Derek sees significant potential in Ghana’s young population and is excited that Microsoft has a presence in the country to help unlock this potential.
Derek Appiah, new country manager for Microsoft Corporation in Ghana holds both an engineering and MBA degree. He’s gained over 20 years of experience in various fields; research, technology, product development, marketing, sales and management with various organizations; he’s worked in the UK as the general manager, new business development for BT, worked as a chief enterprise solutions officer at MTN, Nigeria. Derek has also been an independent IT and Telecoms consultant to telcos in UAE, New Zealand, Qatar and Ireland. He worked with Vodafone Ghana as a Vodafone business solutions director & previous CEO of Logiciel Ghana Ltd., currently a non executive director.
“What I really enjoy about working in emerging markets is that you can make a big impact quickly; it’s possible to contribute to the ecosystem in a very real way.”
Appiah’s goal as Country Manager will be to help the company have a more active role in Ghana and add more value now that it has offices in the country and a 100% Ghanaian staff complement. He aims to make a significant impact on Ghana’s development,
“I believe there is enormous potential for technology to change lives in the emerging world, so this is an opportunity to make a big impact using Microsoft to enable productivity for businesses, government and consumers,”
A key area Derek will be focusing is developing youth employability skills, which he believes will help to develop Ghana’s business ecosystem.
“What I love most about Ghana is its young and vibrant population,
They are peace-loving and punch above their weight intellectually, making them the perfect candidates to take the country forward if they can acquire the necessary skills.
This is not about charity but rather about creating a value exchange between citizens, industry and government. Young people are an asset to our society, and even more so if they are adequately equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to create a brighter future for themselves and for Ghana.”
Source : Microsoft
Leave a Reply