Benjamin Akande
| Benjamin Ola Akande | |
|---|---|
Benjamin Ola Akande 2013
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| President of Westminster College, Missouri |
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Assumed office August 10, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | George B. Forsythe |
| Dean of George Herbert Walker School of Business Webster University |
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In office 2000–2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 Nigeria |
| Spouse(s) | Bola Taiwo Akande |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater |
Wayland Baptist University University of Oklahoma Harvard University Oxford University |
| Profession | economist academic |
Benjamin Ola Akande is an American academic and professor. He is the 21st president of Westminister College in Fulton, Missouri. Prior to Westminster, he served for 15 years as dean of the Webster University George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology. Before that, at Wayland Baptist University, he was appointed Chief Academic Officer and Chair, Division of Business Administration. Throughout his career, he has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and private enterprise. He is recognized as a media spokesperson on topics such as leadership, economics, and entrepreneurship. He is a national speaker on topics related to leadership and economics.
Benjamin Ola Akande was born in Nigeria in 1962. His father, a renowned Baptist Minister, Rev. Dr. Samuel Ola. Akande and mother, Comfort Olalonpe, set high standards for him and his four sisters and encouraged them to aim high. He moved to the United States to further his education in 1979 and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration at Wayland Baptist University. He proceeded to the University of Oklahoma where he completed master's degrees in Economics and Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Economics. He completed post-doctoral studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Saïd School of Business at Oxford University.
In 1995, Akande was appointed Chief Academic Officer and Chair, Division of Business Administration, at Wayland Baptist University. He also served as Special Assistant to the President.
In 2000, Akande was appointed as professor of economics and dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University, and Webster University’s Chief of the Office of Corporate Partnerships where he was instrumental in developing and nurturing many corporate and donor partnerships.
On July 1, 2015, He became the first black president of Westminster College.
Akande has been a consultant to several multinational companies focusing on areas of corporate strategy and responsibility, leadership development and market positioning. He is also a well known commentator on economic and policy issues. He has appeared in NPR Marketplace Public Radio, Anderson Cooper 360 and CBS Evening News. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
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