At the recent 50th birthday party of Ruth Osime, the Editor of THISDAY Style, the presence of one male personality loomed large in the gathering. He played the role of the chief host, and he left no one in doubt that he was also a co-celebrant. The identity of this man is Sonnie Babatunde Ayere. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Dunn Loren Merrified, a full-service investment house headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria with a satellite office in New York. It is a standalone institution that combines the attributes of origination, distribution, and the trading of securities.
Sonni is the love of Ruth's life. The affair between the lovers, began in 2010. Sonnie is described as being industrious, charming, extremely wealthy and very well-connected. Over the last few years, he has built quite a reputation as a ladies' man. Most ladies are easily drawn to him, not only on account of his charming mien, but also because he is a man of good characters.
Sources disclosed to The ELITES, that Ruth is being spoilt silly by her new lover. Sonnie, who is single, is reported to love Ruth without any reservation, and he has informed his friends of his plan to marry her. Sources further disclosed to The ELITES that Ruth practically lives in Sonnie's home in Ikoyi, and she is said to have won the hearts of his children from a previous relationship. Sonnie's two children love Ruth to bits and she has been such a wonderful mother to them. It was gathered that Sonnie, who footed the bill of the party, had wanted the event to hold at their home. But the couple had to change their plan when they discovered that the guests' list kept ballooning with more guests.
Sources disclosed to The ELITES, that Ruth is being spoilt silly by her new lover. Sonnie, who is single, is reported to love Ruth without any reservation, and he has informed his friends of his plan to marry her. Sources further disclosed to The ELITES that Ruth practically lives in Sonnie's home in Ikoyi, and she is said to have won the hearts of his children from a previous relationship. Sonnie's two children love Ruth to bits and she has been such a wonderful mother to them. It was gathered that Sonnie, who footed the bill of the party, had wanted the event to hold at their home. But the couple had to change their plan when they discovered that the guests' list kept ballooning with more guests.
Sonnie has amassed 16 years of solid corporate and structured finance, corporate banking and asset management experience working with the following institutions in London - HSBC London, NatWest Bank, The Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Bank of Montreal - Nesbitt Burns; the International Finance Corporation (The World Bank Group) based in Washington D.C. and Johannesburg, South Africa and finally the UBA Group.
He began his structured finance career in 1997 at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, London. Following this, he joined BMO-Nesbitt Burns London (the investment banking arm of the Bank of Montreal) in 1998 as part of the team responsible for setting up a US$20bn Fixed Income Structured Investment Vehicle (“SIV”). In 2001, he joined the Global Structured Finance Group of the International Finance Corporation (The World Bank Group) in Washington DC where he was responsible for originating structured finance and securitization transactions globally.
Sonnie assumed the role of Structured Finance Specialist for Sub-Saharan Africa in July 2002, where he was responsible for developing structured finance and securitization transactions in addition to developing debt capital markets and instruments for the bank and its clients across the continent. He pioneered IFC’s interest in developing the Nigerian bond market and was a principal adviser to the Nigerian Debt Management Office on the development of the market. He later joined UBA Group as the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of UBA Global Markets, the investment banking arm of the group in August, 2005. After c4years at the helm of the investment banking arm of UBA PLC, he founded Dunn Loren Merrifield in June 2009.
Sonnie is a member of the Nigerian Bond Steering Committee, SEC committee on Market structure & reforms, the Steering Committee for the review of the Foreclosure and Securitisation Law of Nigeria, the FSS2020 Steering Committee. He is Chairman of the Committee that sets up Qualified Institutional Buyers procedures and regulation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and is Vice Chairman of the Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria to mention just a few. He is a director of several companies and a recipient of numerous awards from various organizations. Sonnie is an adviser to the Governor of Lagos State, Gov. Babatunde Raji-Fashola (SAN). He is an avid commentator on financial market developments in Nigeria and across the continent.
Sonnie holds an MA (Hons.) in Financial Economics from the University of Dundee, Scotland. He is an Alumni of Cass Business School London (MBA) and London Business School, and is also FSA registered. He was recently conferred with an Honorary
Beyond her personal life, Ruth's career has also witnessed a sporadic trajectory in the last one year. She joined THISDAY Newspaper as Project Manager. In 2003, she moved to the Saturday Desk as the Style Editor, while she wrote her hugely popular column, Truth By Ruth, for the Sunday Newspaper. in 2005, a newly packaged Sunday paper was launched with a 24-page Style glossy pullout. Today, it has become the fashion and society bible. Fondly called the His and Hers Sunday edition, THISDAY Style is one of the most widely read colour supplements in Nigeria.
A lady of sartorial style and elegance, Ruth is also highly connected within the Nigerian social establishment. Her mother, Madam Grace Osime, a notable society matriarch, will also celebrated her 75th birthday anniversary recently. The heavy presence of Nigeria’s list of A-class personalities at her 50th birthday party bears testimony to how well she is loved by her friends.
Going by the way Ruth and Sonnie have been carrying on with their affair, their friends are confident that the issue of marriage between them, is a walk-over.
No comments:
Post a Comment