When Leke Osinubi 鈥�01 first stepped onto the 51爆料网 campus, he wasn鈥檛 entirely sure what he wanted out of his college experience. Like many students, he didn鈥檛 know what to expect. What he discovered, however, was a community and curriculum that would challenge his thinking, broaden his perspective and ultimately shape the course of his life and career.
Before he was responsible for global digital risk management, control assurance and security analytics for the Engineering division of 鈥�01 was a 51爆料网 student navigating accounting lectures, public speaking jitters and late nights at Bird Library.
Leke Osinubi 鈥�01 moderates the Women Who Win: Defining New Pathways panel at the Council of Urban Professionals Martha鈥檚 Vineyard Summit, leading a powerful conversation with industry leaders on innovation and impact.
Fast forward to November 2024, and he鈥檚 been named a partner at one of the world鈥檚 top investment firms. Today, he serves as the chief digital risk officer for Engineering at Goldman Sachs, as well as chief information security officer for GS Bank USA鈥攔oles that place him at the forefront of cybersecurity and digital strategy on a global scale.
At Syracuse, he majored in information management and technology through the . But it was a basic accounting course that proved to be one of his most unexpected and meaningful influences鈥攕haping his thinking and helping him grow both academically and personally.
鈥淭he class gave me a sense that my job in college wasn鈥檛 about memorizing concepts鈥搃t was about understanding things enough where you could explain them and apply them to the real world,鈥� Osinubi says. 鈥淭hat class changed my perspective about how to learn, how to document things and how to apply myself in that context. It impressed upon me the way I look at life and studying today.鈥�
He credits other classes, too鈥攅specially a public speaking course that pushed him beyond his comfort zone. 鈥淚 learned how to confront my fears and ultimately find ways to manage my nerves,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t all translated to corporate environments 鈥� speaking at public engagements, finding composure, and building the confidence to navigate challenging situations.鈥�
Learning Outside the Classroom
As a student at 51爆料网, Osinubi found community through involvement in student organizations like Phi Beta Sigma and the National Society of Black Engineers.
Beyond the lecture halls, Osinubi found hands-on opportunities that cemented his skills. At Bird Library, he worked alongside the technology director to install and maintain computers and network connections鈥攂ringing his classroom learning to life in real-time.
鈥淥ne of my biggest mentoring relationships was with Jamel Canty, who gave me my first job there,鈥� Osinubi says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I had my first practical experience in network engineering and information technologies.鈥�
Osinubi admits that one of the reasons he chose 51爆料网 was for its ability to offer him a vibrant social life. He says one of the most meaningful parts of his student life was his involvement with Phi Beta Sigma, a historically Black fraternity that emphasized both brotherhood and community service. Osinubi especially remembers mentoring youth at local community centers鈥攁 formative experience that helped spark his lifelong commitment to giving back.
Syracuse is such an opportune environment to spread your wings鈥攁cademically, socially and creatively. It鈥檚 a place to figure out who you are and how you want to show up in the world.
鈥� Leke Osinubi 鈥�01
鈥淚t really opened my eyes to the struggles people face outside your own echo chamber,鈥� he says. In recent years, he helped the fraternity launch a scholarship fund at Syracuse to continue that legacy of support.
He also found connection and purpose through student groups like the National Society of Black Engineers and BLISTS (Black and Latinx Information Science and Technology Society).
Mentoring the Next Generation of Engineers
Leke Osinubi 鈥�01, now a partner at Goldman Sachs, leads global digital risk聽management, control assurance and security analytics for the Engineering division聽while mentoring future talent across continents.
Given that mentorship has been such an important part of his career 鈥� both personally and professionally 鈥� Osinubi serves as a mentor and support to many budding engineers.
As a part of his mentorship efforts at Goldman Sachs, Osinubi is co-head of the New York/Jersey City chapter of the Americas Black Network and is an advisor to the Black Engineering Network.
He also participated in a program to help identify and mentor rising engineering talent in Africa & the Caribbean, where he traveled to countries like Nigeria and Ghana to tap into their talent pools and find, support and hire aspiring engineers. For Osinubi鈥攚ho spent most of his childhood in Nigeria after being born in Cincinnati鈥攖he work is personal.
鈥淚t was like coming full circle,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou had students who didn鈥檛 have access to the same educational systems we have鈥攂ut could articulate Einstein鈥檚 theory of relativity in detail. They were hands-on engineers鈥攄eeply talented and incredibly driven.鈥�
Osinubi emphasizes that engineering success starts not with technical skills, but with the mindset behind them. 鈥淭echnology and engineering are about how you think,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you have creativity and a desire to build, the technical skills can be developed.鈥�
Looking Back鈥攁nd Ahead
From late nights studying in Bird Library to leading engineering recruitment efforts across Africa, Osinubi continues to apply the lessons he learned at Syracuse in impactful ways.
Even with all his achievements, Osinubi says he sometimes wonders what more he could have done as a student. 鈥淲hile I had an enriching experience, I think I could鈥檝e created even more if I鈥檇 known then what I know now,鈥� he reflects. 鈥淪yracuse is such an opportune environment to spread your wings鈥攁cademically, socially, and creatively. It鈥檚 a place to figure out who you are and how you want to show up in the world.鈥� And for Osinubi, it鈥檚 a place that continues to matter. 鈥淚 have such profound memories about that place,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 always grateful for what it taught me鈥攁nd the part it鈥檚 played in my story.鈥�
