President Akufo Addo has appointed the former NPP – UK Chairman, Mr Michael Ansah, as the Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation.
Until his appointment, Michael Ansah was Senior Vice President (SVP) at Dell Corporation, the $80Bn turnover Information Technology multinational company. He is an accomplished business executive and leader, with significant international experience across varied industry sectors.
He was also the immediate past chairman of the New Patriotic Party – UK Chapter. Mr Michael Ansah won the position of Chairman in March 2014 beating the incumbent, the formidable Hayford Atta Krufi in a close contest.
The Government has outlined its intent to develop an Integrated Aluminium Industry which will be one of the major pillars to drive the industrial transformation and accelerated development of the Ghanaian economy.
To this end the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) was established through an Act of Parliament last year. GIADEC will focus on leveraging Ghana’s bauxite reserves, and allied aluminium assets, including the strategically aligned businesses, VALCO Aluminium Smelter at Tema, and a minority stake in Ghana Bauxite Company, to drive the full commercial exploitation of the bauxite deposits. In what will be seen as a significant departure from past efforts, emphasis will be placed on adding value across the full value chain through establishing a refinery to produce Alumina locally, and its smelting, to produce Aluminium, whilst encouraging the development of downstream industries to create wealth and boost employment.
GIADEC will spearhead the promotion and development of a globally competitive Integrated Aluminium Industry in Ghana. Integral to this is attracting strategic foreign investment, encouraging local participation, and ensuring success and value creation for all stakeholders including communities that will be impacted through mining and allied activities.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament, on Thursday, 21 February said, “we intend also, to mine at long last, our bauxite deposits in order to establish an integrated aluminium industry in Ghana, and GIADEC has been set up to spearhead the Government’s commitment to create an integrated aluminium industry”.
Commenting on his appointment as CEO of GIADEC, Michael Ansah said “it is a great honour and privilege to be given this opportunity to lead a flagship initiative of Government, and a major part of Ghana’s industrial transformation at this time, and to play a pivotal role that will contribute to delivering the President’s vision of a ‘Ghana beyond aid’”.
Michael Ansah has also worked at organisations including PWC Consulting/IBM Business Consulting Services where he was Director/Associate Partner in the Real Estate and Capital Programme Management Practice, and as a Group Director at Regus Plc., now part of the International Workplace Group. He also worked at the Ministry of Finance in Ghana as interim CEO of Ghana’s Millennium Challenge Account Programme.
He is married with 3 children.
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