BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The AGA School Board of Directors is the governing body of the school. There are currently 4 board members, a company secretary and the Executive Director in an ex officio capacity. The Board guides the school’s strategic direction and protects its mission. Critical functions of the Board include hiring, supporting, and evaluating the Executive Director, establishing the school’s mission and strategic plan, supporting the school’s development efforts, and safeguarding the school’s financial stability.
The Board’s purview is strategic, not operational (which is the responsibility of the Executive Director and his or her Administrative team). Specifically, the Board does not hire or terminate employees or establish policies for doing so. It does not make line-item budget determinations, including those on teaching salary; it does not establish academic scope and sequence of classes. Rather, the Board collaborates with the Executive Director to ensure that the school’s larger strategic goals are met, including accreditation, legal compliance and other requirements. The Board however approves all annual budgets. The AGA School Board meets 3-4 times a year, and follows a ‘centralized’ model due to its size.
Prof. Franklyn Achamfour Manu
Chairman
Prof. Franklyn Achampong Manu is the current Rector of GIMPA. He earned Ph.D. (Marketing and International Business) and MBA (Finance and International Business) degrees from New York University, School of Business Administration (Stern). His undergraduate degree was received at the University of Ghana, School of Administration, where he earned a B.Sc. (Administration) degree.
Prof. Manu has more than 20 years’ experience in consulting, training and education. He also has extensive capabilities in strategic planning as well as programme design and assessment in higher education. He has been heavily involved in designing and reviewing programmes to improve higher education in institutions such as Loyola College in Maryland, Morgan State University in Maryland, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Ghana, Association of African Business Schools, Global Business School Network, International Academy of African Business and Development, and the Ghana Teaching and Learning Innovative Fund (TALIF) project. He has consulted for a variety of companies in the areas of strategic planning, marketing strategy development and corporate social responsibility.
Prof. Manu serves on the boards of Unilever Ghana, Association of African Business Schools and Bedrock Venture Capital Fund. He is the Chairman of the MTN Foundation, Ghana.
Prof. Manu’s research interests are in the areas of tourism marketing, social marketing, marketing strategy, marketing to minorities, and foreign direct investment in African countries. His work has been published in journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Global marketing, Journal of Euro Marketing, Journal of Global Business, Case Research Journal, Journal of African Business, and in many national and international conference proceedings. He is a native of Adansi Brofoyedur, in the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Eric Asubonteng
Mr. Eric Asubonteng Board Member and SVP Africa Non-Operated Joint Ventures, AngloGold Ashanti Limited. Eric joined AngloGold Ashanti (Obuasi Mine) in 2013. He is currently the Senior Vice President, Non-Operated Joint Ventures of AngloGold Ashanti Limited. Prior to this role, he was the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited. Eric has over 17 years’ experience in leadership and management roles including as Finance and Business Improvement Manager at Gold Field’s Agnew Mine in Western Australia, and as Acting Finance Manager at Gold Fields’ Tarkwa Mine in Ghana. Before his appointment as Managing Director, he held roles as Senior Manager Finance, and Head of Operations and Corporate Affairs with responsibility for the operations on site, as well as managing the reputation of the company in-country. Eric is the immediate past President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines. A Chartered Accountant by profession (Fellow, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK), Eric holds a first degree from the University of Ghana Business School, an MBA from the Manchester Business School, and a Graduate Certificate in Mining Engineering from the University of New South Wales (Australia).
Mr. Anis Haffer
Author, Columnist, Adjunct Lecturer, Teacher, and a Trainer of Teachers, Anis Haffar is committed to preparing a new generation of students and teachers for national and international leadership.
Columnist: His columns, Education Matters with Anis Haffar, appears on Mondays in the Daily Graphic (Ghana), and in Business World Magazine (Ghana), under the banner, LEADERS – HUMAN CAPITAL.
He’s the author of the book “LEADERSHIP: Reflections on Some Movers, Shakers and Thinkers” which he used to teach Leadership Seminars at Ashesi University (2010 – 2011). His second book “MFANTSIPIM: The Makers of a Great School” was launched as a Fund Raising event for his alma mater at the Kofi Annan ICT Centre of Excellence, Accra. He is working on his next book titled, “Transforming Education for Quality Leadership and Prosperity” which is a must read for all teachers, parents, policy makers, and governments.
Mr Haffar started off professionally in the United States with the Los Angeles Unified School District where, for 10 years (1984 – 1994), he taught English Language, English Literature, and Communication Skills. Additionally, he coordinated a Gifted And Talented Education (GATE) program introduced by the State of California. He also taught English as Second Language (ESL) with the Dibble Adult School, La Puente, California.
In Ghana, he founded the GATE Institute in 1996 to update administrators and teachers in current trends in Education, especially in Critical Thinking for Effective Learning, ICT applications in Schemes of Work / Weekly Forecasts, Instructional Strategies, and Teaching and Learning Materials in public and private schools. He has designed and conducted numerous workshops and Teacher Education seminars in Instructional Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning in schools across the regions, from Greater Accra to the Mamprusi District in Northern Ghana; and for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s 7 sub-metros. Participants in the Workshops for private schools include: Alpha Beta Christian College; 2. St. Martin De Porres; 3. Ave Maria; 4. Rect Academy; 5. North Ridge Lyceum; 6. Crown Prince Academy; 7. Faith Montessori, 8. Morning Star, 9. Jack & Jill, 10. John Teye Memorial Institute, 11. D & D Academy; 12. Ridge School.
