Lewis Hamilton In Red
The car you drive in Formula One makes a great difference, even though this fact usually has different interpretations depending on the subject.
24 was a roller coaster – cliché, yeah right. My personal life was good and personal as always, and I remain grateful for all the good and bad times. In retrospect, there have been a couple of highlights. Until January 24, 2024, I’ve spent the past 6 years helping establish and run the communications unit of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ghana as its first Communications Officer. Those times have been great formative years.
The original idea was to start a merchandising, music production, and entertainment communications business because I spent most of my university days acquiring more skills than education. Considering my financial background now, that was a pretty naive idea, but at least I thought about it. So, when the opportunity came for me to assume the role, I took the chance.
I joined AmCham Ghana in October 2017, just when the Chamber started preparing to host its annual flagship event, the Thanksgiving Dinner and Awards Night. Hosted at the banquet hall of the State House, it will be the first grand dinner after its inaugural ball with the late former President Jerry John Rawlings. I was glad I spent most of my school days prioritizing skill acquisition. Jumping into such a role fresh out of school was daunting but a challenge that I gladly accepted and executed.
As the Communications Officer for one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Bilateral Trade Associations in Ghana, I gained significant exposure. Meeting and interacting with both U.S. and Ghanaian government officials, heads of institutions, and business executives, to producing, coordinating, branding, and covering high-profile engagements and events such as the U.S. – Ghana Business Forum, the U.S. – Ghana Business Expo, trade missions, and several U.S. State Governor visits.
The Chamber has existed since 1989 and has been instrumental in driving U.S. companies into Ghana, but never had a department or an officer responsible for leveraging these achievements to create an image, solicit public interest, generate brand awareness, drive membership growth, and build influence to further advocate for member interests.
Documentary commemoration the 35th Anniversary of AmCham Ghana: Created by ASAK
By supervising the reconstruction of the website and logo redesign. Directly responsible for creating attractive infographics, creative writing, flyers design and event branding, professional event photographs, timely event reportage, surveys and drafting of opinion pieces, active social media accounts, and maintaining a well-populated website. With genius and high-pressure supervision and guidance from my boss, the former Executive Secretary of the Chamber, Simon Madjie, we created an influence powerhouse, a leader in bilateral trade advocacy in Ghana, and a very important AmCham on the continent. And it is like magic if you have a backend understanding, but yeah, you don’t. Lol.
I remember fondly the nights and days we were preparing to host the maiden U.S.-Ghana Business Forum. This was our first time hosting anything of this magnitude and significance. This was in 2018 during the first Trump administration that wasn’t too keen on U.S.-Africa relations, so it’s note-worthy when the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) 2018 fact-finding delegation led by the former Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross included Ghana in their itinerary and more importantly when the Chamber has the privilege to play a significant role in their visit to Ghana.
The forum, organized in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a high‐level meeting of U.S. and Ghanaian businesses and government officials to foster and deepen bilateral commercial engagements between the two countries, and every important person was in attendance. It was a privilege and a true experience playing a vital role in that event.
Because the Chamber is membership-driven, I did not only serve AmCham but also its members. Through a weekly newsletter, I created a platform that puts a spotlight on member products and services as well as events and activities. I’ve worked with member companies such as Delta Air Lines, Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines, Google, et al in various projects and events.
I had a great time at the Chamber. The monthly events with members, the various engagements with trade delegations from several U.S. States, the engagements with visiting State Governors, Senators, Attorneys Generals, and Senior USG officials like Wilbur Ross, Nancy Pelosi, et al. Our engagements with the U.S Embassy, the Foreign Commercial Service, and those breakfast meetings at the Ambassador’s residence. The advocacy meetings and events with Ghanaian Presidents, Vice Presidents, Ministers, and heads of institutions. And oh, those private meetings with managers, directors, and senior executives of local and multinational businesses. Conversations I rarely contribute to but learn the maximum.
I thrive on challenges, always looking for new adventures, and not a big fan of institutionalism. So, after 6 years and being newly married with a pending rent payment, I decided to resign from my role. The Chamber has been good to me, not to say they couldn’t have done better. But as they say, nothing is constant except for change.
I currently run a corporate communications practice providing event solutions such as photography, video production, graphic design, print services, and live event coverage.
I have always been a creative and driven by the singular motivation of making a living out of my talent and passion. I started my first blog after high school and grew it into an entertainment website which I ran till my third year at the university. I remember fondly a story my partner Eugene told me about an encounter with one of Ghana’s celebrated entertainment bloggers, Ameyaw Dedrah who remarked on our efforts in generating original content. I had to close the website because I could no longer foot the bills, but that’s just a paused chapter, not a closed one.
Being a creative in my part of the world can be daunting and if you put entrepreneurship in that mix – ha, it becomes arduous. The forever anxiety, mellow depression, fucked up finances, the under-appreciated stress disorder (yeah, I made that up,) and the little doubts that creep in from time. Passion is a bitch, huh.
I always want to make an impact, not for self-gratification but for real effect and the satisfaction of problem solving, and for income of course. I believe in creating wealth by providing opportunities. That’s why I have always been open to collaborations.
The first job was a great experience and I have no regrets. I want to focus more on my personal endeavors, but I’m always open to new opportunities and experiences. Maybe something that involves a lot of travels 😊.
I’m looking at going into farming, I don’t have the funds but I’m doing the leg work. I also have a documentary coming out soon on the splendid work being done by Ali with his Mawuvi Basketball Fellowship (that makes number 2 after a corporate one I did for AmCham to commemorate their 35th Anniversary) and would love to make more of those.
You bet being the communications officer for the American Chamber of Commerce in Ghana for six years and being the first at that role entails more tales than told but this is where it ends now.
PS: So this was supposed to be a new year reflection article but you know, procrastination is my comfortable uninvited guest.
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The car you drive in Formula One makes a great difference, even though this fact usually has different interpretations depending on the subject.
I met Ali in high school, and he played for the school team. Now, as a trained teacher, he is focused on introducing and teaching the game of basketball to children of diverse backgrounds and instilling in them a sense of responsibility, discipline, and the culture of nature conservation.
This sector has been the engine of growth and has sustained this country through its turbulent years.
At independence Ghana held a beacon, signalling that the continent was fully aware and ready to seize its destiny for progress and self-actualization. We’ve built America and financed Europe out of poverty; we are now poised to reclaim Africa and restore dignity to take a seat at the table.
We have generated an obscene amount of wealth which means we now work more than we ever had to but at the same time, more of us sink further into poverty.
2 Comments
Good read and such a remarkable journey, brother. Congratulations!
Thanks for the read, bro, and for the compliment.