Tackling Gender Imbalance in Leadership: Insights from Ghana's Club 100 [2023]

Introduction

The recent edition of Ghana's Club 100 (2023) , an annual ranking managed by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), has highlighted a significant gender imbalance in corporate leadership. With a stark predominance of male leaders, the need for strategic initiatives to enhance female representation at the highest levels of business is more pressing than ever. This article examines the gender dynamics within these top companies and proposes effective strategies to address this imbalance.

Analyzing the Gender Landscape in Ghana's Club 100

Gender Analysis of Corporate Leaders in Ghana's Club 100

Below are details of Corporate Leaders in Ghana's Club 100 - 2023. [Updated: April 2024]

S/N	Company Name	CEO/MD/GM	Gender
1	Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd - Ahafo South Mine	Alex Kofi Annin	Male
2	Scancom Plc (Mtn Ghana)	Stephen Blewett	Male
3	Amanex Company Ltd	Eric Amanquanor	Male
4	Gold Fields Ghana Limited	Joshua Mortoti	Male
5	Newmont Golden Ridge Ltd (Akyem)	Charles Bissue	Male
6	Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine	Samuel Boakye Pobee	Male
7	Dansworld International Services Limited	Bernard Danso Ntow	Male
8	Abosso Goldfields Limited	Clinton Johnson	Male
9	Benso Oil Palm Plantation Plc	Santosh Pillai	Male
10	FBNBank Ghana Limited	Victor Yaw Asante	Male
11	KGL Technology Limited	Kenneth Out Mpare	Male
12	Melcom Limited	Mahesh Melwani	Male
13	Zeepay Ghana Limited	Andrew Takyi-Appiah	Male
14	Ghana Oil Palm Development Ltd	Shetty Gangadhar	Male
15	Sage Distribution Limited	Emmanuel Egyei-Mensah	Male
16	Total Energies Marketing Ghana Plc	Olufemi Babajide	Male
17	Enterprise Trustees	Joseph Ampofo	Male
18	IT Consortium Ltd	Romeo Bugyei	Male
19	Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited Company	Yang Qun	Male
20	Ecobank	Abena Osei-Poku	Female
21	Express Ids Consult Agency	Ivy Atta Ansah	Female
22	Maphlix Trust Ghana Ltd	Felix Mawuli Kamassah	Male
23	Polytank	Rajiv Kumar	Male
24	Robert Bosch Ghana Limited	Ayobami Ogunyele	Male
25	Asa Savings And Loans Limited	Md. Aourongjeb	Male
26	Neuce Ghana Paints Industry Limited	Jonathan Costa	Male
27	B5 Plus Ltd	Mukesh V. Thakwani	Male
28	Broll Ghana Limited	Tony Sekyere	Male
29	Rainbow Agrosciences Ltd	David Ansong	Male
30	New Crystal Health Services Ltd	Dr. Wisdom Amegbletor	Male
31	GCB Bank Plc	John Kofi Adomakoh	Male
32	Atlantic Catering And Logistics Ltd	Maud Lindsay-Gamrat	Female
33	Federated Commodities Ltd (Fedco)	Hajia Maria Adamu-Zibo	Female
34	Kek Insurance Brokers Ltd	Shaibu Ali	Male
35	VFS Ghana Private Limited	Vivek Anandh	Male
36	Alpha Tnd Ltd	Pankaj Bhati	Male
37	Fidelity Bank Ghana Ltd	Julian Opuni	Male
38	Buck Press Ltd	Eric Kofi Buckman	Male
39	ABSA Bank	Adolph Kpegah	Male
40	Kwahu Praso Rural Bank	Mrs. Lucy Opoku-Arthur	Female
41	First Atlantic Bank	Odun Odunfa	Male
42	Guaranty Trust Bank	Segun Agbaje	Male
43	Sunu Assurances Ghana Limited	Mathieu N’Katta	Male
44	Imperial General Assurance Company Limited	Harry E.B. Ofori-Attah	Male
45	Fiaseman Rural Bank Plc	Mr. Godfred Frank Opoku	Male
46	Crop Doctor Ghana Limited	Rahul Gopinath	Male
47	Starlife Assurance Limited Company	Boatemaa Kakra Duffuor-Nyarko	Female
48	Engen Ghana Limited	Brent Nartey	Male
49	Amenfiman Rural Bank Plc	Alexander Asmah	Male
50	Ahantaman Rural Bank	Benjamin Afful-Eshun Jnr.	Male
51	M&G Pharmaceuticals Limited	Gopal Vasu	Male
52	Enterprise Life	Jacqueline Benyi	Female
53	Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc	Felicite Nson	Female
54	Glico General	Edward Forkuo Kyei	Male
55	Standard Chartered	Mansa Nettey	Female
56	Activa Int. Insurance Co Gh Ltd	Benjamin Yamoah	Male
57	Swami India Ghana Ltd	Kantilal Lakman Hirani	Male
58	Zenith Bank (Ghana) Limited	Henry Chinedu Onwuzurigbo	Male
59	Acacia Health Insurance	Dan Vincent Armooh	Male
60	Juaben Rural Bank Ltd	Augustine Awere Damoah	Male
61	Okomfo Anokye Rural Bank Plc	Paul Kwabena Oduro	Male
62	Mepe Area Rural Bank Limited	Osei Hyeaman	Male
63	United Bank For Africa (Ghana), Ltd	Uzoechina Molokwu	Male
64	Letshego Ghana Savings And Loans	Nii Amankra Tetteh	Male
65	Quantum Terminals Plc	Emmanuel Egyei-Mensah	Male
66	U-Save Car Rental Ltd (Avis Rent A Car)	Mona Boyd	Female
67	Sefwiman Rural Bank Plc	Richard Kwame Adjei	Male
68	Societe Generale Ghana	Hakim Ouzzani	Male
69	Advans Ghana Savings and Loans Ltd	Olivier Bailly-Béchet	Male
70	De United Foods Industries (Gh) Limited	Mr. Mahesh Shah	Male
71	Glico Healthcare	Maame Afriyie Boachie	Female
72	Ghana Rubber Estates Limited	Thierry Cauchy	Male
73	Kasapreko	Kwabena Adjei	Male
74	Papaye Fast Foods Ltd	Divine Kwadwo Asiedu	Male
75	Alpha Industries Limited	Marc Skaf	Male
76	Crocodile Matchets (Ghana) Ltd	Sjoerd Grueter	Male
77	Otuasekan Rural Bank Plc	John De-Graft Owusu	Male
78	Mumuadu Rural Bank	Francis Mawunyo Kotoko	Male
79	Amansie Rural Bank Plc	Frederick Kwakye Kyei	Male
80	L'aine Services Limited	Dr. Mrs. Ellen Hagan	Female
81	Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Bank	Samuel Bonsu Sekyere	Male
82	Enterprise Insurance Ltd	Akosua Ansah-Antwi	Female
83	Forever Living Products (Ghana) Limited	Gregg Maughan	Male
84	Access Bank (Ghana) Plc	Olumide Olatunji	Male
85	Nsia Insurance Company Limited	Norrender Wordie Debrah	Female
86	Asante Akyem Rural Bank Plc	Atta Gyamfi	Male
87	Leasafric Ghana Plc	Ikechukwu Edwin Chiobi	Male
88	Odotobri Rural Bank Plc	Abraham Coffie	Male
89	Kintampo Rural Bank	Martin Mensah	Male
90	Milife Insurance Company Ltd	Kwaku Yeboah-Asuamah	Male
91	Star Assurance Limited Company	Boatemaa Barfour-Awuah	Female
92	DHL Ghana Limited	Jean Alfred Anodjo	Male
93	Ghandour Cosmetics	Tanal Ghandour	Male
94	Zonda Tec Ghana Limited	Yang Yang	Female
95	Imperial Homes Limited	Francis Biney	Male
96	Tropical Cable & Conductor Ltd	Martyn Mensah	Male
97	Microfin Rural Bank Limited	Samuel Bentum	Male
98	Wilmar Africa Ltd	Shaun Yeo	Male
99	Bayport Savings And Loans Plc	Akwasi Aboagye	Male
100	Nationwide Medical Insurance	Dr. Douglas A.K Sarkodie*	Male

