Ezekiel Olukunle Aboderin’s journey through the world of financial technology and data science reads like the blueprint of a modern-day visionary. He is someone who transcends conventional boundaries to create new pathways for innovation, inclusion, and excellence.
Over the past fifteen years, Olukunle has moved fluidly between continents and cultures, shaping payment ecosystems in Africa, Europe, and the United States with an unwavering commitment to efficiency and a deep-seated belief in technology’s power to uplift communities.
Starting his career at Etranzact International in Nigeria, Olukunle demonstrated a rare aptitude for understanding the intricate choreography of local & cross-border payments and digital payment products. He immersed himself in the mechanics of daily cash flow forecasting and general ledger reconciliation, developing the analytical rigour that would become a hallmark of his professional identity. It was here that a young Olukunle first grasped the symbiotic relationship between financial integrity and organisational stability, which remained a lesson he would carry forward into every leadership role that followed.
At First City Monument Bank and later at First Bank of Nigeria, Olukunle’s talents flourished. He safeguarded the bank’s operations against fraud and risk and devised real‑time monitoring solutions by collaborating closely with IT and digital product teams. Under his guidance, electronic payment platforms achieved newfound resilience and integrity, drastically reducing losses and strengthening customer trust.
His colleagues recall his insistence on precision and his penchant for anticipating vulnerabilities before they could manifest. These qualities elevated him from operations specialist to Senior Portfolio Manager at Renmoney, where he optimised micro‑loan strategies through sophisticated risk analytics.
Yet it was at Flutterwave Inc. that Olukunle’s star went above the roof. Tasked with steering financial operations and treasury during a period of exponential growth, he architected working capital frameworks that underpinned a leap to $31 billion in total payment volume. Every morning, Olukunle’s team relied on his guidance to reconcile millions of cross‑border transactions, Mastercard, Visa, and Amex, across Europe, North America, and beyond.
His pioneering automation initiatives transformed manual reconciliation into streamlined processes, cutting risk losses by hundreds of millions annually and enabling the business to scale with confidence. Colleagues regard Olukunle as a strategist and mentor who patiently cultivated each team member’s strengths, insisting that true leadership lies in empowering others rather than directing them.
While some executives rest on corporate laurels, Olukunle continually expanded his horizon. In 2020, he founded the BAI Incubator, a technology accelerator dedicated to nurturing Africa’s next generation of data and AI talent. Through immersive training, hands‑on projects, and steadfast mentorship, Olukunle built a vibrant community where emerging analysts could develop both technical acumen and the soft skills required to lead. His vision was to democratize opportunity, ensuring that bright minds from every background could access the networks and guidance essential to success.
In 2024, Olukunle embarked on serving as a fractional executive and board adviser to high‑growth FinTechs through Connectd UK. Here, he lends his expertise to startups hungry for strategic direction, guiding product‑led companies through business development and international expansion. His approach intercepts deep technical know‑how with an intuitive sense of market dynamics; he understands that sustainable growth requires both robust systems and empathetic stakeholder engagement. Whether refining a capital‑forecasting model or negotiating partnerships with global banks, Olukunle remains the strategic partner every C‑suite leader hopes to find.
Beneath the impressive resume of high‑stakes financial leadership and cutting‑edge data science, Olukunle’s personality shines through as the true catalyst of his achievements. Clement Adepetu, a senior executive at Flutterwave, said, “Olukunle is a professional who possesses an unshakeable calm in the face of complexity, an ability to break down daunting problems into joyful puzzles. Those who have worked alongside him acknowledge that he is a leader who listens first, framing questions that guide solutions organically rather than imposing directives. His office door is always open, and he greets every conversation, whether with a junior colleague or a stakeholder, with the same warmth and genuine curiosity”.
Olukunle also has an impressive educational record, from a Bachelor of Science in Physics at Osun State University to a Master’s degree in Risk Management from the University of Lagos, culminating in a Master’s degree with distinction in Data Science & Analytics at the University of Hertfordshire, where his academic pursuits encompassed the appraisal of various machine learning models on fraud data, advanced data mining techniques, statistical analysis, proficiency in SQL and NoSQL databases, and programming in Python and R, all of which have profoundly informed his ability to develop robust, data‑driven solutions in the financial technology landscape.
Olukunle’s story is about people he cares deeply about and the communities he serves. Whether that means closing gaps in financial inclusion across emerging markets or helping a talented intern discover their potential, he lives at the intersection of technology and humanity, believing that the most elegant models are those designed to uplift.
And yet, perhaps the most surprising chapter of Olukunle’s narrative lies far from balance sheets and APIs. Before he became the FinTech powerhouse known today, he once electrified dance floors as “DJ Walkit,” a talented beat‑maker and media personality whose performances captivated audiences across local clubs and radio airwaves. That early life behind the turntables taught him the art of reading a room, anticipating rhythms, and crafting moments of collective joy, skills that, in their way, echo through his work in technology, where timing, trust, and intuition guide every successful transaction.
