He comes from a family of professionals in the corporate world. His grandfather, Sir Olusola Hassan Odukale, founded Leadway Assurance Company Limited and incorporated it in 1970 to fill the gap of an indigenous insurance company that would compete favourably with the foreign companies at the time. He built Leadway on a solid reputation of integrity and excellence and passed on the mantle of leadership of the company to his famous first son, and Ire’s father, Oye.
Oye who is considered the wizkid of Nigeria’s insurance industry, having nurtured Leadway Assurance Company Limited and taking it to an enviable height for over 30 decades before bowing out about three years ago.He appointed his brother, Tunde Hassan-Odukale, the company’s executive director, financial services and systems to take over from him as the MD/CEO. Tunde is a director in several blue-chip companies including First Bank Nigeria Limited.
A few years from now, Tunde will need to look inwards for who to hand over the baton to when it is time for him to bow out. Expectedly, the baton should land on Ire being a non-executive director in the company but his passion lies in things other than insurance. Ire prefers to cook up a storm in the kitchen and he finds an outlet for this passion via his upscale restaurant situated in London called Ikoyi. He is the managing director and a co-founder of the restaurant which he set up in 2020.
A graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science, Ire had previously spent time attempting to learn the intricacies of insurance. He started out being an Insurance Broker with London based Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited and thereafter moved to American International Group, AIG, as an underwriter. In both places, he spent a total of six years and decided he couldn’t continue to ignore his passion. Thus in 2017, he set up Ikoyi with his partner and childhood friend, Jeremy Chan. So well did he do with the restaurant, churning out mouthwatering cuisine that barely five years after it opened its doors to clients, the restaurant became the first in the United Kingdom to bag the ‘One To Watch Award’ by the World 50 Best Restaurants, an award ceremony that recognises a restaurant considered to be a rising star on the global dining scene. Obviously, with this landmark achievement, there is no looking back for Ire.
