An accomplished professional in both the legal and administrative fields, Mr. Kolawole is a product of the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, where he got his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1990, graduating as the best student in Commercial Law, and the best student in Law of Banking. Subsequently, he was called to the Bar in 1991 and worked as a Counsel with Austin Mamedu & Co. from 1992 to 1993, as a Legal Officer with Allied Bank of Nigeria Plc between 1993 and 1998, as a Liquidation Officer with Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation from 1998 to 2000, and as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser with University Press Plc from 2001 to 2005. In March 2005, he became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of University Press Plc, thus making a switch from law to administration.
Apart from his degree in Law, Mr. Kolawole holds a Master’s in Business Administration with distinction from the University of Liverpool and a Master of Research from the same university as well as professional certificates from the Council of Legal Education (1991), the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (London) (1996), National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (2011), and Nigerian Institute of Management (2015).
He has also attended various professional courses and training both within and outside Nigeria. Some of them are Understanding Digital Rights in a Digital Selling World, Frankfurter Buchmesse, Frankfurt (October 2010); Strategic Publishing Management-Publishing Training Institute, London (2008); Business to Business Marketing Strategy Course-Harvard Business School (2008); International Finance Corporation (IFC)/ICSAN corporate Secretaries Training-of-Trainers Program (2016); IFC/IoDCCG Capacity Building for Board Evaluation Program (2016); IoD Independent Directors’ Masterclass Programme-Institute of Directors, Nigeria (2017).
While working full-time in various capacities, Mr. Kolawole has at the same time been committed to various professional bodies and institutes. He is the current Chairman, of the 1990 Set of Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) Law Faculty Alumni and the current National Vice President (Small and Medium Scale Industries), of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. He is the immediate past Chairman of African Publishers Network (APNET), the past President and current Chairman of, the Board of Trustees, of Ijeshatedo Grammar School Old Students Association; past Chairman of Oyo/Osun/Ondo/Ekiti States’ Branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; past President, of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN); past Chairman, Nigeria Book Fair Trust; past President and also past Chairman, Nigerian Publishers Association. His membership in professional bodies includes:
- Fellow, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (FCIS)
- Fellow, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (FNIMN)
- Member, Institute of Directors (M.IoD)
- Associate, Nigerian Institute of Management (ANIM)
- Member, Nigerian Bar Association
- Fellow, Istanbul Publishing Fellowship Programme 2017 and 2018
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria (FCILRM)
Mr. Samuel Kolawole served on the Lagos Action Plan Committee of the International Publishers Association – Africa Regional Seminars. Also, he has served as a Panel Moderator/Discussant at several international publishing seminars.
For his commitment to the industry and his organisational acumen, Mr. Samuel Kolawole earned the 2015 BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs in Nigeria award.
Mr. Samuel Kolawole has a good collection of publications, research papers, and other presentations at different fora.
Mr. Samuel Kolawole is a Notary Public and a Justice of the Peace (JP).
Mr. Samuel Kolawole is married and the marriage is blessed with children.
