Samuel Kelvin Esson Jonah | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sam Jonah (1949-11-19)19 November 1949 (age 75) |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Education | Adisadel College, Ghana |
| Alma mater | Camborne School of Mines andImperial College |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1970 – present |
| Board member of | Vodafone, Global Advisory Council of the Bank of America, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation |
Samuel Esson Jonah (born 19 November 1949) is aGhanaian businessman and the current chancellor of theUniversity of Cape Coast.[1] He is the executive chairman of Jonah Capital, an equity fund based inJohannesburg, South Africa. Jonah was previously president ofAngloGold Ashanti and shared the strategic leadership of the company with its CEO,Bobby Godsell.[2][3]
Sam Jonah is a Fante Royal but born inObuasi and had his high-school education atAdisadel College then earned an Associateship inMining Engineering at theCamborne School of Mines and subsequently a MSc in Mine Management at theImperial College of Science and Technology.[4]
He joinedAshanti Goldfields Corporation in 1979,[5] working in various capacities, including underground operations. At the age of 36 he became thechief executive officer, and supervised the transformation of Ashanti Goldfields into a mining multinational,[6][7] 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 theNew York Stock Exchange.
In 2009, he became a non-executive director ofVodafone.[8][9]
Jonah was elected a member of theNational Academy of Engineering in 2019 for leadership and technical contributions in advancing the mineral industry in Africa.
Currently, thechancellor of theUniversity of Cape Coast, Jonah chairs the boards of Equator Exploration Limited, Scharrig Mining,Equinox Minerals, Uramin,Moto Goldmines Ltd andRange Resources Limited. He also serves or has served on various boards,[10] includingTransnet, 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'sGlobal Compact, PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo's International Investment Advisory Council on Nigeria, PresidentThabo Mbeki's International Investment Advisory Council of South Africa, and PresidentJohn Kufuor's Ghana Investors' Advisory Council. As well as his directorships, Jonah is a member of the advisory board of theLondon Business School. He is also a board member of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation.[11]
Jonah's honours include an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree awarded jointly by theCamborne School of Mines and theUniversity of Exeter (UK) in 1996.Jonah House inAdisadel College has been named after his father, Thomas Jonah.[12]In June 2003, Jonah became the first Ghanaian to be knighted in the 21st century[13] when he was presented with anhonorary knighthood (KBE) by thePrince of Wales, in recognition of his achievements as an African businessman, a leading business executive from the Commonwealth, and an international public figure.[14][3] Jonah has listed among the richest people in Ghana.[15] On 5 December 2019, he was appreciated by theGhana Mine workers union with a platinum award for his contribution to developing themining industry in Ghana.[16] In January 2023, he was listed among the 100 most reputable Africans in the field of business.[17][18]
Sam Jonah married with 5 children.[19]
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