By Amin Kef Sesay
The erudite Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, has again being highly recognized for his immense contributions in turning around the fortunes of a bank which was not financially doing well to one that is somehow financially stable.
Dr. Gilpin was the proud recipient of one of the highest awards in the country as on Independence Day, the 27th April 2021 President Julius Maada Bio bestowed on him the award as Commander of the Order of the Rokel (COR).
Dr. Gilpin is regarded as a seasoned and internationally recognized financial expert with over 30 years of experience managing complex policies and processes in banking and banking-related institutions in Africa, Europe, South Pacific, Caribbean, and USA.
Previously, he was an economist at the Bank of Sierra Leone, then an advisor to the Commonwealth Secretariat in the United Kingdom; where he served as an international civil servant, managing significant financial initiatives that formed the basis of effective and sustainable reform strategies in more than 38 countries.
In this capacity, he also helped strengthen the technical and management capacity of financial and banking sector professionals by emphasizing approaches and skillsets that bode well for institutional transformation and enduring change.
His goal-oriented philosophy has been a hallmark of his career and this has benefitted his home country, Sierra Leone in diverse ways – in finance and banking, education, humanitarian work, religion and public sector support.
He has provided technical input into complex interactions with national and international players, such as the Bank of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Crown Agents, but to name a few. He has been instrumental in financial research analysis having worked in Research and International Financial Departments of reputable institutions. His capacity building skills were significantly useful in designing and implementing training modules in financial analysis for public sector officials in Government and private sector.
In private practice, Walton has served as a consultant in public finance, risk management, liquidity management, bank-sovereign analysis, fiscal risk and financial programming. He has worked on projects for reputable organisations such as the IMF, World Bank, African Development Bank, West African Institute for Finance and Economic Management, Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute, and the United Nations Development Program.
He has contributed to critical thinking and intellectual development in Sierra Leone’s banking, public finance and social sector through proactive work, reports and publications. His commitment to capacity building is to mentorship and professional development in Sierra Leone.
He holds graduate degrees and professional qualifications in economics, international relations, finance, public policy and debt management.
In November 2017, he joined the Afro Champions Initiative, led by notable African leaders in politics and business.
Since taking over the reins of office at RCBank in July 2017, he has turned the Bank into a profitmaking, resilient and viable institution, which is now enviably within the top profitable Banks. Since his assumption, RCBank has won several international and local awards on a wide range of excellence platforms.
He is a motivational speaker and Ambassador for several initiatives to develop young adults and professionals.
He is a true son of the soil and has stimulated several young Sierra Leoneans towards aspiring to succeed. He continues to be a modern day inspiration for Sierra Leone. His contributions to capacity building through the educational TV program, “Economic Forum” and his humanitarian work, have not gone unnoticed.
Gilpin is a distinguished not only by his commitment and dedication to the Banking industry but also by his exemplary and commendable leadership style.
His deep belief in teamwork has been exemplified by his strong desire to motivate and empower both Management and Staff to believe in themselves and set high but achievable goals, while providing the right atmosphere to promote competition and team improvement.
