variety of sectors such as financial services, education, energy, government and civil society. Her deep sector knowledge, coupled with a pragmatic and results-oriented approach, has earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor. Examples of her achievements include working to develop and establish Simteckcard Plant Ltd, the foremost SIM/SMART card production and packaging company in West Africa with plants in Lagos and Accra. The organization partners with the Thales Group. She also assisted with the setup of GT Assurance Company which later evolved to become AXA Mansard Insurance Company when acquired by AXA Insurance. The organization is highly respected for their innovative business practices and strides made in healthcare, and is consistently rated within the top 5 Insurance Companies in Nigeria.

Ms. Kolawole is also the founder of Audeo Clothing Co. Ltd which is today a leading garment manufacturer in Nigeria which designs and produces clothing for corporate and retail customers. Over the past ten years, Audeo has distinguished itself as an innovator and disruptor in the Nigerian apparel manufacturing sectors, leveraging technology and ensuring streamlined and cost-effective operations. In a very nascent sectors, the organisation brought structure, and introduced collaborative operative models with other producers. It serves leading designers with export markets, corporations with requirements for promotional materials, uniforms and protective gear. The company partners with textile companies in Nigeria.

Ms. Kolawole completed her MBA at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and her undergraduate degree at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. She also has diplomas and certifications from the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford in the UK and from Columbia University in New York. She started her career as a banking officer at Guaranty Trust Bank PLC, one of Africa’s largest bank, had a stint at Optima Management Consulting company in the UK before becoming an associate with the Financial Institutions Group of A.T. Kearney and Company in the United States. She served as an Executive Director within the MRS Group, one of the largest energy trading companies in West Africa with a business presence in 5 countries. At MRS she was responsible for forging and establishing trade relationships across several African and European Countries, and in the United States. As founder and Principal Consultant with Integrated Business Strategies and Audeo Consulting services, she has worked with leading commercial banks with a presence in multiple countries across Africa, financing sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure and services. She is also an SME expert having supported various small and medium sized business to transform their companies with superior strategies, improved efficiencies, and with raising money or driving investments into their businesses. She has excellent problem-solving skills enhanced through navigating business growth for several companies operating in uncertain periods of rapidly changing economic policies, economic downturns and political instability.

Ms. Kolawole has served on the boards of the Freedom Foundation, the Ovie Brume Foundation, MRS Group, UTC PLC, Kimberly Ryan Ltd and as Chairman of the Danone Nigeria Audit Committee. In her roles as a board member, Ms. Kolawole, brings her experience in strategic planning, her broad sector knowledge, and a commitment to excellence. She has worked with the USAID and the IFC on various government or SME related projects and has also worked on the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Program clean up and restoration of the Niger Delta.

Ms. Kolawole is dedicated to empowering small and medium sized businesses to position for growth and scale, and is especially supportive of women owned businesses. She is an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow of the African Leadership Institute, and a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.