Gani Aderibigbe
🟡 Live · Toronto, Canada
Lagos · London · Toronto

Gani
Aderibigbe

I went from Assistant Branch Manager in Lagos to Senior Project Manager at JPMorgan in London to Lead Business Analyst at Citibank in Toronto. Banking Decoded is everything I learned along the way.

10+
Years in banking
3
Continents
3
Countries
5
Banking divisions
My Story

A decade I built
step by step

I started my banking career as Assistant Branch Manager at Access Bank Nigeria at 22. Two years learning how money moves at the ground level — every transaction, every customer, every process.

I made a calculated move — an MSc in Business Analytics in the UK — and it changed everything. I went from branch manager to investment banking, landing at JPMorgan Chase in London.

Over four years I progressed to Senior Project Manager across Regulatory Controls and Asset Servicing — all while navigating UK work visa restrictions in a post-Brexit environment nobody prepared me for.

In 2026 I made my second major move — to Canada, joining Citibank as Lead Business Analyst in capital markets. Banking Decoded is the platform built from everything I learned.

"I didn't have a blueprint. Nobody in my circle had done this. I built the map as I walked — one visa, one role, one country at a time."
Career Journey
Nigeria · Age 22
Assistant Branch Manager
Access Bank — Consumer & Retail
2 years
United Kingdom
MSc Business Analytics
Student Visa — The pivot
1.5 years
London · JPMorgan Chase
Business Analyst → Senior PM
Regulatory Controls & Asset Servicing
4+ years · Work Visa
Toronto, Canada · 2026
Lead Business Analyst
Citibank — Capital Markets
Current
🎓
Chartered Banker · MSc Analytics
Academic rigour combined with real-world execution across global institutions.
📊
Capital Markets Specialist
Derivatives, margin, collateral, ISDA — the complex end of investment banking.
🌍
Three Continents of Experience
Africa, Europe, North America — a genuinely rare vantage point on global finance.
What You'll Learn

Three things I know
deeply

Built from a decade inside the system — not textbooks, not theory. Real experience from retail banking in Africa to capital markets in Canada.

01
🏛️
How Banking Actually Works
Retail, consumer, corporate, investment, private banking — the full ecosystem explained by someone who's worked across multiple divisions at Tier 1 institutions.
RetailInvestmentCapital Markets
02
🚀
How to Build a Six-Figure Career
The roadmap nobody published. Getting into a Tier 1 bank, reaching six figures, timing your moves, negotiating your salary — from someone who did it across three countries.
Career StrategySalaryVP Path
03
🌍
How to Navigate Immigration
Student visas, work permits, career moves on a visa, moving countries mid-career — the guide nobody writes, from someone who navigated it twice while building a top-tier career.
VisasWork PermitNew Country
Banking 101

The complete
banking ecosystem

Most people spend their whole career in one corner. Here's the full picture — explained by someone who has lived in multiple corners of it.

🏧 Retail
👤 Consumer
🏢 Corporate
📈 Investment
💎 Private
Retail
Banking
Gani's Take
"This is where I started at Access Bank in Lagos. Retail banking is the foundation of everything — it teaches you how money moves at the most human level."

Everyday banking for individuals — branches, ATMs, current accounts, savings. The most visible part of the financial system and the natural entry point for most banking careers globally.

  • Current and savings accounts
  • Branch operations and customer service
  • Basic lending — overdrafts and personal loans
  • Payment processing and transfers
  • Digital banking and mobile apps
  • Foundation of all banking careers
Consumer
Banking
Gani's Take
"Consumer banking is where data science meets financial products. Heavily analytical — credit risk, customer segmentation, behavioural economics at scale."

Beyond basic accounts — mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and individual wealth products. Data-driven and risk-modelled, with sophisticated customer analytics.

  • Personal loans and credit products
  • Mortgage origination and servicing
  • Credit risk scoring and underwriting
  • Consumer analytics and segmentation
  • Mass-market wealth management
  • How interest rates affect you directly
Corporate
Banking
Gani's Take
"Less visible but far more lucrative. Corporate banking is C-suite relationships and solutions worth tens of millions. It's where real sophistication begins."

