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Ope Ayileye
Director of PMO & Portfolio Management at Maxica Consulting Limited - Business and IT Project Portfolio Management
Ope Ayileye: A Passionate Leader in Project Portfolio Management
Ope Ayileye is a highly experienced management consultant and Project Portfolio Director with a deep-rooted passion for helping large organizations enhance their project management offices (PMOs) and project portfolio management capabilities within complex environments. His career is marked by a commitment to optimizing project selection and resource allocation to drive significant business outcomes. Ope’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to successfully establish and sell a commercial business to a major global Oil & Gas multinational in 2013, showcasing his strong commercial acumen and strategic business insight.
Professional Background
At the forefront of Ope's professional journey is his role as the Director of PMO & Portfolio Management at Maxica Consulting Limited, a leading Business and IT management consultancy. Under his leadership, Maxica Consulting has emerged as a trusted partner for organizations seeking to address critical questions surrounding project management, including which projects to fund and how to align them with strategic objectives. His work is characterized by a common-sense approach, focusing on delivering practical solutions to real-world challenges.
Ope co-founded Maxica Consulting with a vision to help organizations tackle frequent issues such as:
- Understanding the current state of their projects.
- Evaluating whether they are engaging in the right projects that meet their strategic goals.
- Objectively selecting projects to fund and implement.
- Demonstrating the value of their PMOs in impacting overall business performance.
- Effectively introducing portfolio management practices into their operations.
Throughout his remarkable 12-year career, Ope has had the pleasure of collaborating with senior business leaders across various industries, guiding them towards effective decision-making and strategic alignment. His expertise encompasses project portfolio management implementation, PMO setup and optimization, as well as overall project and program management.
Before his advancing roles at Maxica Consulting, Ope honed his skills through a series of significant positions at reputable organizations. He served as a Portfolio Definition Consultant at Lloyd’s Register, where he contributed valuable insights on project selection and risk management. Following this, he took on the role of Portfolio Implementation Consultant at Rio Tinto, supporting the global PMO in enhancing performance and delivering on strategic ambitions.
Ope’s career progressed when he accepted a role as PMO Transformation Manager at Network Rail, where he played a pivotal role in transforming project management practices within the organization. His consultancy efforts continued at Thomson Reuters, where he operated as a PMO Management Consultant, employed innovative methodologies to optimize project outcomes. Ope further fortified his project portfolio expertise during his time as Programme Office Manager - EMEA (Consultant) at Rio Tinto, followed by his impactful consultancy work at BP as a Portfolio Management Office Consultant.
Education and Achievements
Ope’s academic background includes significant qualifications that have laid the groundwork for his successful career in project management and consultancy. He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Cranfield University, where he developed a strong foundation in business strategy and operations. He further expanded his skill set with a Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Management from the University of Nottingham, which contributes to his holistic understanding of sustainable practices in business contexts. Additionally, Ope graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, demonstrating his diverse educational background.
His remarkable academic journey began at F.G.C Idoani, where he cultivated an early interest in science and management disciplines, further propelling him towards his exceptional career. Ope combines this wealth of knowledge with real-world experience to provide valuable insights that advance business objectives and fuel organizational growth.
Personal Interests
Outside of his professional endeavors, Ope is a person of varied interests. He has a deep passion for reading that fuels his continuous professional development and enhances his thought leadership in the field of project management. Ope also enjoys playing football, highlighting his belief in teamwork and collaboration, values that are often echoed in his professional work as well. Although he humorously notes a struggle to combine both interests at once, it reflects his ability to prioritize well-being alongside professional success.
In summary, Ope Ayileye represents the epitome of a dedicated management consultant and project portfolio expert. His entrepreneurial experience, robust educational background, and extensive industry knowledge enable him to lead organizations through complex project landscapes, ensuring strategic alignment and optimal performance. Ope's ongoing commitment to excellence positions him as a trusted advisor for businesses looking to embrace effective project management practices in a rapidly evolving environment.
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