Behind some of Ghana’s thriving industries are thought leaders who have wielded enormous influence within the business world today. To celebrate their tenacity and bold innovation, we rounded up 3 of Ghana’s inspirational business game-changers.
Mr. Pakwo Shum
“I’ve founded a lot of businesses. Many of them never saw the light of day but the ones that have done well have simply been the ones that looked to solve problems.”
Mr. Shum is Managing Director of Aviation Alliance Ltd, and General Sales Agent of Delta Air Lines in Ghana and eight other West African countries. He is one of Ghana’s most successful serial entrepreneurs. He has engaged in quite a number of businesses spanning a number of industries, including air transportation, corporate travel management, real estate, commodities, mineral exploration and retail. Mr. Shum is an entrepreneur who looks for problems that exist within his environment and finds solutions to them. Read more here
Dr. Patrick Awuah
“…Africa’s universities are overcrowded and underfunded. Students learn a narrow subject matter, and are tested on recall. Academic dishonesty is too common. How can Africa’s future leaders possibly learn to think and behave differently if we don’t educate them in a different way? If we want different results, we must try something different. Clearly, Africa needed a new kind of university, and in 2000 I resolved to create it.”
In 1997, Dr. Awuah left his million dollar job as a Program Manager at Microsoft and returned to Ghana to help build an “African renaissance through education” – Ashesi University. For his commitment, drive and perseverance, Dr. Awuah was named the 40th best leader in the world by Fortune Magazine for his impeccable work in higher education, joining a reputable list that includes Pope Francis, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, Bill and Melinda Gates, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. Read more here
Mr. Tony Oteng-Gyasi
“Our general attitude as Ghanaians also needs to change for us to look at products made-in-Ghana. We need to have more faith in ourselves and ability to do things and this will greatly enhance the local manufacturing sector.”
Mr. Oteng-Gyasi, is the Founder and Managing Director of Tropical Cables and Conductors Limited, a successful company which manufactures overhead conductors and a wide range of insulated cables for both electrical and telecommunication use, locally and for export. The company has over the years supplied electrical cables and accessories to state organizations like the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ministry of Energy. His passion and hard work has led to the fulfillment of the company’s vision towards becoming an African industrial giant.
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Credit: Servled
