Tolu Olarewaju

Biography

Dr. Tolu Olarewaju has taught, researched, and practiced entrepreneurship, international business, and business management for over a decade. Tolu started his first business while studying for a BSc (Hons) in Economics at Babcock University. Upon graduation, he joined Zenith Bank Plc and placed first in the National Trainee Orientation Programme, where he also received the award for Most Outstanding Team Player. He left Zenith Bank in 2009 to pursue his MSc in International Economics at the University of Birmingham, where he was a founding president of the Hip Hop Society and served as a student representative. Tolu holds a PhD from Aston Business School, Aston University, where he served as a Sessional Lecturer, Research Assistant, and held various roles to enhance the student learning experience with the Students Union.

From 2016 to 2021, Tolu was a lecturer at Staffordshire University, serving as Course Leader for the MSc International Business Management, Foundation of Arts & Business Management, and BA (Hons) Business Management (Top Up) programs, and was awarded a Teaching Excellence Fellowship in 2018.

Currently, Tolu is the Director of Student Recruitment for Keele Business School. He was a Business Enterprise Fellow and Co-Research Cluster Lead for the People, Organisations, Enterprise, and Technology (POET) research cluster from 2021 to 2023. He also served as the Research Seminar Coordinator for the Business School from 2023 to 2024 and remains active in consulting for businesses.

Tolu is an external examiner for Essex Business School at Essex University, the Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University, and Leeds Business School at Leeds Beckett University. He received the Academy of Management award in 2015 for “Best Reviewer” in the Entrepreneurship Division, and in 2022, his paper won "One of the Best Paper Awards" in the Social Issues in Management Division. His joint paper was also one of the ISBE 2023 best paper finalists.

Tolu teaches courses in international business management, commerce, and business strategy. His work has received sponsorship from the British Academy and Midlands Innovation, highlighting its impact and significance. Tolu’s research focuses on poverty reduction, anti-corruption efforts, entrepreneurship, international business, and the application of technology, as well as areas encompassing social, labor, regional, and general economics. His work often emphasizes policy implications, particularly in corruption reduction and economic development, and he regularly publishes in top academic journals. He has also contributed to the Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Beyond academia, Tolu is the President of the Staffordshire Black Business Network, an organization he founded to support and amplify the voices of Black-owned businesses in Staffordshire. His leadership in this role reflects his commitment to empowering underrepresented communities and fostering inclusive economic growth.

Tolu also brings substantial industry experience to his work, having served as both a banker and an entrepreneur. His professional background enhances his academic contributions, offering practical insights into the real-world challenges of business and economics.

Education and Certifications:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy (University of Cambridge)
• PhD Management (Aston University)    
• MSc International Economics (University of Birmingham)           
• BSc Economics (Babcock University)
• Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI)                                                         
• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)
• Acting for Beginners Certificate (The Birmingham Theatre School)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice in Higher Education (Aston University)
• Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (Aston University)
• Certificate in Information Technology (NIIT)

Tolu enjoys art and philosophy and has eclectic research interests; you can see more in the research and scholarship section.

Research and scholarship

Tolu’s present research interests revolve around the economics of entrepreneurship, climate change, institutional voids and transaction costs in international business, internationalisation of SMEs, government budgetary transparency, and areas encompassing regional, social, labour and general economics. He is particularly interested in research that might have policy implications as well as areas incorporating poverty reduction. He publishes in the top journals in these fields and contributed to the Encyclopedia of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Tolu is the principal investigator of a British Academy grant investigating the specific challenges that Black Asian and Minority Ethnic business owners faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, the strategies that they used to keep their businesses afloat, and how they engaged with financial and regional support. He can be contacted if you are a business owner willing to take part in his research area.

Tolu is also undertaking research that focuses on how UK businesses engage with the net zero/climate change agenda.

Tolu is a member of both the UKRI Early Career Research Forum and the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network.

Tolu is interested in supervising PhDs in the areas of: The Economics of Entrepreneurship; Ethnic, Migrant or Gender Entrepreneurship; Transaction Costs and Institutional Voids in International Business; Hybrid Organisational Forms to Aid Business Internationalisation of SMEs; The Use of Information Technology in Business; and Government Transparency.

Tolu writes for The Conversation - view Tolu's work here (https://theconversation.com/profiles/tolu-olarewaju-405190/articles).

You can also find Tolu on Researchgate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tolu-Olarewaju).

Teaching

Tolu currently teaches a range of topics primarily focused on business management, international business management, innovation, and business strategy.

Some modules are MAN-20084: Managing in the Multinational Corporation, MAN-10023: Introduction to International Business, MAN-10022: Global Business Environment, and MAN-40116: International Strategic Management.

He has also taught MAN-10026: Multinational Enterprise Business Perspectives, and MAN-40262: Creativity and Innovation Management.

Collaborations and grants awards

Tamworth Council, Community Recovery Fund: Building security and resilience among SMEs and young people in Tamworth: £24,499;

Association of Christian Economists: The link between religious beliefs, ethnicity, and business performance during the COVID-19 crisis: £1,000;

Midlands Innovation: Future-Proofing BAME SME Owners for Net-Zero Capability: £7,500;

British Academy Grant (COV19\200561) - The Impact of COVID-19 on BAME Owned Businesses in the UK (Principal Investigator): £9,448.50;

International Council for Small Business Funding: $1,000.