Who To Watch In 2009

DAVID VENN - GHANA TELECOM

David Venn took the saddle of Ghana's incumbent telecommunication provider Ghana Telecom in October last year, and is expected to drive the company to increase its overall customer numbers and percentage of market share in comparison to its competitors. Venn will be working to achieve the company's objective by introducing Vodafone's international products and services in mobile, mobile internet, fixed broadband, fixed-line and fixed line substitution services that it has deployed in other markets to Ghana. One of the telecommunications providers Venn has to checkmate is Zain and Venn knows Zain too well; he was the CEO of Zain Zambia until August last year and was instrumental in driving the company's network rural expansion program. "Venn was seen as an innovative and respected business leader with proven experience in driving growth and implementing business strategy," Albert Don-Chebe, Ghana Telecommunication Company's head of corporate communications and customer care says of Venn.

PHILIP SOWAH - ZAIN

Philip leads the latest entrant to Ghana's telecommunications market Zain, to achieve their object of becoming the leader in the Ghanaian market and contributing to their global objective of becoming of the top 10 mobile companies in the world in 2011. Key to Sowah's strategy will be the quality of service that his company offers to its subscribers and its Edge and 3G services that it has rolled out. Sowah, a former CEO of onetouch is credited with growing that network from a subscription base of 160,000 customers to 1.3 million customers. In Zain, we always expect to be number one; everything we are doing is to be the leader in this country. [Though] it is not a short term vision, but we are putting the right blocks in place, Sowah says.

HERMAN CHINERY- HESSE - BSL

In eighteen years Herman Chinery-Hesse grew his start-up software company. SoftTribe to a leading brand that serves clients in 10 African countries with over 200 costumers. Chinery-Hesse is up to it again, this time not with SoftTribe, but another company he has founded; BSL. BSL is rolling out the first of its products the MX software application, designed to tackle the various barriers to trade and finance for goods and services in Africa . Chinery-Hesse said the MX payment platform is designed to enhance trade and enable efficient mobile phone and Internet payments for African goods, even by people without bank accounts. "This platform and the trading model, among many other applications will work very well for the micro-finance industry and any other industry faced with the challenge of collecting low-value payments from cash-based economies," Chinery-Hesse said.

EDWARD EFFAH - FIDELITY BANK

Fidelity Bank has built a huge presence on the Ghanaian banking terrain since it was issued with a universal banking license in 2006. Last year for instance, it was recognized for its growth and product innovation at the banking awards. Pundits forecast that the bank will this year continue to pursue vigorously its mission of becoming one of the top five banks in Ghana by the year 2010. Fidelity Bank's growth has been steered by its founding CEO, Edward Effah. Effah has over 20 years experience as a senior finance executive. Previous positions held include: resident Director of Global Emerging Markets Ghana Limited (GEM), Group Risk Manager of Rudolf Wolff, the City of London based derivatives and foreign exchange trader and as a management consultant and audit manager with Coopers and Lybrand, London.

PRINCE KOFI AMOABENG - UT

For 12 years Prince Kofi Amoabeng created a niche for himself by providing high risk loans to the Ghanaian market with his non-financial banking institution UT Financial Services. In a decade he grew his company to be one of Ghana's Club 100 companies and was voted Ghana's Most Respected CEO for 2007. Amoabeng successfully listed UT financial Services on the Ghana Stock Exchange last year raising an amount of GHC 27550680, its market capitalization currently stand at 63,219,750 making it the 19th most capitalized company on the Ghana Stock Exchange. He has subsequently acquired 51 percent of BPI from the Malaysian shareholders. Pundits believe Amoabeng will bring same dynamism to the Banking sector as he did on the non banking financial terrain.

TOGBE AFEDE XIV - SAS

Togbe Afede XIV has been a pioneer in Ghana's capital markets; he cofounded Databank Ghana Ltd, and also founded strategic African securities Limited, Strategic Initiatives limited and executed the takeover of Pioneer Aluminum Factory Ltd. In the last two years, he has also entered the energy sector with his Asogli Power plant, a thermal power plant that will add to Ghana's electricity needs. Pundits are forecasting that he will add on to his investments in energy and capital markets in the ensuing year. Togbe Afede XIV holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Yale University in the USA and BSc. Administration (Accounting) degree from the University of Ghana Legon.

NNAMDI OKONKWO - UBA

United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Limited was the first of the Nigerian Banks that entered the Ghanaian terrain to roll out. The entry of UBA sparked off the present competition that prevails in the banking sector. Pundits forecast that the bank will work vigorously to consolidate the gains it has made in the market in the ensuing year. Nnamdi Okonkwo , CEO of UBA will be driving the consolidation. Nnamdi has a wealth of banking experience which spans over 16 years and covers various areas of banking including corporate finance, corporate banking, commercial and consumer banking as well as project management. He joined UBA (Ghana) Limited from the parent bank, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA). While at UBA, Okonkwo held various senior management positions including being Regional Director in charge of UBA's businesses in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory as well Lagos Mainland. Prior to his current position, he was UBA's Project Director responsible for a massive 250 branch roll out in Nigeria.