Stanbic IBTC Holdings Chief Executive Tasks Youths on Personal, Professional Success

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Dr. Demola Sogunle, has stated that continuous learning, strong imagination and integrity are necessary for success in personal and professional lives.

Sogunle said this last week at the University of Lagos during the Stanbic IBTC Youth Leadership Series (YLS) with the theme ‘The Growth Code: Unlocking the Secret and Strategies for Personal and Professional Success’.

He said: “I am encouraging you to subscribe to very strong values. One of them is integrity. If Nigerians do not trust you they will not give you their N1 to keep for them.

“Integrity is one of the reasons Nigerians have trusted the Stanbic IBTC Group so much that in the pension business, one of our subsidiaries has gotten almost 40 per cent market share.

“I cannot tell you the trillions that we manage. But it is massive. Twenty per cent of official salary earners in Nigeria trust us so much that we have got more than 20 per cent of Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) because of our strong values. Integrity is the key.”

He also told his audience to cultivate the habit of imagining the height they would like to attain in their career or academics right from their day one.

“I said that one day I will like to be the managing director when I joined the legacy IBTC. You can wish that in your mind. That is part and parcel of the power of imagination.

“Therefore, start your journey with an end in mind by asking yourself what do I want to be or do with my pursuit? But you have to work it out through diligence and commitment,” he said.     

Sogunle also emphasised that continuous learning and personal improvement would get them to higher level of continuous growth.

“Whatever you have got, knowledge and application of knowledge are very important,” he said.

The chief executive also enjoined his audience to “search for better ideas every day,” adding that they “cannot make fundamental change with rational behavior.  

“Always over deliver and do not do it through under promising. You will be outstanding if you continually over deliver.  

The panelists at the YLS also included freelance content creator, Mr. Salem King; an actress, Ms. Bisola Aiyeola; an artist, Pheelz and youth development advocate, Ms. Oyinkasola Oni.