Richard Ayibiowu graduated with a degree in Surveying Engineering from the University of Lagos. Following this, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in Nigeria. He has worked at Map Data Services Limited, Price Water House Coopers, and Arthur Andersen (now KPMG West Africa).
In 1998, he joined the Honeywell Group as Head of Corporate Planning and Development. In this role, he was responsible for corporate restructuring and finance, strategic planning, budgetary planning and control, consolidation and review of financial statements, and management of SPVs. Later, he was appointed as Finance Director and member of the board of Pivot Engineering Company Limited, (a member of the Honeywell Group) specializing in Power Transmission, Substations, and Building Services. He later assumed the role of Managing Director of Pivot Engineering Company Limited. Following the consolidation of the energy businesses within the Honeywell Group, he assumed the role of Director of Operations of PES.
