Dr. Theophilus Acheampong
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: PhD Economics, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom; MSc Petroleum, Energy Economics and Finance (with distinction), University of Aberdeen, UK; BSc Chemical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Country experience: Ghana, Guyana, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands and the United Kingdom, Equatorial Guinea, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Uganda and South Sudan
Dr Theophilus Acheampong is an economist and political risk analyst with knowledge and experience working with governments and international institutions on extractive industry issues such as fiscal regime modelling, macro-fiscal frameworks, public financial management, and trade and investment promotion. Theo’s experience involves helping clients understand and navigate complex political and business risks in Sub-Saharan Africa namely in Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This includes producing forward-looking quantitative and qualitative compliance and integrity due diligence (IDD) reports, market intelligence and other detailed country reports covering sovereign risk, tax risk, expropriation and contract risk, and operational risk including corruption and regulatory burden on industry sectors and companies. He has worked as a senior analyst and consultant for firms such as Oxford Policy Management, Crystol Energy, IHS Markit, and Kina Advisory Limited. Theo has a PhD in Economics and an MSc in Petroleum, Energy Economics and Finance from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He is an Associate Lecturer at The Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), University of Dundee, and Honorary Research Fellow at the Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance (ACREEF), University of Aberdeen. He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow at Ghanaian Think Tank IMANI CPE. He is quoted in international media such as the BBC, Bloomberg, AFP, CNBC, and has published in leading academic journals. Theo is currently co-editing the Palgrave MacMillan book project “Petroleum Resource Management in Africa: Lessons from Ghana”, which examines the challenges and opportunities from ten years oil and gas production in Ghana.
Prof. Godfred A. Bokpin
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: PhD Economics, Osaka University, Osaka – Japan, MPhil Finance, University of Ghana, Accra-Ghana, BSc Administration (Accounting), University of Ghana, Accra Ghana.
Country experience: Ghana, Mozambique, Sénégal, and Nigeria
Professor Godfred A. Bokpin earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics from the Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University in Japan, Master of Philosophy Degree in Finance and B.Sc. (Admin) in Accounting with First Class Honours from the University of Ghana. Professor Bokpin combines three broad disciplines of accounting, finance and economics and the interrelations between them in his teaching and research that uniquely distinguishes his output. He was the Head, Department of Finance, University of Ghana Business School from August 2014 to July 2018. He was promoted to senior lecturer in 2010, Associate Professor of Finance in 2015 and Professor of Finance in 2018. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including climate change, financial management, Agriculture and Agribusiness Finance, Strategic Corporate Finance, Development Finance, Development Economics, Trade Policy and Practice including Trade Financing, Sustainable Finance, Renewable Energy Finance, Responsible Investment, Green Banking, Private sector Productivity, Inclusive Growth, Sustainable Development, Green Economy, Climate Financing, Green Bonds. In the last five years, his research and advocacy have focused more on pro-poor programs, SME Productivity, inclusive growth, sustainable development financing, inequality and climate change and financing issues. He has over 40 articles in high impact journals in addition to edited conference proceedings, edited books, and book chapters to his credit.
Mr. Casely A. Coleman
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: MSc Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, London School of Economics, London – United Kingdom, MPhil Public Administration & Organisational Behaviour Institution, University of Bergen, Norway, BA (Hons) Political Science and Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra Ghana.
Country experience: Ethiopia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kenya, Sénégal, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, USA and United Kingdom.
Casely Ato Coleman has over 25 years’ experience in International development, Leadership, Human Resource & Organizational Development in the profit and non-profit sector. Casely has held senior leadership roles as Country Director, Plan International, in Sierra Leone; Senior Director of Operations for World Vision International for West and Central Africa where he provided oversight for Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs, Project Management, Quality Assurance, Security, Gender, Advocacy, Communications, Investment & Strategy Alignment and Implementation. He has previously worked as Regional Director of HR for World Vision, West and Central Africa; Regional Head of HR for Plan International, West and Central Africa; Director of HR, Plan International, Senegal; Head of HR & Communication, Plan International, Ghana; Organizational Development Analyst for Western Teleysytem (now AirtelTigo); Assistant HR Manager, Societe Generale De Surveillance, Ghana; Project Officer, World Bank Desk and International Economics Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, Ghana. As Country Director for Plan International Sierra Leone, he was awarded the International NonGovernmental Organization (INGO) leader of the year award in 2016 by the Sierra Leone Council of CEOs for the leadership and excellence he displayed during the Ebola crisis in that country. Under his leadership as Country Director, Plan International Sierra Leone, won 4 global awards as well as a President of Sierra Leone silver award. Casely has consulted for the United Nations Population Fund, Africa Union Commission, Open Society Foundation West Africa, World Vision International Bosnia Herzegovina, Oxfam International Sierra Leone, Solidaridad West Africa Region, Plan International Nigeria, Plan International Ghana, Tullow Oil etc. He is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School and a Visiting Professor of HR & Organizational Change & Behaviour at the Institute Superieur De Management (ISM), Dakar, Senegal. He is also the editor of the Pentvars Business Journal, an international referred journal of the Pentecost University Ghana and a Senior Fellow of IMANI Africa Centre for Policy Education, a leading think tank in Ghana and Africa. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Ghana, a Master of Philosophy degree in Public Administration from the University of Bergen, Norway and a Master of Science in Industrial Relations & HR from the London School of Economics, UK and a Certificate in HR Excellence from the Judge Business School, Cambridge University, UK. Casely has published extensively in HR and international development and has over 32 publications, including 10 peer reviewed publications in international scholarly journals. Casely’s areas of expertise include leading complex emergencies, international development programmes management, business transformation, HR strategy, design and leadership, Public Policy Analysis, Change Management, leadership development, organizational diagnosis, organizational redesign, strategy development and execution, enterprise risks management.
