Wol Kolade
Private equity entrepreneur
Wol is Managing Partner of Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity firms.
His extensive private equity experience is fuelled by his passion for entrepreneurialism and its benefits to the wider economy. He has a deep interest in healthcare, education and improving diversity in the private equity industry.
In 2021 he received a CBE for services to Financial Services in the Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours and became the 25th inductee into the “Private Equity Hall of Fame” at the Real Deals Private Equity Awards.
Through numerous high-profile board roles, Wol nurtures bold strategies that drive innovation and impact. He was previously a Chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association in 2007/2008, a Council Member from 2002 - 2009 and Chairman of the Responsible Investment Advisory Board from 2009 - 2010. He was formerly the Chairman of the Guys and St Thomas' Foundation, which has assets in of £1bn, making it one of the largest medical charities in the UK. In 2018 he was appointed as a non-executive director to the joint NHS England & Improvement Board and more recently as Trustee of Somerset House Trust. He is also a co-founder of the 10,000 Black Interns Initiative.
Wol initially trained as an engineer, having studied civil and structural engineering at Kings College, London. After obtaining an MBA from Exeter University, he spent three years with Barclays before joining Livingbridge. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2014.