REV EMMANUEL ASIEDU-APPIAH Emmanuel Asiedu-Appiah is a Technical Advisor at AABN in the areas of Business Development and Management, Market Strategy and Training.  He is the Chairman of the AABN board of Directors. During the course of his long experience, Emmanuel has worked with large international and local corporations and government ministries.  Whilst at Dagep International, he was instrumental in the development of market penetration strategies for Microsoft Corporation as well as the implementation and training of the distribution channels.  He has also developed advertising, media and marketing plans for clients such as Mobil Oil Ghana Ltd and the Agricultural Development Bank and is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana.  His business expertise has been developed through these experiences and he specializes in project appraisal, project and corporate finance, fundraising and debt risk management. Throughout his career, Emmanuel has held several prestigious roles, including acting as the Chairman of the Finance Sub-Committee for the Establishment of the Export Development Investment Fund (EDIF), a member of the Consultative Group for the Formulation of Policy Direction for the Ministry of Private Sector Development, a member of the Consultative Group for the Formulation of National Trade Policy for the Ministry of Trade and PSIs and a member of the committee responsible for the Formulation of Strategic Direction for the Federation of the Association of Ghanaian Exporters. He is a Rev. Minister at the Redeemed Baptist Church

 

 

MICHÉLLE BOOYSEN Michelle is a Founder, Co-owner and Managing Director of Pétanque Consultancy, is an economist with 30 years’ experience in Business Development and Strategy Implementation. Her focus is on simplifying complex business matters, through the use of image-rich storyboarding and user-friendly techniques and tools, to make it easy for all role players within an enterprise to understand who needs to do what and how to support business goals.     With a degree in law and three post graduate qualifications in economics, she is multi-skilled in process management, project management and enterprise development.  As a creative and performance orientated individual, Michélle believes that we can always do better than we think we can, and that enjoyment and having fun are key ingredients to success. Michélle has received numerous nominations and awards, including being a finalist for

• the2009 BWA Regional Business Achievers Award (RBAA),
• the 2009 Technology for Women In Business (TWIB)Award,
• the 2012 Most Engendered Company in Business and Government – SME sector Award

She is the winner of

• the 2012 CEO Magazine Most Influential Women in Business and Government Award,
• one of 32 global awardees to the Women Vendors and Export Forum in Mexico City,
• The prestigious 2013 international Enterprising Women of the Year Award in the small and medium business category.

She is an Expert in Change and Business Growth

 

 

 

REHEMA ISA Rehema is a Founding Member and Managing Director of Hadith Media and Fuse Project Management Consulting, a consultancy specialising in enterprise development and transformation. With a background in accounting and finance, Rehema’s corporate experience spans major corporations in the financial services sector. As an entrepreneur she has consulted to both local, African, Fortune 100 companies and UN bodies. Rehema was conferred the title of Women Entrepreneurship Development Expert by the International Labour Organisation in recognition of the tools that she has been trained on and the programmes she has successfully designed and delivered on in Women Entrepreneurship. Rehema is an Afripreneur.  A term she uses to describe afriCAN entrepreneurs developing afriCAN enterprises, growing Africa’s economies. Rehema has served on the Board of the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWASA), the country’s largest independent association for women in business, and a member of the African Business Women’s Network (ABWN). She currently sits on the South Africa steering committee of the Goldman Sachs 10000 women initiative hosted through GIBS, as well as the ministerial committee for women in clean energy education and empowerment, heading the empowerment subcommittee. Rehema provides strategic facilitation services, and selectively appears as guest speaker for public events. She specializes in the area of Change and a Master Mentor of AABN.

 

 

ELSIE ENNINFUL-ADU Elsie is the CEO of Parkstone Capital Limited, a wealth management and an investment advisory firm, which commenced operations in 2012. Elsie is an investment banker, with almost twenty years’ experience in the industry in Ghana. She worked in strategic management, treasury management, capital markets and corporate advisory segments of investment banking. Her experience over these years provides a unique perspective on investments, and risk management. Elsie also worked for several years in venture capital/private equity, doing deal structuring, due diligence and deal appraisal, and monitoring. These pursuits have given her a unique perspective of the investment spectrum, and with Parkstone Capital, she has phased into the entrepreneurial perspective. Elsie serves on several Boards in Ghana and was also a member of the editorial board of Value Examiner, a US based publication on the valuation practice, for four years.

 

 

 

 

 

FELICIA TWUMASI Felicia, the Chief Executive Officer of Homefoods Processing and Cannery Ltd is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and the Harvard Business School, Boston, U.S.A.Her motivation to start her own business began at an early age, when she attended a Convent School in Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana. Seeing many of her friends drop out of school when their father died, Felicia  vowed to herself to one day be financially and economically independent to avoid having to put her own children through the misfortune of the lack of formal education. Hence, her passion to engage and train women out-growers and trade partners of HFPCL, therefore, empowering them to give better lives to their families. After ending a teaching career that lasted over a year, she went on to set up what is now Homefoods Processing and Cannery Limited. This motivation has led her to steer Homefoods Processing and Cannery Limited to be the multi-million dollar company that it is today, a landmark which earned her a place in the International WHO’S WHO of Professionals in August 2009 and in the same year was a UNCTAD Nominee for Entrepreneur Woman of the year 2009. She is a Master Mentor at AABN in the field of Agribusiness. Her leadership skill involves coaching and believes in multilateral cooperation than unilateral action when it comes to decision making. She is mother of 3, a daughter and twin boys.