Mr. Kofi B. Bentil
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: Qualifying Certificate in Law, Ghana Law School, Accra Ghana, Post Graduate Bachelor of Laws LLB Degree, University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana, MBA (Marketing), University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana, BA (Hons) Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra Ghana.
Country experience: Ghana, Egypt, USA, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, UK, Morocco, South Sudan, China and India.
Mr. Kofi Bentil is a practising Lawyer and Managing Partner at Lex Praxis Incorporated. He is also a Business Strategy Lecturer and Consultant. He lectured in Ashesi University, and the University of Ghana Business School (Executive MBA). He also holds many corporate training sessions each year in Business Strategy and Services Marketing and Management Skills.
Kofi is active in Ghanaian Civil Society. He is Senior Vice President and Policy Analyst with Imani Ghana, voted among the top Think Tanks in Africa and one of the leading Think Tanks in Ghana. Kofi handles several areas including Energy policy, Education, and infrastructure. He founded OccupyGhana, and is a founding member of Citizen Ghana Movement, both vibrant civil society organisations in Ghana. He has been involved in many public interest court cases with significant impact on issues like the Right to Information amongst others.
He is a Consultant with expertise and experience in varied Service industries, especially Financial Services where he has held Management Positions and Consulted to many companies. He has helped many small businesses improve capacity, undertake reengineering, staff rationalization and operations optimization. He has consulted to start-ups, and large enterprises as well. He holds many training sessions every year.
In 2005 he was honoured by the World Bank (and partners) with the Global Development Marketplace Award, an award recognizing contribution to, and expertise in Entrepreneurship.
In 2009 Kofi was inducted into the Africa Leadership Network, a wing of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network.
In 2015 Kofi was given an Award for “Visionary Guidance and undaunting Leadership” for his work with YALI, West Africa Regional Leadership Centre. YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative) is a program initiated and launched by President Obama to support young African leaders across Africa.
Kofi Bentil is active in the technology industry, and was a Founding Executive Member of GASSCOM, The Ghana Association of IT Services Companies. He worked with many partners including the World Bank to improve I.T. infrastructure and Services in Ghana. He also taught Entrepreneurship at the Kofi Annan ICT Centre in Accra. Kofi is an Advisor to mPedigree, a medical technology start-up firm.
In his previous professional life Kofi Managed Marketing and Business Strategy for I.T. Companies and Enterprise Insurance Company limited, Ghana’s Second Largest Insurer.
Mr. Bright Simons
Nationality: Ghanaian
Country experience: Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, Sènégal, Ethiopia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, India, USA, Europe and Latin America.
Bright Simons, is the President of mPedigree [www.mpedigree.com], a social enterprise working on three continents in partnership with governments, several of the Fortune 500 companies and grassroots organisations to spread innovative technologies that secure communities from the harmful effects of counterfeiting, especially in such sensitive sectors as health, agriculture, cosmetics and automotive.
Bright has shaped mPedigree’s relentless innovation cycle for more than a decade, helping steer the organisation from a focus on authentication and supply chain technologies into the broader spaces of smart sensors, analytics, and intelligent decision support systems. His latest work on the application of “smart polymers” to health cold chain problems has been supported by the Harvard Innovation Labs, among others.
Bright’s public-spirited work precedes and extends beyond mPedigree. For nearly two decades he has straddled public policy, social and civic activism and prolific “citizen journalism” in what he considers the “digital public square”, writing for such influential outlets as the online edition of the Harvard Business Review, Quartz magazine, the BBC’s Business Daily show, and the Huffington Post.
