Taiwo Dayo-Abatan is a transformational learning and people development leader with over 25 years of experience helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock performance, strengthen leadership capability, and drive sustainable change. As Founder of The Foundry Academy, she leads a learning and HR consulting practice focused on leadership development, organizational culture, performance transformation, emotional intelligence, and people strategy.

Her career spans multiple sectors, including banking, financial services, healthcare, FMCG, consulting, retail, and quick service industries across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Through her consulting, facilitation, and coaching work, Taiwo partners with organizations to align people, culture, and business strategy, enabling them to build high-performing and future-ready workforces. Her facilitation style is highly engaging, practical, and results-oriented, helping participants translate learning into meaningful workplace action.

A certified coach, mentor, and career counselor, Taiwo is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders. She serves as faculty with leading institutions, including Rome Business School Nigeria, Beth’s Consulting, and Bellforte Consulting, and holds a faculty advisory role with Vantage Consulting in Canada. She is also the convener of several professional development platforms, including The HR Foundry, a thriving community of HR and people professionals, Taiwo’s Coffee Chat, and Premium Mentoring with TDA, initiatives dedicated to learning, mentorship, and leadership growth.

Taiwo holds a degree in Economics and an MBA in Management and is a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and the Nigerian Institute for Training and Development (NITAD). Her contributions to the profession have earned her numerous recognitions, including being named among the Top 100 CHROs in the World, Top 30 LinkedIn HR Influencers in Africa, and Faculty of the Year at Rome Business School Nigeria. Through her work, she continues to champion people-first workplaces, leadership excellence, and cultures that enable both individuals and organizations to thrive.