Speakers and participants at the recently held 2nd Annual Executive Women Network Conference have called for a collaborative effort in the implementation of a bold brand Ghana agenda that promotes business and investment.
The conference, held under the theme: Implementing Brand Ghana: the role of women leaders, brought together close to 400 women leaders from diverse backgrounds to chart a course to implement deliberate strategies that attract business, local and foreign direct investment and profitable partnerships to accelerate Ghana’s economic development.
Chaired by the Founder and CEO of StratComm Africa, Esther Cobbah, participants committed to champion the cause and the outcomes from the conference.
Opening the conference Edith Dankwa, Co-Founder of Executive Women Network and CEO of Business & Financial Times commended delegates for responding to the call to action. She said, ” Right about this time last year, 300 women leaders gathered at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel for the maiden Conference under the theme Rebranding Ghana to drive business growth: the perspective of women leaders. It was obvious to us, from the presentations and engagements that women leaders in this country and beyond were looking for a platform to make meaningful and impactful contributions to rebranding our country to drive business growth and foster economic development. Today, we are gathered here again, with renewed optimism and unhindered commitment to build on the success of last year’s conference and to lead the cause to implement a bold brand Ghana agenda that drives business growth, economic development and prosperity for all Ghanaians”.
Keynote Address- If not us to build Ghana, then who? If not now to build Ghana, then when?
Lucy Quist, CEO of Quist Blue Diamond and the keynote speaker of the conference challenged delegates and Ghanaians to deliberately participate in the creation of a vibrant brand Ghana with positive attributes such as intellectual capacity, leadership and the advancement of economic prosperity across the African continent. She challenged participants to be the agents of change in Ghana. She said “Today we will network, we will be inspired and we will take notes but above all I ask that we take action, for ‘if not us to build Ghana, then who? If not now to build Ghana, then when?’
A Call For National Re-Orientation
Esther Cobbah in her remarks commended The Executive Women Network for putting together such a conference to solicit for ideas and recommend practical ways of advancing Ghana’s economic development and prosperity. “I challenge the government to lead the way through a deliberate campaign to re-orient the minds of the citizenry to build a brand, nurture and sell it as a product both locally and internationally. The re-orientation process can be made possible beginning with the individual citizen, families, society and businesses acting and living continuously with the nation’s interest at heart”. She concluded, “The Ghanaian should be proud of themselves and encourage each other in order to build a strong and positive national brand image which will drive investments for business growth and prosperity for the country”.
The Conference had four panel discussions on Technology, Entrepreneurship, Education and Corporate Citizenship with discussants proposing practical solutions and recommendations to leverage technology to drive business growth, implementing strategies to bridge the education and industry gap in a way that equips young people to contribute to nation building. Panelists also advocated for a deliberate ecosystem that promotes entrepreneurships with the Citizenship panel tasking corporate organisations to drive inclusive business models that allows local participation.
A fireside chat by young entrepreneurs proposed strategies that empowers young people to be entrepreneurial