Biography

Stephen Adei

Stephen Adei (born 14 December 1948) is a Ghanaian educationist, writer, economist and motivational speaker. He was a former Director-General and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. He was until recently the chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) under the Nana Akufo-Addo government. He also served as the Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority having been sworn in by the Finance Minister of Ghana; Ken Ofori-Atta.

He was born in the village of Hwiremoase, also spelt Hwiremuasi in Adansi, Ashanti, Ghana to Kwaku Adei and Abena Pomaa (aka Bedito). Adei attended primary school in the village’s Methodist Primary school and nearby United Middle School in Brofuyedru. Adei is the fourth child of his mother’s seven surviving all male children. From basic school, Adei went to do a 4-year Teacher’s Certificate course at Sefwi Wiawso Training College in 1964. Adei studied privately to pass the Ordinary and Advanced Level General Certificates in Education (High School equivalent qualifications) in three and a half years. Adei proceeded to the University of Ghana in October 1968 where he read Economics, Sociology and Geography obtaining honours in all three first-year subjects before going on to do a BSc Honours programme in Economics. Adei then went to Strathclyde for his Masters in Development Economics. He also holds a PhD in International Economics at the University of Sydney.

Prof. Stephen Adei also has under his belt holds an MSc from Strathclyde, a Bachelor of Divinity (London), a Masters in Theology (UNISA), FCIMG, ACIS and a Diploma in Marriage Counselling. He is an expert in Leadership, Business and Public Management, Finance, Economics, Marketing and Marriage Counselling.  He is a Professor of Economics and Leadership and an Adviser on Corporate and Institutional transformation. Between January 2000 and December 2008, he was the Rector and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

Prior to that, he was, among others, Head of the UN System in South Africa (September 1994-February 1995), UNDP Resident Representative in Namibia (1995-1999), Economist and Chief of the Directorate of Africa Bureau, UNDP, New York (1989-1995); Senior Economist of the Commonwealth Secretariat, London (1986-1989) and staff of the Ghana Investment Centre rising to Deputy Director and Head Research (1973-1985).  He has taught Economics at both the University of Ghana and the University of Sydney and undertaken several consultancy assignments.

SERVICES

Prof. Stephen Adei has served on several national and international bodies including Global Foundation of Management Education, Chairman of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Member of the Board of Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Council of Scripture Union of Ghana.  He is a  past President and Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (Ghana).  He has been a Council Member of the Association of African Public Administrators and Management (AAPAM), Board Member of Commonwealth Association of Public Administrators and Management (CAPAM), Member of the Board of Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) Accra, Board of Databank Money and Balanced Fund, and Chairman of Ghana Christian International High School, a Not-for Profit model school he co-founded with his wife. He has also served as the President of the Ghana Red Cross Society.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Under his leadership, between 2000 and 2008 GIMPA was transformed from a small, under-resourced, and subvented Institute in 1999 to the most successful organization under the Government Public Sector Reform Programme.  From a turnover of less than

half a million Ghana Cedis in the year 2000, half of which came from subvention, GIMPA became fully self-financing operationally with a budget of GH¢15 million for 2009 at the time of his leaving office.  GIMPA is now a world-class center of excellence for training in Leadership, Public Management, Business Administration and ICT with quality infrastructure second to none in the Sub-region.

He is the author and co-author of 30 books, 6 book chapters, and more than 70 articles and papers.  He is married to Georgina and they have four adult children – Stephen, Eunice, Priscilla and Timothy.

bOARD MEMBERSHIP

  • President, Ghana Red Cross Society (2007 to Date)
  • President, Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (2003-2007)
  • Board Member, Global Foundation of Management Education (2004-2008)
  • Board Member, M-Fund of Databank (Ghana Stock Market)
  • Member, Public Sector Reform Advisory Committee
  • Senior Mentor, Africa Leadership Initiative (Aspen Institute Programme)
  • Consulting Fellow, The World Innovation Foundation
  • Chairman, Board of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (2003-2004)
  • Board Member, Court of Governors, Advanced Information Technology Institute,
  • Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence in ICT (2003-2005).
  • Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management (CAPAM)
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