Olayinka Thomas Ijabiyi is a seasoned marketing and corporate communications professional with over 25 years of experience driving brand transformation, strategic visibility, and stakeholder engagement across financial services, telecommunications, media, and international development sectors.

He currently serves as the Group Head, Marketing  Corporate Communications at FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, where he leads the development and execution of integrated marketing and corporate communications strategies across the Group’s markets.

He oversees brand and reputation management, executive positioning, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability as well as strategic communications initiatives aligned to the Bank’s business objectives/aspirations.

Prior to his current role, Olayinka has held leadership positions within the Marketing and Corporate Communications Department in FirstBank, including Head Brand Strategy and Special Projects, Head Digital Marketing and Head Brand and Stakeholder Management.

Before joining FirstBank, Yinka had built a diverse career across leading organizations including British Council, Multichoice, MTN and Etisalat Nigeria, where he played key roles in brand building, corporate communications and digital transformation initiatives.

Widely recognized for his strategic mindset, leadership ability to translate business objectives into impactful marketing and communications strategies, Olayinka has successfully led major brand initiatives, including milestone anniversary campaigns and brand refresh programs; while consistently delivering efficiencies and enhancing brand equity.

Yinka holds a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from the former Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti.

He is a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), amongst other industry bodies.