Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam has named a Hartford HealthCare executive to serve as the city’s new chief operating officer.
Olusegun “Shay” Ajayi is expected to take his new role on March 18, following an anticipated confirmation by the City Council during its Feb. 25 meeting.
Ajayi, a Hartford resident, currently serves as vice president and chief of staff at Hartford HealthCare, where he helps create and launch strategic initiatives and programs for the office of the president. Ajayi, who has worked at Hartford HealthCare for more than four years, had previously served as Hartford Hospital’s director of operations.
Prior to that, he held various positions at The Hartford Financial Services Group.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and engineering science from Trinity College, and received a master’s degree in sports psychology from Ulster University in Northern Ireland. He is an MBA candidate at Columbia University.
Ajayi also serves as a member of the Trinity College Board of Trustees.
“Shay is passionate and driven, and he’s a proven consensus-builder who knows how to lead operations and initiatives for an executive team while also collaborating with stakeholders and members of the community,” Arulampalam said in a released statement. “He worked closely with city leaders as we navigated the pandemic and other public health challenges, demonstrating his ability to manage difficult operations. I am confident that he is prepared to hit the ground running on day one to fulfill the important responsibilities of the COO and help make City Hall more effective and responsive to the needs of our community.”