Banking for businesses — SMEs to multinationals. Lending at scale, cash management, trade finance and treasury services. Relationship-driven and high-value.

  • Business loans and credit facilities
  • Cash management and liquidity
  • Trade finance and letters of credit
  • Treasury and FX services
  • C-suite relationship management
  • Syndicated and structured finance
Investment
Banking
Gani's Take
"This is where I built my career at JPMorgan — Regulatory Controls then Senior PM in Asset Servicing. IB is the most complex, highest-paying area. Once you understand it, everything else clicks."

M&A, IPOs, debt issuance, derivatives, and market-making. The most complex and highest-paying area of banking — where Banking Decoded brings the deepest insider knowledge.

  • Mergers & Acquisitions advisory
  • Equity and debt capital markets
  • Sales & Trading across asset classes
  • Asset servicing — custody and settlements
  • Derivatives — margin, collateral, ISDA
  • Regulatory controls and compliance
Private
Banking
Gani's Take
"The most exclusive tier. Private banking is bespoke relationships with ultra-high-net-worth clients. Discretion is the entire product — and access without the right credentials is nearly impossible."

Bespoke wealth management for UHNW clients. Intensely personal relationships, multi-million portfolios, and services unavailable through any retail channel.

  • Bespoke wealth management strategy
  • Estate and succession planning
  • Exclusive lending — art, property, equity
  • Philanthropy and foundation management
  • Multi-generational wealth preservation
  • Alternative and private investment access
Career Pathways

How to get in and
get paid six figures

Analyst
$60–80K
Associate
$90–110K
Senior / PM
$110–140K
VP
$150–200K
Director
$200–280K
MD / Partner
$300K+
01
Pick a high-value division early
Derivatives, risk, capital markets — these pay a significant premium. Choose your lane strategically and own it deeply.
02
Go deep, not broad
Domain specialists earn far more than generalists. Go deep before you go wide — own your area completely.
03
Get into a Tier 1 institution
JPMorgan, Goldman, Citi, Barclays — the brand multiplies your ceiling and unlocks global mobility.
04
Time every move for uplift
Each external move should deliver 20–30% salary increase. Internal promotions rarely match that.
05
Stack credentials and geography
Chartered Banker, CFA, international experience — these compound significantly over a decade.
Special Note — Africa & Emerging Markets
Your starting point is not your ceiling.
I started at a commercial bank in Lagos at 22. Within a decade I was at JPMorgan in London and now at Citibank in Canada. The path from an emerging market bank to a Tier 1 global institution is real and achievable — it's just completely undocumented. Banking Decoded was built specifically for you.
🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇨🇦 Canada Global Tier 1
The Journey Nobody Documents

Banking across
borders — the real story

Building a global banking career isn't just about qualifications. It's about navigating immigration systems, managing visa constraints, and rebuilding your professional identity in countries where nobody knows your name.

I went from Nigeria to the UK on a student visa, transitioned to a Tier 2 work permit at JPMorgan, and made the move to Canada — all while trying to build a career at the same time.

The information gap for internationally-mobile professionals is enormous. Banking Decoded addresses it directly.

"Two countries. Two visa systems. Two fresh starts. Nobody prepared me for any of it."
🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇬🇧 UK · Student Visa 🇬🇧 Tier 2 Work Permit 🇨🇦 Canada
01
Student Visa Strategy
Choosing the right programme — institution, location, subject — to position yourself for investment banking as an international hire.
02
Landing a Sponsored Role
How to position yourself for Tier 2 / work permit sponsorship in competitive banking environments.
03
Career Moves on a Visa
The real constraints — navigating promotions and employer changes when your immigration status is employer-tied.
04
Moving Countries Mid-Career
Timing the move, translating your experience, and landing running in a completely new financial market.
05
Rebuilding in a New Country
Credit history, professional network, banking references — establishing yourself fast with no local track record.
Get In Touch

Let's
talk.

Whether you're figuring out your first banking role, trying to break into a Tier 1 institution, or navigating immigration while building your career — reach out. I read every message personally.

Done!