Fred Olayele, PhD

Dr. Fred Olayele is a seasoned economist, global finance and development executive, university professor, and innovation strategy leader with a diverse career focused on global business, finance, public policy, economic development, and academia. He has held academic positions and taught graduate and undergraduate courses across four Canadian universities: University of Regina, Mount Allison University, Carleton University, and Crandall University.

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.

A global trade and innovation leader, he serves on various boards and supports many social causes. He sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University in New York, and the International Advisory Board of the International Economic Development Council in Washington, DC. He chairs the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Africa Network. He chairs the Governing Board of the Blue Global Canada Institute. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a member of the Economic Club of New York, and a Global Leadership Fellow at the Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University.

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.