He is a frequent collaborator and participant in multi-disciplinary efforts that seek to collide silos and cut across lines of difference in the search for solutions. Recent commitments include membership in the inaugural Microsoft Africa Advisory Council, the Lancet Commission on the Future of Health in Africa, the Centre for Global Development’s Study Group on Technology, the World Economic Forum’s Africa Strategy Group, the inaugural Ashoka Globalizer initiative, the Africa Population Health Research Centre, Care International, and IC Publications, owner of the New African magazine.
As an early Director at IMANI he has been instrumental in the organisation’s innovative use of rigorous research-generated evidence in high-stakes political accountability, anti-corruption, and civil liberty projects, thereby contributing to IMANI’s continuous recognition as one of the world’s most innovative think tanks and among Africa’s top 5 institutions of its kind.
As a member of successive World Economic Forum Global Agenda and Future Councils, an inaugural TED Fellow, an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, and an Aspen Braddock Scholar and Global Leadership Network Fellow, he spends a considerable amount of energy working to build and sustain networks of solution seekers around the world, united by common values.
In the course of such activities, he is regularly consulted on innovation strategy by international organizations such as the World Bank, UNECA, USAID, the EU, and the Commonwealth.
Bright is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award from the African Innovation Foundation and was named to a list of the 35 most impressive global technology visionaries under age 35 by the MIT’s Tech Review in 2013.
He features quite regularly on similar lists. For example, Quartz magazine ranked him among their top 30 innovators in 2015 and both the Africa Report and New African magazines have listed him on their Most Influential Persons’ lists in recent years. In 2016, he was announced as the CNBC All-Africa Business Leader of the Year in the innovation category.
In 2016, Fortune magazine named him on their 50 World Greatest Leaders list.
Mr. Selorm Branttie
Nationality: Ghanaian
Country experience: Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, Sènégal, Ethiopia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, India, and USA.
Selorm Branttie is the Global Strategy Director for mPedigree, the industry leader in using innovative mobile technologies to counter the faking of products using mobile technology. Since joining mPedigree in 2010, Selorm has been responsible for the expansion of the service under the mandate of NAFDAC in Nigeria and seeing the technology to industries including but not limited to Automotive, Cosmetics, Textiles and several Fast-Moving Consumer Goods brands. Selorm led efforts to put mPedigree on course to provide traceability applications for crop seed varieties in East Africa, with plans to bring other agro-inputs under the ambit of the surveillance programme.
He is also responsible for the design and dissemination of public information related to drug supply chains and anti-counterfeiting, working closely with stakeholders like regulators and pharmaceutical co-operatives in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.
Selorm was a founding member of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, a think tank that directs on issues related to development and governance and currently serves as its Vice President for Communications Strategy. His efforts contributed to the organization being named among the world’s top 100 think tanks by the United Nations and in the top 5 of African research institutes in consecutive years by the University of Pennsylvania.
He has consulted for multilateral development institutions such as the UNDP in geoinformation systems across Ghana.
Selorm is an Aspen Global Voices 2019 fellow and a Skoll Entrepreneurship Award winner for 2019.
Mr. King Carl Tornam Duho
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: MPhil Accounting, University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana; BSc Administration (Accounting Option), University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana; Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), United Kingdom; Professional Qualification, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), United Kingdom
King Carl Tornam Duho is a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualified accountant and research consultant with an interest in policy-based and cutting-edge research in accounting, economics, and finance. His focus is on providing transdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative research to help in influencing policy in emerging economies and across the world.
He has presented academic papers at international conferences in Europe and Africa, as well as, policy-based presentations at the national level to policymakers. He has written on the banking industry, the cocoa sector, the extractives industry, the stock market, and other wider economic issues.
King consults for IMANI Centre for Policy and Education (CPE) where he has worked on projects that have partners such as the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
He has completed his thesis for a Master of Philosophy in Accounting degree at the University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana where he explored the anti-corruption disclosure practices of extractive firms in Africa. He holds a BSc in Administration (Accounting option) from the same university and an article from his long essay on bank risk and profit efficiency has been published in the Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences. He is also a part-qualified student with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
King has more than 10 peer-reviewed articles to his credit and reviews for the International Journal of Managerial Finance (A-Rank – Australian ABDC). He was awarded the best reviewer during the Academy of International Business Africa (AIB) 2019 conference. He is selected to be part of the Joint Roundtable on Intangibles, which is organised by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) & Financial Reporting Council (UK).
