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Chris Koney urges African Youth to be intentional in creating their personal brand
Marketing Communications Professional and International Relations Specialist, Jonathan Christopher Koney, popularly known in the African media space as Chris Koney has urged young people across the continent to adopt a strategic approach in building their capacities and creating a positive personal brand to scale to the next level of their lives.
The respected communications expert made the call at the second edition of Diplomatic Convocation 2023 held on Friday, November 10, 2023, at the University of Media, Arts and Communication in Accra (UniMAC).
He was part of the Special Guests and Keynote Speakers which included H.E Charles Abani, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ghana and Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for the Madina Constituency.
“Personal branding is an intentional and strategic approach in which you define and express your value proposition. It has become more important now than ever to carefully cultivate your public persona and reputation. With social media and online search, you are most likely to greatly expand your potential audience. And be reminded that apart from the rewards, there are equally associated risks”, he elaborated.
He further stated that young people ought to be mindful of their actions and the things they do when they are not in the public’s eye as they are not entirely in control of our personal brand.
“Unfortunately, while we would like to think that we are in complete control of our personal brands, it is often not the case. Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It is the amalgamation of the associations, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and expectations that people collectively hold about you. Your goal should be to ensure that the narrative created about you is accurate, coherent, compelling, and differentiated”, he added.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Koney said “a strong, well-managed personal brand benefits you in several ways and enhances your visibility, particularly among those who matter to you and to the things you hope to accomplish. It can also help you to expand your network and attract new opportunities. And on a deeper level, the process of building one can help you uncover, celebrate, and share the unique abilities you bring to the world.”
Chris Koney has over the last decade been a columnist with the Business and Financial Times newspaper and also made a tremendous impact within Africa’s corporate communications space. Currently, he is responsible for International Cooperation at Ghana’s leading Policy and Development Bank, the Ghana Export–Import Bank (GEXIM).
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
