Biography of 2013 Richest Ghanaian: Dr. Sir. Sam Jonah

• Posted on November 9, 2013November 9, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Samuel Esson Jonah, KBE (born 19 November 1949) is a Ghanaian businessman, the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, equity fund based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jonah was previously President of AngloGold Ashanti and shared the strategic leadership of the company with its CEO,Bobby Godsell.

Early life

Jonah had his high school education at Adisadel College in Cape Coast, Ghana then earned an Associateship in Mining Engineering at the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, England, UK, and subsequently an MSc in Mine Management at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.

Career

He joined Ashanti Goldfields Corporation in 1979, working in various capacities, including underground operations. At the age of 36 he became the Chief Executive Officer, in which post he supervised the transformation of Ashanti Goldfields into a mining multinational, increased gold production from 240,000 ounces per annum to over 1.6 million ounces in over ten years, and oversaw the company’s listing as the first operating African company on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 2009 he became a non-executive director of Vodafone.

Currently, the Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Jonah chairs the boards of Equator Exploration Ltd, Scharrig Mining, Equinox Minerals, Uramin, Moto Goldmines Ltd and Range Resources Ltd. He also serves on various boards including Transnet, Mittal Steel SA, Ashesi University, Standard Bank of South Africa, Lonmin, the Commonwealth African Investment Fund(Comafin), the Advisory Council of the UN Secretary General’s Global Compact,President Olusegun Obasanjo‘s International Investment Advisory Council on Nigeria, President Thabo Mbeki‘s International Investment Advisory Council of South Africa, and President John Kufuor‘s Ghana Investors’ Advisory Council. As well as his directorships, Jonah is a member of the Advisory Board of the London Business School.

Honours and awards

Jonah’s honours and awards include an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc) degree awarded jointly by the Camborne School of Mines and the University of Exeter (UK) in 1996. He has been named after Jonah House (Adisadel College) in Adisadel College his alma mater.

In June 2003, he was presented with an honorary knighthood, by the Prince of Wales, in recognition of his achievements as an African businessman, a leading business executive from the Commonwealth, and an international public figure.

-wikipedia