*Deceased

The 2023 data from Ghana's Club 100 reveals that out of 100 top companies, 84% of CEOs, MDs, or GMs are male, while only 16% are female. This discrepancy not only reflects global trends but also emphasizes localized cultural, economic, and organizational barriers that women face in climbing the corporate ladder in Ghana.

Strategies to Promote Gender Diversity in Leadership

1. Enhance Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs

Organizations should actively develop mentorship and sponsorship programs tailored towards women. These initiatives can help bridge the gap by providing women with guidance, exposure, and opportunities to advance within their careers.

2. Implement Inclusive Recruitment and Promotion Policies

Businesses in Ghana need to adopt transparent, criterion-based recruitment and promotion strategies that actively mitigate gender bias. This involves revising job descriptions, performance evaluation criteria, and promotion pathways to ensure they are gender-neutral and based on merit.

3. Support Work-Life Balance

To retain talented women, especially in high-ranking positions, companies must support work-life integration. This could include flexible working conditions, robust parental leave policies, and facilities like on-site childcare, which can make a significant difference for working parents.

4. Cultivate a Gender-Inclusive Corporate Culture

Businesses must foster a workplace environment that values and practices gender inclusivity. This could be achieved through regular diversity training, workshops, and events that promote gender equality as a core aspect of the company's ethos.

5. Leverage Legislative Support

Supporting and advocating for policies that promote gender equality can also catalyze change. For example, encouraging the implementation of gender quotas for board positions within Club 100 companies could help normalize female leadership.

Call to Action

We challenge business leaders and policymakers in Ghana to take decisive action. Evaluate your organization's approach to gender diversity and commit to making substantial, lasting changes. Together, we can achieve a more equitable business environment for future generations.

Data: GIPC Ghana Club 100 - 2023.