 

 

CATHERINE KROBO EDUSEI BENSON Catherine, C.E.O/MD of Eden Tree Limited is a graduate in Business Administration, Camden College (London). She had her Secondary School education at Wesley Grammer Secondary School and Accra High School respectively from 1976 to 1981.  She left the shores of Ghana to the United Kingdom in 1981 to have her course in Diploma for Business Administration at Camden College (London). After her schooling in the United Kingdom, she worked there for ten years as a banker with the Saudi American Bank.  Madam Catherine returned home after living 14 years outside the country in April, 1996.  After her return to Ghana, she later started Eden Tree Limited and later Eden Tree Restaurant, and has been in business from 1997 to date. Madam Catherine Krobo Edusei has tried to improve on the urban agriculture in Accra which is the capital city of Ghana. The organization in which she works in seeks not only for its own but for the welfare of all the people that come in contact with them. She encourages people that come to her for advice and also assist a lot of people through education. She is ever ready to assist those that approach her with even similar business ideas such as Eden Tree Ltd does to not give up but to go ahead and join the forces of producing a lot of food for Ghana. Through the set up of the Company by Madam Catherine she has helped in putting food on peoples’ table and has contributed in the reduction of unemployment in Ghana. She is a Master Mentor in the field of Agribusiness. Madam Catherine is blessed with two children David and Jessica Longdon.  She is currently married to Mr. Alfred Benson.

 

 

MAUREEN EREKUA ODOI Maureen Erekua Odoi is a Co-founding Director/Executive Director of African Aurora Business Network (AABN), Innovation Center for Women, Agribusiness & Management.  She leads a team of Certified Business Advisors as a Certified ILO Master Trainer and Business Advisor and manages a business network with 10,000 members nationwide. Maureen has almost 20 years of experience in private sector development in various capacities. Maureen has also worked as Team Leads for various projects with  key international  development agencies    such as  Empretec Ghana Foundation,    World Bank  –  Ghana Development Marketplace, SNV  Development Organization,    former  CHF International  and government  SME  projects  providing high quality  capacity building programs and  advisory services on economic development solutions in Africa. Maureen holds a Master of Philosophy in    Agribusiness from the University of Ghana, and Guelph University from Ghana and Canada, respectively.    She holds a post-graduate certification in SME Development from the Golda Meir International Centre, Israel, Bristol and Durham University Business Schools and has participated in several economic development conferences and workshops globally. Maureen has been awarded several accreditations from reputable institutions from across the globe in South Africa, Europe, Middle East and the USA in entrepreneurship and innovation in business development services. She desires to be Christ like and is passionate about issues related to women and youth enterprise development, agribusiness and the environment in Africa.  Maureen loves gardening, designing, swimming, music and networking. Maureen believes in a vision of Hope for Businesses in Africa .

 

 

 

GRACE AMEY-OBENG Grace is the CEO of FC Group of Companies, a Medical Aesthetician and Managing Director of GAOFI/NWECC. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, European Business School and a Diploma in medical Aesthetics, Aesthetics Research Institute, Califonia. She is the National President of Professional Cosmetologists and Beauty Therapist Association of Ghana. She is a member of British Association of Beauty Therapist, Guild of Professional Therapists, England and United Success. Mrs. Grace serves on several boards such as the National Board for Small Scale and Medium Scale Industries, KAMA Industries, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Technical Committee on Cosmetics and others. She has received several Industry Awards such as CIMG Woman of the Year 2002, Industrial Pinnacle 2004, IWEC 2010 and Enterprising Woman of the Year 2013.

 

 

 

 

AMA T. ENGMANN is a Co-Founding Director and member of the Advisory Council of the AABN Foundation. She is the current Director of Global Communications & Fundraising Operations of AABN. She is also Director of International Supply Chain Management at K. Dom Limited and Board of Director of The Orphan-Aid Foundation (TOAF), Ghana.

Ama was born in Accra, Ghana. She is a proud Alumni of Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast, Ghana. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors, Class of 1991 from the University of Ghana, Legon and La Universidad de La Havana, Cuba (1989-90) in International Languages – English, Spanish and French. She also speaks and reads several Ghanaian dialects. She has post-graduate professional Certificates in the Hotel, Travel and Tour Industries, Enterprise Development, Business Counseling and Training, Trainer of Trainers, Gender Awareness, Venture Capital and Business Advisory Services from the University of Bristol, UK.