Mr. Dennis Asare
Nationality: Ghanaian
Dennis Asare is an Internal Consultant with the Centre for the Study of Energy and Natural Resources at IMANI CPE Ghana. Dennis Asare undertakes research of all energy sector issues in Ghana with the objective of influencing government energy policies and programmes. He has participated in projects including; The effects of upstream gas contracting on electricity tariff and inclusive growth; a case of the Sankofa-Gye-Nyame integrated oil and gas field, Gas demand survey among industries in Ghana, Development of Ghana’s gas resource towards supply security and the development of a domestic gas market, Assessing drivers of Ghana’s renewable energy market, Risk allocation in the oil and gas industry; an assessment of court interpretation of indemnities and mutual hold harmless, consequential losses and exclusion from liability, and, Stakeholder engagement; a method for improving negotiation outcome and corporate social responsibility in mining communities in Ghana. Dennis Asare’s works also examine the linkages between government energy policies and poverty reduction programmes in Ghana. His recent works cover social protection programmes, Empowering extremely poor population in Ghana, Sustaining the gains of the World Bank Land Administration Project towards a resilient land administration system in Ghana, and aligning Ghana’s trade regulatory frameworks and ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme towards inclusive growth.
Dennis Asare has also worked as a teaching assistant with the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana in 2015, and, an International student ambassador for the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom in 2017. Dennis Asare has received training in Renewable Energy Solutions and Renewable Energy Management and Finance from the European Energy Centre and Community rights expectations in natural resource development from the University of Dundee in 2017. Additionally, Dennis holds two Galileo Masters Certificate in Renewable Energy Solutions and Renewable Energy Management and Finance from the European Energy Centre, United Kingdom. He is currently an active member of the EnergyCPD Young Professionals Programme at the European Energy Centre and holds student membership with the Energy Institute in United Kingdom. Dennis Asare holds a Master of Law in Energy Law and Policy from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Social Work from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Mrs. Ivy Agyeiwaa Amponsah
Nationality: Ghanaian
Ivy is a Research Consultant with focus on Africa’s developmental issues. She has a solid experience in the pricing, value chain and revenue management dynamics in Ghana’s cocoa sector, social inclusion policies, sexual reproductive health and rights, foreign direct investment in Ghana’s mining and manufacturing sector, foreign policy analysis, manifesto analysis, contemporary globalization and digital diplomacy.
Ivy has in the past consulted for Global Fund for Children on mentorship and literacy program for young girls in correctional facilities. She recently consulted for the Royal Embassy of Netherlands on a project that explored the producer price determination process and revenue management in Ghana’s cocoa sector. Ivy is also consulting for UNICEF on a project that assesses Ghana’s ruling government commitment towards child responsive inclusive growth by identifying gaps in their manifesto and medium term plan, influencing public discussion to push for a positive commitment and suggest feasible recommendations.
Ivy is an Allan and Nesta Ferguson Scholar from School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, United Kingdom, where she received a Masters of Arts degree in International Studies and Diplomacy. Additionally, Ivy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana. Ivy has extensive practical training in diplomatic skills (negotiations and mediation) in bilateral and conference setting from top United Nations and European Union officials.
Mr. Erzuah Nvidah
Nationality: Ghanaian
Education: MPhil Public Administration, University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana; BSc Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra – Ghana.
Erzuah Nvidah is a public policy professional with extensive experience in development research work, policy consultancy and advocacy. His experience spreads across Ghana’s public and non-profit sectors particularly specializing in the areas of governance, social development, human rights and gender.
As a Research Consultant with IMANI CPE, Erzuah works on the intersection between education, health and human development and is also interested in policy models to improve wellbeing and human capital. An additional stream of his research interests examines emerging issues in poverty and inequality in the global south. He concentrates on building a balance between market-based and welfare solutions for the thematic challenges in these sectors. Over the years, Mr. Nvidah has been engaged in the development of technical documents at different levels. He has contributed to drafting Ghana’s responses and statements to the United Nations Headquarters on various issues such as Rights of the Child, Social Development, and Violence against Women and Girls. In line with this, he represented Ghana as a delegate at the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York.
Erzuah’s interests and strengths lie not only in the development of strategic initiatives for government and private sector, but also in the implementation of these solutions. He is skilled at connecting research to public policy in such a manner that translates these plans into impact-oriented programmes. To this end, he has delivered research and consultancy projects for organisations that include the Plan International Ghana. Prior to entering into full-time consulting, Erzuah worked with the Ministry of Gender of Children and Social Protection as well as the Human Rights Advocacy Centre in promoting social policy development and providing programmatic oversight for research and development portfolio. Erzuah has a passion for community development and coordinates outreach projects in rural and urban-poor communities in Ghana.