He taught Leadership Seminars at Ashesi University College, and Literature in English (Cambridge International Examination, CIE) at Alpha Beta Christian College, Accra. He has been a resource person on various radio stations including: Citi Fm, Joy Fm, Vibe Fm, Radio Gold, Sunny Fm, Starr Fm, etc on topics on Education: Ghana Youth Policy and Youth Empowerment; Educational Institutions in Ghana; BECE Examination Results; 2009 Presidential Debates, etc.
He has appeared on TV Africa, GTV, Metro TV, ETV, TV3, Digital TV, and Joy TV for various discussions and interviews on Education Reforms. He was on Monday mornings on ATV “Anopa Bosuo” for a Twi program on Education, and on Wednesday mornings on Quality Education on XYZ radio 93.1 fm.
Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo
Senior Manager Community Relations, Africa, AngloGold Ashanti
Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo is the head of Community Relations for the African Business Unit at AngloGold Ashanti. He is a seasoned sustainable development practitioner with over 20 years’ experience in the extractive and the development sectors in and outside Ghana. A member of the global sustainability leadership of AngloGold Ashanti, Mr. Baidoo was, until his current role, the Senior Manager Sustainability for the Obuasi Mine and previously the Senior Manager Sustainability for AngloGold Ashanti’s operations in Tarkwa and in Guinea. He had earlier worked with USAID/EDC and Christian Aid in programme management, and as a part time lecturer at the City of London Business College and the London College of Management Studies. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, and a Board Member of the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund. Mr Baidoo has MBA from University of Leicester, MSc in Development and Planning from University College London, and BSc in Agriculture from University of Cape Coast.
Mrs. Araba Attua-Afari
Board Secretary
Mrs. Araba Attua-Afari is the Company Secretary of AGA School, a role she has held since July 2022.
She is also the Head of Legal & Company Secretary of AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana business unit. In this role she provides legal and company secretarial advice to AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited and its 4 sustainable development units (AGA School, AGA Ghana Malaria Control, AGA Health Foundation and AGA Obuasi Community Trust Fund) and AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited and its sustainable development unit AGA Iduapriem Community Trust Fund.
Araba’s previous professional experience includes working as Legal Counsel at Newmont Ghana, as a Senior Associate at Ghanaian law firm Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, at UK law firm BP Collins LLP, and at Wolters Kluwer UK. Araba is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Ghana, and as a solicitor in England and Wales. She holds two Post-Graduate Diplomas in Law (PgDL and LPC) from BBP University Law School (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick (UK).
Mrs. Ekua Katsina Newman
Ex-Officio Member
Mrs. Ekua Katsina Newman is the Legal Manager for AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana operations. Ekua joined the company in November 2022. In this role she supports the Head of Legal in providing legal and company secretarial advice to AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited and its 4 sustainable development units (AGA School, AGA Ghana Malaria Control, AGA Health Foundation and AGA Obuasi Community Trust Fund) and AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited and its sustainable development unit AGA Iduapriem Community Trust Fund.
Prior to joining the company, Ekua worked at ENSafrica Ghana as a senior associate in the energy, mining, and infrastructure practice group. She has over a decade’s experience advising financial institutions, multinational corporations, governments, and government agencies on project financing, acquisitions, raising funds on the capital market and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Ekua is keen on developing herself to be exceptional and to build a legacy of integrity, empathy, and excellence.
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Mr. Simon Peter Kwadwo Attah-Cato Executive Director – AngloGold Ashanti Schools Simon Peter Kwadwo Attah-Cato is a professional educational administrator of the Ghanaian and British/Cambridge educational curricula in Ghana, sub-Saharan Africa. Simon joined AngloGold Ashanti Ghana as the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of AGA Schools, Ghana, from 1st March, 2018. He currently supervises about 3,300 Students and up to 250 teaching and administrative staff in the two campuses of the AngloGold Ashanti Schools (AGA Schools) in Obuasi. He has over 24 years of professional teaching and school management, as well as curriculum development experience. Simon is a product of the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast (M.Phil 2013, B.Sc-2006), University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (M.Ed in Educational Administration and Management- 2009), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (MBA-2011) in Human Resource Development-2011. Simon completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Honors degree from Kings University College, Accra in May, 2022. He is a member of the Principals’ Forum of British Curriculum Schools in Ghana, Association of Directors/Proprietors of the Association of International Certification Schools in Ghana (ASICS-GH) and he has mentored over 450 professional graduate teachers in Ghana. Simon Peter is a Lead Trainer of Cambridge/British Curriculum Schools during annual school conferences at the British Council, Accra. He previously successfully managed five well renowned Cambridge International and British Council Associate Schools in Accra between August, 2009 to February, 2018. The Schools are Galaxy International School, North Legon Little Campus, Trinity Lutheran School, Angels Specialist School and Royal Streams International School. Simon believes in teamwork, transformational leadership and the need to blend CPDs to service delivery.
Simon Peter has previously provided CPDs to Staff of the following ASICS Schools: 1. Galaxy International School (Primary Division), Accra. 2. North Legon Little Campus, North Legon, Accra. 3. Laurenda International School, Tamale. 4. Angels Specialist School International, Tema. 5. AngloGold Ashanti Schools, Ghana. Under the tenure of Simon Peter Kwadwo Attah-Cato, the AGA Schools’ enrolment has increased from 1,050 Students in 2018 to about 3,300 Students in 2023. Under the same period, the AGA Schools have won two Presidential Awards in the national BECE exams. |