Our principal consultant, Omoruyi C. Iyamu, a banker of 20 years, was the General Manager and Head of Diamond Bank’s Investment Banking Division. As head of Investment Banking for 5½ years at Diamond Bank, he was involved in a broad range of corporate finance, project finance and SME transactions across a variety of industries. Some of these transactions include:

• Establishing a USD30 million medium-term loan Fund for local oil services contractors, in conjunction with Shell and IFC.

• Arranging a USD10 million 7-year term loan through US EXIM Bank for the acquisition of marine vessels by an oil services contractor.

• Leading the project team for a consortium of 3 banks in the acquisition, restructuring and capital raising for a major regional bank in Nigeria.

• Leading a consortium of advisors in the privatization of a major hotel for the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), and the privatisation of a major cement company.

• The restructuring and capital raising for an SME paints and resins manufacturer.

While at Diamond Bank, Mr. Iyamu drove the establishment of the SME Advisory and Investments Unit in the Bank and supervised its operations. N295million was successfully invested in 17 SMEs by the Unit between November 2001 and May 2004. Mr. Iyamu was also a member of the Advisory Committee for a US$35million private equity Fund and a member of the Advisory Committee for a sizable SME investment vehicle in which 11 banks are limited partners.

Before Diamond Bank, Mr. Iyamu had worked for 3 years as the Head of Investments and Pension Administration at UBA Capital and Trust, where he managed a N4 billion portfolio of pension and other funds. He also worked for over 10 years at International Merchant Bank in various functions, including: Credit and Marketing, Funds Management and International Treasury. Mr. Iyamu has actively worked as a facilitator/trainer for one of the major bank training companies.

Mr. Iyamu has a B.Sc. in Finance (1979) and an MBA in Finance and Management (1981) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA