A co-founder and one-time Group Executive Director of GTI Group, a foremost Investment Banking firm in Nigeria, Afolake Lawal has over fifteen years' wealth of experience in Investment Banking, Corporate Governance and Business Strategy. Mrs. Lawal graduated with second class honours from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge U.K., she also holds a Master of Science degree in Corporate Governance and Finance from the Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool U.K. and a Master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.

An Alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University with B.A. (Hons) in English, Afolake is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Institute of Directors, a fellow of the Institute of Capital Market Registrars, a Certified Pension Practitioner, and an associate member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN).

She currently sits on the board of various public and private companies some of which include International Breweries Plc and Eterna Plc -both quoted on the daily official list of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. She is the Chairman of International Breweries Plc's Governance and Remuneration Committee.