Meet Bosoye Abitoye and Emerald Deku
Hi, my name is Bosoye Abitoye, a second-year MBA student and the co-president of the Olin Africa Business Club.
Prior to business school, my career spanned from audit to private equity. I started my career at Ernst & Young, Lagos, and Dubai as an auditor before working as an Investor Relations Officer at African Capital Alliance, a private equity firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. Last summer, I interned at McKinsey and have accepted a full-time role to be back at the company after my graduation this summer.
I come from a large Nigerian family with 15 siblings, and I fondly refer to my siblings and myself as a soccer team with five substitutes. I have over 25 nephews and nieces, and I am considered the “best uncle” because I always have the best treats. I am a staunch supporter of Manchester United football through thick and thin – GGMU! I love traveling and have a goal to visit 40 countries before 40; I have visited 12 countries so far, and I have a long way to go. I consider myself a Mel San; I enjoy hanging out with friends, but I will be equally happy to enjoy a quiet and relaxing time alone. I also watch documentaries because I enjoy learning about random things.
My experience at Olin Business School has been everything I hoped for – from the in-class case discussions to the late-night pub meetups. Also, from experiencing the world (through global immersion) with classmates to simply exploring St Louis with some of my core team members – Rolando, Amanda, and Audrey.
However, my most fulfilling time came from serving as co-president of the Olin Africa Club alongside Emerald. We raised a record $50k to fund the 2023 business forum, and it has been amazing to experience how the club provides a platform for Africans to settle down when they join the business school. We operate as a family that loves and supports each other, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to make an impact.
Hello. My name is Emerald Deku. I am a second-year MBA student and the Olin Africa Business Club co-president. I come from Ghana, West Africa, and from a family of four, myself included. Growing up, I have always loved to interact with people and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. I have a bubbly personality and I would always enter the room with a smile.Olin A
Prior to my MBA, I worked with Guaranty Trust Bank, Ghana for six and a half years. My experiences as a sales and marketing professional were instrumental in developing the skills I have now. I learned how to deliver executive presentations, communicate professionally with clients, negotiate, and be more analytical. Having an MBA here at Olin, however, is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only am I learning to hone the skills I acquired in banking, but I firsthand have learned and experienced the beauty of diversity. I have an amazing cohort of classmates who freely engage and showcase aspects of their culture through food, music, dance, and language. Most importantly, I have learned business beyond the lens of Ghana where I grew up. Over the summer, I worked with Google as an MBA Finance Intern with Google Ads. I would be returning to work with Google full-time and I’m excited about the prospects of building my post-MBA career in Finance with Tech.
When I first joined Olin in May 2021, one thing that struck me was the unity and love shared among members of the Olin Africa Business Club (OABC). I immediately got immersed in the club and was impressed when members were ready to help me prepare for mock interviews, resume reviews, or just simply offer words of encouragement. I felt I had found my family. Serving as co-president of the Olin Africa Business Club has given me the opportunity to give back to the club through recruiting workshops, and informal fun activities. The Olin Africa Business Forum has long been the biggest annual event of the club and I am proud of how far we’ve worked as a team to make this year’s forum a success.
I will miss my MBA experiences, but I will forever treasure; my global immersion travels in Washington DC, Barcelona, Paris, and Santiago; class discussions; conversations with classmates over drinks, and my OABC family.
