AACS

From the Desk of the Chairman

AACS is an international consulting and principal investment firm defined by its purpose which is to “bring the winning edge by inducing you to think out of the box, and driving the construction of the capabilities to bring those thoughts to life“.

Our creed is a way of life that continually pushes you to walk roads less traveled be it in business, public service, community development, medical and scientific research, or global and human relations. It is also important to note that a one-time disruption is not enough. Our creed demands that we stay prepared, consistently reimagine the possible and constantly strive to improve.

We look forward to working with you to Disrupt, Create, and Lead.

Our Purpose

At AACS, we bring the winning edge by inducing you to think out of the box, and driving the construction of the capabilities to bring those thoughts to life.

Our Team

Dr. Falil Ayo Abina - Founder and Chairman AACS

Dr. Falil Ayo Abina
Consultant, AACS

Ayo has over 25 years’ experience rising through the ranks of key Nigerian banks from a Trainee Officer to the level of an Executive Director. He has worked across Public Sector, Commercial Banking, Treasury, Strategy and Reengineering. Ayo is an acclaimed leader of many groundbreaking teams in the finance and banking sector. He has worked in banks including, First African Trust Bank, Standard Trust Bank (UBA), Oceanic Bank, Skye Bank and Heritage Bank.

Ayo has served on the boards of trustees of Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Oyo State Security trust fund, and was Chairman of Cocoa Products Limited (CPIL – Ile Oluji), one of Nigeria’s largest Cocoa processing and exporting companies.

Ayo is an Alumnus of Ondo State Univ., Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State Univ.), Univ. of Ibadan and Ambrose Alli Univ., Ekpoma where he earned an MBA in Management and Finance. He was awarded Doctor of Banking and Finance (D.Sc. Honouris Causa) by the Lead City University, and Doctor of Economics (D.Sc. Honouris Causa) by the University of Ado Ekiti.

Ayo has participated in numerous leadership and management courses including the Senior Management Programme (SMP), Sandton South Africa, Advanced Management Programme (AMP), INSEAD France, and others at Ivy League schools including Harvard, London Business School, and M.I.T.

He is a senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Hcib), a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and a Fellow, Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC).

Dr. Hatem Samman
Middle East Expert / Economist

Hatem is a leading economist and expert on issues that impact the economic performance of countries and businesses. He is frequently quoted and asked to appear on prominent media outlets including The Financial Times, The BBC, MSNBC, and Emirates 247.

Hatem brings deep relationships and extensive experience gained as Chief Economist at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, Chief Strategy Officer at the General Entertainment Authority, Founding Director of the Booz and Company Ideation Center.

Hatem is a citizen of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has lived, worked and studied in KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE, and the USA. Hatem holds a PhD (Economics/Political Economy & Public Policy) from The University of Southern California and a BA (Social Studies and Mathematics) from the University of California, San Diego

Alberto - Investment Banking and Capital Markets Expert

Alberto Pagliarini
Investment Banking and Capital Markets Expert

Alberto has been instrumental in helping corporations raise over $3b and execute M&A and restructuring deals in the US, Europe, and Asia. He has held investment banking roles with Morgan Stanley, Barclays, and Daiwa.

Most recently, Alberto was a key member of the team managing the listing process for Saudi Aramco’s $2 trillion IPO and managing Saudi Telecom’s $7bn Investment portfolio. In his early career Alberto was a management consultant with Bain & Co and McKinsey & Co where he supported banking and private equity clients.

Alberto holds a MSc in Management Engineering from Milan Polytechnic and an MBA from New York University. He is a citizen of Italy and has lived and worked in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Riyadh.

Lanre Lassise-Phillips
Tax and Litigation Expert

Lanre is an accomplished lawyer with specialization in tax law. He has successfully litigated cases in the High Court, Federal High Court and Court of Appeal.

He currently serves as Chairman of the Tax Appeal Tribunal Lagos Zone. In this role he is responsible for writing the judgments of the Tribunal with input from the Tax Commissioners, and adjudicating on all matters arising from the operations of federal taxes between taxpayers and tax authorities.

Lanre has previously served in senior roles with Polaris Bank Limited, Skye Bank, AbiolaSanni& Co (ASCO), Intercontinental Bank Plc, Legal Research and Development Consultancy, International Law Group, Chartered, Afe Babalola SAN & Co.

Lanre is an alumnus of the University of Lagos where he earned Master of Laws (LL.M.), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and is pursuing a PHD with specialization in Tax.

Rafiu Akindeji Abina
Adviser

Rafiu is the Managing Partner of AACS. He has extensive experience partnering with investors and management teams to achieve results and execute on new business opportunities. He has led strategy and implementation activities for organizations including large and small companies, and sovereign wealth funds. His experience has taken him through Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the USA, and West Africa.

Rafiu was a senior member of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Communications, Media and Technology practice in the Middle East where he provided leadership for efforts related to new business launches in highly competitive emerging markets including Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria.

In his early career, Rafiu worked with Ocean and Oil Holdings (Nigeria), Unilever (USA), AT&T (USA), and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (USA).

Rafiu holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University and an MBA from New York University and London Business School. He is a citizen of Nigeria and the USA.

ESE COURSES/PROGRAMMES

10-week courses taught by ESE’s world-renowned faculty.

All courses take place online in live classroom sessions. Courses are drawn from across all disciplines and are divided into various subject areas, variants will depend on availability and student’s preference at the time of enrolment.