Folake Ogundiran

Strategic operations and Chief of Staff professional with 15+ years partnering with C-suite and senior leaders across private equity, SaaS, technology, multimedia, and legal organizations. Experienced in converting executive priorities into coordinated workstreams, driving cross-functional follow-through, preparing leadership and board materials, managing high-stakes stakeholder communication, and building operating systems that improve organizational execution. Brings direct Chief of Staff experience plus deep executive-operations judgment, with a track record of creating structure in complex environments, strengthening accountability, and enabling leaders to focus on strategic priorities.

Executive Assistant to CTO, CDO & President, North America - SAPIENS - Remote

(2024-03)

• Partnered with the CTO, CDO, and President of North America across Technology, Delivery, and the executive office, coordinating priorities and execution across three leadership organizations.
• Streamlined workstreams using AI and stakeholder communication, prepared executive briefing materials, and supported leadership decision-making and follow-through.
• Managed complex executive operating rhythms, calendars, global travel, security clearances, expenses, and purchase-order requests in a distributed SaaS organization.

Executive Assistant (Temp) – Funds Management, Global Credit - THE CARLYLE GROUP - New York, NY (Hybrid)

(2023-05 - 2024-03)

• Serve as a strategic operational partner to the Head of Fund Management, functioning as a central hub for project coordination, stakeholder communication, priority management, and executive execution.
• Contribute to an AI-driven calendar optimization initiative through SOP development, workflow design, cross-functional task-force support, system-logic input, and coordination of user testing and feedback.
• Optimize leadership time and operating cadence while managing sensitive information, departmental expenses, purchase orders, and complex global logistics.

Chief of Staff / Partnerships Manager - DRAWSTRING (NEAR FOUNDATION) - Remote

(2021-07 - 2023-04)

• Operated as a strategic execution partner to leadership, tracking company initiatives through Jira and Asana and driving accountability for deliverables, owners, action items, and follow-through.
• Supported investor relations and board meetings by preparing data-driven presentations, synthesizing insights and decisions, and driving post-meeting execution.
• Led recruitment and onboarding and implemented Notion as a centralized knowledge-management hub for a scaling organization.
• Managed 10+ large-scale events monthly, including an annual 3,000+ attendee conference in Portugal, coordinating stakeholders and complex execution requirements.

Senior Executive Assistant to SVP - VERIZON MEDIA - New York, NY

(2018-05 - 2021-07)

• Partnered with an SVP and coordinated closely with the CEO's office and C-suite leaders, managing a complex operating cadence and 30+ monthly internal and external meetings.
• Resolved a 65,000+ unread email backlog by creating a systematic triage and execution model that clarified responsibilities, follow-up, and executive action.
• Coordinated board sessions and leadership off-sites and drafted research-based executive speaking points for external engagements.

Senior Executive Assistant to Managing Partner - FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER - New York, NY

(2008-07 - 2011-06)

• Supported the Managing Partner in a global, deadline-intensive environment, managing board-level action items, priorities, correspondence, document workflows, and international logistics.

Legal Secretary - MARGOLIS EDELSTEIN - Philadelphia, PA

(2001-05 - 2004-08)

• Managed litigation operations, court calendars, filing deadlines, legal documentation, financial tracking, and client logistics with zero missed court dates.

Bachelor of Arts - Wesleyan University (1998-05)