Cocktail Reception & FRSG Briefs

The Ghana Story with Yofi Grant

Julia Charlton, on behalf of the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong warmly invites you to join us for a webinar focusing on the opportunities in Ghana across various sectors such as natural resources, tourism, sports, agriculture, ICT and more.

Date: Wednesday, 20th December 2023
Time: 5 pm Hong Kong Time
Format: Online via Zoom

About the Event

Discover Ghana’s exciting story of three Os: Opportunity, Openness and Optimism

Ghana has long been known for its natural resources, with the mining sector contributing 14% of its strong 6% annual GDP growth. As the world’s 2nd largest cocoa producer and major gold producer, natural resources drive Ghana’s economy.

However, Ghana has potential across many other sectors. Major discoveries of bauxite, lithium and manganese signal new opportunities in mining and minerals. Ghana is uniquely positioned to lead sustainable development in Africa with its wealth of renewable energy and critical mineral reserves.

Ghana also has a thriving tourism industry showcasing cultural heritage, beaches and wildlife. Infrastructure projects and new destination development are expanding tourism’s impact.

There are also opportunities in agriculture, ICT, manufacturing and financial services. Government reforms aim to attract foreign investment and support local SMEs. Upcoming major projects include bauxite and iron ore developments, energy infrastructure and special economic zones. With political stability, a young workforce and strategic location, Ghana has become a top investment destination in Africa.

Speakers:

David von Eiff
Yofi Grant, CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre

Yofi Grant serves as the CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2017. With over 30 years as a distinguished Ghanaian investment banker, Yofi has held key roles in corporate finance, advisory, banking, and marketing.

His expertise extends to the African financial markets, building strong connections with international equity and brokerage funds. He has co-founded several companies including Grant Dupuis Investment Limited, and Praxis Fortune Caliber. Yofi is an accomplished leader — an attribute that transcends beyond his country’s borders, where he is a key financial policy adviser. On the continent, he’s credited with having successfully led several advisory mandates involving both equity and debt transactions, including the development and implementation of AAF SME Fund LLC, one of the largest agriculture funds in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As a council member of the Continental Business Network of the African Union, and a member of the board of trustees of the OACP Endowment and Trust Fund he remains passionately committed to shaping the continent’s financial and economic transformation. Yofi is also on the Steering Board of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) representing Sub Saharan Africa and continues to serve on a number of private and public sector boards. He is also a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Katakyie Ofori-Atta; Head of Strategy, Family Ventures and Offices (FVO)

Katakyie has served as Head of Strategy for Family Ventures and Offices (FVO) since 2022 – a family office based in Accra, Ghana. In this role, Katakyie oversees value creation efforts in FVO’s portfolio companies – primarily financial services institutions across the West African region (including Insurance Companies, Retail Banks, an Investment Bank, and a Credit Reference Bureau). Katakyie has also launched an internal fund that invests into FinTech startups that have clear synergies with FVO’s existing portfolio, allowing for mutually beneficial partnership opportunities between targets and existing portfolio companies.

Prior to joining FVO, Katakyie worked at Goldman Sachs for 6 years in New York and Hong Kong on the Equity Management and Strategy team where he was responsible for creating and executing market and client penetration strategies to help the firm’s equity trading division win market share in equity derivatives and synthetics products. At Goldman, Katakyie also served on the Analyst and Associate Council and was a steering committee member of the Black and Hispanic Network.

Katakyie is an African Leadership Initiative – Youth Leaders Fellow and is deeply passionate about the emergence of the African continent as a global powerhouse – particularly in the financial services industry. Katakyie graduated from Williams College with a BA in Economics and Psychology. At Williams, he was a member of the Track and Field team, eventually captaining the team and receiving All-American Honors in the 60m and 100m events.

He has served as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference to represent Qinzhou, Guangxi Province since December 2019.

Moderator

Julia Charlton

Julia Charlton; Chairman, Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce HK

Julia is the founding and managing partner of Charltons, an award winning Hong Kong corporate finance Hong Kong law firm. Julia is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales and the BVI. She practises in the field of corporate finance, including M&A, private equity, securities, virtual assets and funds.

Julia is a member of the Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council (CWEIC)’s Global Advisory Council. She is also a member of several Hong Kong boards and committees, most notably The Takeovers and Mergers Panel and the Takeovers Appeals Committee of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Listing Review Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Julia is also a Senior Fellow of the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute.