Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Export Promotion Authority Emerges InstinctBusiness “CEO OF THE WEEK”

InstinctBusiness CEO of the Week is a weekly accreditation of Top performing CEOs within the African region, following their achievements, remarkable work, outstanding service, industry experience, visionary leadership, innovation, amongst other criteria.

This week, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, a Strategy Enthusiast known for her extensive knowledge in Integrated Communications and Organisational Development has emerged as InstinctBusiness Magazine’s “CEO OF THE WEEK” for the Month of October 9^th-15^th,2022 rankings.

She currently heads the Authority as Chief Executive Officer appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana in 2017.

Dr. Asare comes with 28 years’ worth management experience working in a variety of corporate environments and having a knack for entrepreneurial ventures, she brings an in-depth wealth of experience to her role as Chief Executive of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

Dr. Afua Asabea Asare’s Educational Background

Dr. Asare has an MA in Positive Leadership and Strategy from IE University in Madrid, Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from KNUST, Ghana, Post-Graduate Diploma in Organisational Development from the University of Cape-Coast and MBA International Business from Ecole Superieur de Gestion (ESG), Paris.

She also has a Certificate in Strategic Marketing Management from the Harvard Business School, Cambridge, Boston, a Post-Graduate degree in Communications Studies, School of Comm. Studies, University of Ghana, Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising, Ghana Institute of Journalism and currently pursuing a Doctor in Business Management and a Master of Science degree in Research from the Swiss Business School.

Dr. Afua Asabea Asare’s Career

Asabea was the Founder and Lead Consultant at AYA & Company until March 2017 and also an adjunct Lecturer of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Supply Chain Management and Mass Communication at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) the Presbyterian University College and a Visiting Lecturer and Speaker at the China Europe International Business School’s (CEIBS) Women in Entrepreneurship and Leadership in Africa (WELA) programme.

In the past, she worked as General Manager and Head of Corporate Communications, Ghana Telecom, Public Relations and Training Departments of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority,  the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s TV News Room and Nippon Tetrapod Co. Ltd of Japan.

She was appointed CEO of GEPA in 2018 by H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.

Dr. Asare’s consulting and training experience spans many organisations, including: Volta River Authority, Coca-Cola Company (GH), United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), MTN, TIGO, Star Assurance, Beige Capital, Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority etc.

Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, as the CEO/Managing Director (MD) of Ghana Export Promotion Authority

In 2018, the phenomenal Strategy Enthusiast was appointed CEO of GEPA by H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. Under her tenure, she has and continues to develop and implement projects that all feed into the improvement of Ghana’s export sector.

In 2018, GEPA under her leadership won the bid to host the World Trade Promotion Organization’s Annual Conference and Awards in Ghana. This would be the first time the internationally renowned and acknowledged event would be held south of the Sahara.

Under her tenure of leadership, she again spearheaded the completion of the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), a 10-year road map designed to build, modernize and diversify Ghana’s export base. The Strategy is expected to provide a clear vision of the desired evolution of Ghana’s non-traditional export sector a decade from now, and a roadmap for attaining the vision, forging a national consensus on how best to approach industrial export development that is inclusive and beneficial to all Ghanaians.

The NEDS had the input of over one hundred experts in the export ecosystem and was launched by the Hon. Alan Kyerematen in the last quarter of 2020 with an objective to achieve Usd25.3billion by the year 2029.

Dr. Asare is strongly committed to people development, offering training, coaching, mentoring and custom solutions to business leaders, entrepreneurs, consultants, speakers and trainers.

Two initiatives targeted at youth development – the Youth in Export Competition and Youth in Export Projects both aim to encourage young men and women to venture into exports as fulltime careers and offers assistance to individuals who have an interest in agriculture or other fields that have potential for export.

As an ardent advocate of the arts, Dr. Asare believes there is a lot more that can be done to nurture the industry. This involves empowering communities involved with industrial art and craft with opportunities of exposure to showcase their handiwork on a commercial scale.

This commitment informed the basis of strategic interventions such as upgrading Art & Craft Villages/Centres into exhibition standard facilities in four regions of Ghana and promoting a premium Art exhibition “Sound Out” to showcase fine art on an international level.

She considers herself a student of the world and has authored various industry and business articles, on coaching, leadership development, and diversity of thought and inclusion. She also writes for the Business and Financial Times (BF&T) on Positive Leadership and Strategy.

Asabea is also a mosaic artist and a Serial Entrepreneur.  Some of her artworks works have been featured in exhibitions in New York, Piacenza and Paris.

Boards Where She Has Served and Currently Serving

Dr. Asare sits on a number of academic and corporate boards such as;the African Leadership Academy, South Africa, IE Advisory Board for IE University in Madrid, Spain, Ghana Telecom University College, Ghana, World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) Ghana, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana, Advisory Board on Trade & Investment Support Institution of ITC, Ghana Exim Bank, Venture Capital Trust Fund and the Data Protection Agency, Ghana.

Awards And Nominations of Dr. Afua Asabea Asare

She is the recipient of Transformational Leader of the Year at the 7^th InstinctBusiness Awards 2022. She is also the recipient of the 2019 Women in Transformational Leadership Award (Governance category), has was recently inducted into the 2019 West African Nobles Hall of Fame and was an award recipient at the 2020 Ghana Women Excellence Awards, being recognized for her outstanding achievements in exports. She also received the Distinguished Service Award at the Ghana Agric and Agro Processing Awards for her remarkable achievements in the export of agricultural produce and was also recognized as an Honouree of Excellence in Public Service at the 5th Glitz Ghana Women of the Year Awards 2020.