Fred Olayele, PhD

Dr. Fred Olayele is a seasoned global economist, university professor, and innovation strategy leader with a diverse career focused on global business, finance, public policy, economic development, and academia.

He previously served as Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he helped position New York as a global model for innovation. Prior to that, he advised the Canadian provincial governments of British Columbia and Saskatchewan on energy policy, foreign direct investment, and economic development. Earlier in his career, before joining academia, he was a global trade finance specialist with Citibank.

Professor Olayele has held academic positions across four Canadian universities: University of Regina, Mount Allison University, Carleton University, and Crandall University. A global strategy and innovation leader, he combines strategic insights and a rigorous application of theoretical and practical economic reasoning to drive sustainable resource mobilization and public-private partnerships. He supports many social causes and serves on various boards — including the Academic Advisory Board of the Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University in New York, the Board of Directors of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, and the International Advisory Board of the International Economic Development Council in Washington, DC.

He chairs the Governing Board of the Blue Global Canada Institute and the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Africa Network. In January 2026, he was appointed a Global Leadership Fellow at Cornell University — a platform for visionary leaders with highly accomplished international careers to advance the frontiers of global business education and strategic affairs.

He holds a PhD in Economics from Lancaster University, United Kingdom, and an MA in Economics from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.

Professor Olayele speaks and lectures internationally on innovation, finance, public policy, and development. He is a member of the Economic Club of New York.