In the face of media assault, Walton Gilpin stands tall as records of his achievements speak loudly for him. This press has investigated a scenario in which a Le7m bribe has been offered to media outlets for the publication of false news against Walton, a man who has earned a lot to his credit.
The libellous publication aims at bringing him down. One of the media’s core functions of ‘comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comforted’ is not synonymous with the ‘attack collect and defence collect (yellow Press).’
The first limb is positive and ethical while the second limb is negative and unethical. But, the move is well understood as the media continue to operate in a society characterised by abject media poverty.
It is unarguable that he who pays makes the news and the news leads if it bleeds.
This press has also learned that Walton’s subordinates, through vaulting ambitions, are poised to take over from their superior within a twinkle of an eye.
They are completely clueless about the time-honoured precept that appointment does not come from man but God.
Walton’s name occupies an enviable place in the banking industry. Records show that the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) Managing Director is a seasoned and internationally-recognised financial expert with over 25 years of experience managing complex policies and processes in banking and banking related institutions in Africa, Europe, South Africa, the Caribbean and the United States.
He holds graduate degrees and professional qualifications in business administration, economics, international relations, corporate governance, and finance and debt management.
He was recently Advisor to the Commonwealth secretariat in the United Kingdom where he managed significant financial and debt restructuring initiatives that formed the basis of effective and sustainable reform strategies in more than 25 countries.
In this capacity, he also helped strengthen the technical and management capacity of financial sector professionals by emphasising approaches and skill sets that bode well for institutional transformation and change. His goal-oriented professional philosophy has been a hallmark of his career.
Walton, during his banking career, he has provided technical inputs into complex interactions with such international partners as the International Monetary fund, World Bank and African Development Bank. The RCB Managing Director is highly instrumental to banking and financial research analysis having worked in research and international financial research analysis having worked in research and international financial research departments of reputable institutions.
His capacity building skills and techniques are second to none. They are useful in designing and implementing training modules in financial analysis for public sector officials in government and central banking related institutions.
In private practice, Walton has served as a consultant in public finance, risk management, liquidity management, bank-sovereign interdependence among many others.
His appointment in 2017 made him return home and the banking industry has tapped too much into his knowledge and experience.
The Rokel Bank MD has greatly contributed to critical thinking and intellectual development in banking and finance through teaching, lecturing, reports and publications. His commitment to capacity building, mentorship and professional development throughout his career is unprecedented.
Staff of Rokel Bank have benefitted significantly from local and international training sessions to enhance their work ethic. In the past, only senior and managerial staff went for training, but he successfully changed the narrative after he took over four years back.
For his sound management of Rokel Bank and his contributions to the banking industry, Walton is on record to have won the most prestigious awards and prizes ever seen in the banking industry.
In 2017, Walton was invited to join the Afro-Champions Initiative led by notable African leaders in politics and business.
He recently won the prestigious African leadership Medal of Honour in Business at the International Forum in African Leadership, in New York in September, 2018.
As MD of Rokel Bank, he spearheaded the bank into winning 17 local and international awards for ‘Best Bank and Best CEO, in 2018, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the banking and financial sector in Sierra Leone.
Walton used his exposure, knowledge and skills he acquired outside the country to transform Rokel Bank. The bank is today known for quality service to the nation after decades of existence and dominance in the banking industry.
The admirable service has put the bank in a class of its own. RCB’s profit margin, over the years has made it increasingly relevant to an economy that needs highly experienced and result-oriented stakeholders in the banking industry.
In 2017, RCB reported a profit margin of Le62.7bn for which Walton and his staff got rousing commendation.
The bank is set for more profit maximisation in years to come with Walton at the helm. The Chairman of RCB’s oversight committee for 2017, Mr Abu Bakarr Jalloh was highly impressed.
The oversight chairman was pleased to say “an unprecedented growth in terms of deposits as well as impressive performance in the bank’s business is being realised.”
Apart from the gains made in 2017, RCB also recorded huge profit in previous years. The bank made a profit of Le1.03Bn in 2015 to the admiration of staff and shareholders.
The bank’s profit trajectory was strongly guarded to forestall a downward trend in profit-making. The bank’s profit also increased to Le1.5bn the following year, a move seen as a no mean feat.
The widening of the bank’s profit margins represents a true reflection of the bank’s sound marketing strategies. The deposit base grows comfortably resulting in more profits on investments.
The profit highlights for recent years are, in no way, exhaustive as marked profits have been earned in years that cannot be mentioned here.
The good profit the bank has made over the years is not unconnected to several business strategies employed by the Managing Director.
Financial inclusion seen in the launch of the ‘Rokel Simkorpor’ was among the latest in a stream of strategies Walton pursued to keep the bank well afloat.
The strategy caters for not only those in the urban centres but also those in remote communities. The initiation of the strategy by the bank demonstrated a direct response to the call of World Bank and Bank of Sierra Leone.
In the face of COVID-19, Rokel Bank does not waver in its services to the people. The customers enjoyed services as they would in a normal period thus making Walton as a good captain who smoothly navigated rough seas.
He fits into the adage that rough seas made good captains.
Thus, Walton’s neat achievements do not come in a day, but they come after years of experience and could not be destroyed by the lash of media satire.
The heights which great men reached and kept were not attained by a sudden flight for they while their colleagues slept were toiling upward in the night.