Ernest Bai Koroma

Ernest Bai Koroma (born October 2, 1953) is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone.

An insurance executive by profession, Koroma spent over twenty-four years working in the private insurance industry before entering politics in 2002. From 1988 to 2002, Koroma was the Managing Director of the Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (Ritcorp), one of the largest insurance companies in Sierra Leone.

He was elected as leader of the All People's Congress (APC), the main opposition party, in 2002, after defeating then incumbent APC leader Edward Turay, his main opponent. Koroma served as a member of Parliament of Sierra Leone, representing his home District of Bombali, from 2002 to 2007. In 2005, he was elected the minority leader of Parliament and remained in that position until his election to the Presidency in 2007.

Koroma stood as the APC's presidential candidate in the 2002 election, but he was defeated by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. He stood again as the APC candidate in the 2007 presidential election. In a tense run-off, he received 54.6% of the vote and defeated Vice President Solomon Berewa, the candidate of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). Koroma was sworn in as President on September 17, 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown,

Koroma succeeded President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was constitutionally ineligible to run for the presidency again after serving the maximum two five-year term limit. In his inauguration speech, Koroma promised zero tolerance on corruption and said he will fight against the mismanagement of the country's resources .

On April 16, 2009, Koroma was re-elected unopposed by the APC as the party's presidential candidate for the 2012 presidential election at the APC National Delegates convention held in the northern city of Makeni.

In the November 2012 presidential election, Koroma was re-elected as President receiving 58.7%, against his main opponent, SLPP candidate Julius Maada Bio, who received 37.4%. International observers deemed the election to be free and fair. Koroma was sworn in as President for his second and final term at State House in Freetown by Chief Justice Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh on the same day he was declared the winner of the election. .