Lagos Hustle Meets Darden Grit: How a Nigerian Risk Manager is Shaping Global Business

Anuoluwapo Rogers (Class of 2025) stands up in a crowded room. One of the senior executives of global network services at American Express has just opened the floor for questions. And Rogers, a summer intern at the company, does something that sets him apart.

His hand goes up.

“Hi,” he says. “I’d like to know what American Express is thinking about in terms of strategy to expand toward Africa.”

It’s a calculated risk, the kind of decision he has spent years modeling — only this time, the variables are human, and the impact is personal. The senior executive smiles.

“Would you believe if I told you that I just returned from Nigeria and that we are setting up an office in Nigeria?”

A conversation follows — one that doesn’t just answer questions but opens doors. After the event ends, Rogers takes another step that once might have seemed out of reach. He approaches the senior executive directly. They talk. They connect. And before long, an invitation is extended: Reach out throughout your internship. I want to know how it ends — and if you need anything.

Later that day, Rogers’ manager stops by his desk. “I was told you had a conversation with a senior leader, and you were fantastic.”

For Rogers, it is a moment that encapsulates everything the University of Virginia Darden School of Business has given him — the confidence to speak, the presence to lead and the perspective to see the world as full of opportunities, not obstacles. “Before Darden,” he says, “I would never have done that.”

Rogers delivers a presentation during his summer internship at American Express.

The Future is Nigerian

Nigeria’s global influence is undeniable — and growing. Its economy is among the largest in Africa, its fintech sector is producing billion-dollar startups and its professionals are shaping industries worldwide. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub and center of excellence, Rogers sees the momentum firsthand.

“There’s a lot coming out of Nigeria right now,” he says. “When you see some of the changes being driven across the world, Nigeria is somewhere in the mix.”

He points to Nigerian unicorns in tech, doctors performing groundbreaking surgeries and financial institutions driving transformation across Africa. He has watched as more and more Nigerian professionals take on leadership roles in global companies. “I think people underestimate just how much Nigeria is positioned for the future,” he says.

Darden, too, has felt this momentum. In recent years, Nigeria has been among the largest sources of international students at the School. Rogers is part of this momentum, leading the Darden African Business Organization as its president to build community and expand understanding. “It’s about making Darden a much better place for all of us.”

Forged in Lagos: The Hustle That Builds Leaders

“Think of Lagos like New York,” Rogers explains. “Lagos is terrific, right? It’s busy. It has everything going on all at once.”

Lagos morphs its citizens into people who navigate complexity without hesitation and learn to “face head-on any challenge that comes their way.” Before coming to Charlottesville, Rogers worked in financial institutions like Ernst & Young and Access Bank Plc, building credit risk models that shaped million-dollar transactions.

One of his most significant projects was helping to finance a state-of-the-art 12-story, multi-use skyscraper now adorning Victoria Island’s skyline. As part of the credit risk team, he played a key role in structuring, underwriting and managing the project’s financing, ensuring its viability as challenges emerged.

“I remember building a model for this project, and I was overwhelmed,” he recalls. The deal was enormous, and the stakes were high. “But a recurring thought that kept me going was — just because this has never been done doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”

Yet even with this success, Rogers wanted more.

An aerial view of the Victoria Island skyscraper.

An MBA with an ROI

That ambition — and the impact he has already made — are precisely why Rogers was selected to receive a Darden School Foundation scholarship, a distinction made possible by alumni gifts to the Darden Annual Fund. “Without question, the scholarship was a major factor in my decision to come here,” he says.

But its value extends beyond tuition.

Rogers recalls a recent conversation back home in Nigeria this past December, sitting across from former colleagues and discussing financial infrastructure. The moment is unremarkable at first — until he realizes how his problem-solving approach has been refined and his thinking sharpened.

“The way I framed problems, structured arguments and assessed risks was sharper, more strategic,” he says. “That’s when it hit me: this MBA has transformed the way I think. At Darden, you get used to raising your hand, debating ideas and tackling complex problems alongside excellent, ambitious classmates.”

If Leadership Were a Financial Instrument…

Ask an MBA student to describe their leadership style, and they might talk about influence or decision-making frameworks.

Ask Rogers, and he gives a financial metaphor.

“If my leadership style was a financial instrument?” He pauses, then smiles. “It would be a bond.”

Because bonds are about calculated risk. “I take a lot of risks, but I take calculated risks,” he says. “You have to know when to go all out there, and you have to know when to hold back.” A bondholder listens to the market the way a leader listens to their people. A bondholder knows that short-term volatility is inevitable, but over time, a well-managed bond delivers stable returns.

His leadership is about knowing “when to personalize my actions, when to step in and when to let things run their course.” And above all, “I prioritize my principal over everything.”

And by principal, he means people.

“Just like a bondholder protects their principal investment, I protect the people I lead,” he says. “Losing trust, losing engagement, losing a strong team — that’s costly.”

Professor Elena Loutskina shares a moment with Rogers.

A Letter to His Younger Self

Asked what he would say to his younger self — the one just starting out as a tax analyst back home — Rogers takes a moment. Then, in a few words, he delivers a thesis for his life.

“Don’t doubt that the world could be yours.”

Rogers left behind a rising career in Nigeria, stepping into the unknown to earn an MBA — betting that the experience, the network and the skills would unlock opportunities beyond what he could see.

Now, he will soon graduate from one of the world’s top business schools and prepare to start as manager of corporate finance at American Express.

Support Scholarships for All

Day for Darden is Wednesday, 9 April 2025. Every gift to the Darden Annual Fund, no matter the size, directly supports scholarships that empower students from all walks of life, including international students. Your contribution helps fund opportunities for future leaders to thrive at Darden. To make a difference, make your gift early.