She was exposed to the International Community at the early age of six when her father travelled with her to the United States and the Bahamas to expose the Ghanaian culture through music and dance. She was also one of seven Girl Guides who represented Ghana at a Girl Guide International Jamboree in Norway when she was eleven years old. She continues to share her global expertise and experiences with her church and schools in Northwest Arkansas by exposing students to international culture and languages. Ama is a firm advocate of holistic family education for strong socio-economic societies by educating the girl-child through building a dream family and strong business skills acumen for women in developed, emerging and developing economies.
Ama is happily married to Dr. Carl Engmann, a Pediatrician. They are blessed with three lovely children, Darryl, Lois and Carlen. They live in Rogers, Northwest Arkansas.
Ama loves to create and decorate, garden, bake and cook lovely gourmet meals for her family and friends. She also loves to hang out with her Mom’s Ministry friends on Thursday mornings to network, share ideas, do studies and mission work to benefit the needs of her church and children’s programs.

 

WILLIAM QUAYE is the Country Manager and Youth Project Manager at AABN.

As a Certified Trainer  and experienced procurement expert , specialised in  Supply Chain Management , William had served extensively with his skills and talents spanning  the construction and service sectors.

With a passion for excellence and service , William brings a wealth of knowledge to The AABN  Innovation Centre as the Country Manager/Youth Project Manager  providing bespoke solutions to the youth and entrepreneurs. William’s primary objective  is to plant  and sustain the operations of the AABN Innovation Centres to grow people and businesses.

William’s love for people and events had positioned him to serve the teeming youth of this country , while enjoying his  work , family and practising his Christian beliefs. William is married to Angela  with three children and resides in Accra, Ghana .

 

 

BEN OFOSU-APPIAH Ben Ofosu-Appiah, is the Executive Education Manager of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) Africa campus. His office oversees the Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership for Africa programme. He has a passion for the economic empowerment of African women and a strong desire to help develop the business leadership skills and entrepreneurial competencies of African women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the right set of knowledge, skills and abilities. He is in the forefront of CEIBS Africa’s mission to train highly competent, innovation oriented managers and executives who are capable of leading and growing their businesses in the increasingly dynamic African environment. Mr. Ofosu -Appiah lived and worked in Japan for 20 years and speaks fluent Japanese. He worked and consulted for some of the major Japanese multinationals including SONY, NISSAN, MITSUBISHI, HITACHI, MITSUI SUMITOMO etc.  He also taught and lectured at a number of universities in Japan and developed and marketed Executive Education and Corporate Training programmes in Japan and other South East Asian countries. He holds an MA (International relations & Diplomacy) from the International University of Japan (IUJ), MSc (Economics) from Yokohama National University (YNU), and a BA (Political Science) from the University of Ghana. Mr. Ofosu-Appiah is a football enthusiast, a writer and socio-economic analyst. He’s married to Vivian with two kids, Nana 12, and Mimi 8.        

 

YAW OSEI ASARE

Dr. Yaw Asare is an economist who has acquired PHD in Development Economics, MPhil in Agricultural Economics, MPhil (Jantinbergen scholarships and a Bsc. Hons in Agricultural economics. His expertise falls in Environmental economics, Social Impact Assessment and Baseline Studies, Community Stakeholder Public Consultation of project affected people, Project Appraisal and Evaluation, Resource and Environmental economic and several others. He has authored many books; notable ones include Household Water Security and Water Demand in the Volta Basin of Ghana. (Published by Peter Lang GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany) in 2005. The Ostrich Industry in Ghana: Prospects and Performance (Journal of Food Distribution Research-Forthcoming) 2009 among others. Dr. Yaw Asare is proposed to be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the CDE project given his background and top class experience in project management.      

 

 

BATSE HARRY DELA,

Mr. Batse Harry Dela works in the field of food processing as an advisor and trainer for new and existing enterprises, assisting the development of skills and the building of capacity. His expertise spans the full spectrum of activities in the manufacturing process of agricultural products. His past experience includes:

• Production and processing planning and efficiency
• Introduction of Quality Assurance systems: Food Hygiene, Good Manufacturing Practices

(GMPs), Product Traceability, Recall & Food Safety Auditing and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

• Sourcing raw materials and agro-processing machinery
• Product assessment and design
• Product marketing
• Personnel training and the production of training manuals

Mr. Batse has obtained a degree in biochemistry and has acquired more certificates in SME development. He is to handle development of documents (i.e…Training manuals, fliers, articles, brochures, etc.) regards the CDE project.      

 

RAVI SINGH

Ravi Singh brings expertise in financial strategy, operations, and management sciences from his experience at various institutions in the financial services, technology, and manufacturing sectors. At J.P. Morgan, Ravi was involved in a number of initiatives involving business redesign, client coverage modeling, pricing, and profitability analysis. Ravi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business with concentrations in Strategy and Finance.   Ravi joined AABN in August 2009 as an International Volunteer from New York, U.S.A. At AABN, Ravi leads several of organisation’s initiatives, including AABN’s Access to Finance Programme and Microfinance project.   For over 8 years of working experience Ravi has served in the capacity as Business Development Advisor at AABN, Finance Services Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, New York City, USA. He also was a Finance Analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, New York City, USA and a business analyst for Electronic Data Systems, Detroit, USA.   Given Ravi’s commendable background in finance he is proposed to handle all financial matter on the CDE project.