Early Life and Education
Adebayo Ogunlesi was born in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria, on December 20, 1953. He comes from a Yoruba family with a strong academic background; his father was the first Nigerian professor of medicine. Ogunlesi attended King's College, Lagos, for his secondary education before moving to the United Kingdom to study at Oxford University. There, he earned a B.A. with first-class honors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. In 1979, he received a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Rise to Success
Ogunlesi began his career as a law clerk to Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1980 to 1981. He later worked as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. In 1983, he transitioned into investment banking, joining First Boston (later Credit Suisse First Boston) as an advisor on a Nigerian gas project. He climbed the ranks at Credit Suisse, becoming the Head of Global Investment Banking and later, Chief Client Officer and Executive Vice Chairman. In 2006, Ogunlesi co-founded Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) with a team of investors.
Key Business Strategies
GIP focused on infrastructure investments in the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water and waste management sectors. GIP's approach involved proprietary origination, operational improvements, and timely exits, which drove its success. GIP’s strong performance led to its acquisition by BlackRock in January 2024 for $12.5 billion.
Philanthropy
While specific amounts are not readily available, Ogunlesi has supported various educational and philanthropic initiatives, reflecting his commitment to giving back to society and contributing to the development of communities.
