Fola Laoye has spent most of her career in the health sector, contributing to the healthcare space by utilizing her skills to effectively carry out a broad range of duties which includes setting up health insurance, building clinics and hospitals as well as healthcare management. Knowing that the healthcare sector in Nigeria and Africa is underserved, she was driven to take up the challenge of bridging the gap in the healthcare sector by providing quality healthcare services in Nigeria and Africa.

She is the co-Founder and CEO of Iwosan Investments Limited, a Health Investments Holding Company, dedicated to investing in Healthcare Infrastructure across Nigeria. Having been an Operator and Investor in the space over the past 22 years, she is leveraging her experience to bring together long-term capital and significant clinical and operational skills to achieve the impact of a patient-first experience across multiple specialties while ensuring strong bottom lines.

She was the Founder and CEO of Health Markets Africa, a healthcare advisory and investment company providing bespoke business and financial advisory services to both public and private sector healthcare clients across Africa. She is the first female chairperson of the Board of First Securities Discount House (FSDH), a financial advisory firm and was previously Director for West Africa investments at the Investment Fund for Health in Africa (IFHA), a pioneer private equity fund focused on Healthcare in Africa.

Fola has built an extensive network consisting of top industry players, largely through her membership positions on different boards. She is a member of the Board of Results for Development, Washington DC, USA; and Hygeia Group Nigeria, promoters of Hygeia HMO and Lagoon Hospital where she worked in various leadership capacities for over 18 years, including being CEO from 2002 to 2012 and Chairperson, 2012 to 2015. She also holds board membership positions at EchoScan Diagnostics, Lifebank Technologies, PAL Pensions, FSDH Asset Management, Old Mutual Life Assurance Limited and Harvard Business School’s Healthcare Initiative. She is a trustee of the Harvard Business School Alumni in Nigeria, member of Harvard Business School Africa Advisory Board and a member of the Africa Regional Board of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Her philanthropic roles include being Chair of the Elebute-LUTH Welfare Board.

She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She is a Chartered Accountant having trained with Ernst & Young, Lagos and Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), London, and is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

She is a multicultural leader who champions diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in recognition of her exceptional leadership qualities, she was awarded the Harvard Business School Africa ‘Business Club Leadership Excellence Award’ in 2013 and was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.