Board Members
Our Board brings together expertise in mining, finance, governance, and sustainable development to provide strategic leadership for Ghana Bauxite Company.
Mr. Isaac Ofori-Poku
Executive Chairman
Isaac Ofori-Poku occupies the most senior position on the GBC Board as Executive Chairman, a role he combines with his wider responsibilities as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the IOP Group of Companies, the parent entity of Ofori-Poku Company Limited (OPCL), which holds the controlling 80% stake in GBC. He oversees the operations of the management board.
Isaac Ofori-Poku occupies the most senior position on the GBC Board as Executive Chairman, a role he combines with his wider responsibilities as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the IOP Group of Companies, the parent entity of Ofori-Poku Company Limited (OPCL), which holds the controlling 80% stake in GBC. He oversees the operations of the management and board. His tenure in business extends beyond three decades, during which he has built and diversified a conglomerate spanning haulage, automotive distribution, financial services, and mining. Prior to the formal acquisition of GBC by OPCL, Mr. Ofori-Poku managed haulage contract services for the mine, giving him direct operational exposure before assuming full ownership. This on-the-ground familiarity informs his current leadership approach, which is described as lean and efficiency-driven, focused on waste elimination and continuous process improvement.
A notable dimension of his profile is his international commercial network. He has cultivated working relationships with some of the world's largest industrial corporations, including Posco International, Hyundai, Samsung, Daewoo, Polaris, CHTC, and SAMI. These connections have facilitated the establishment of several IOP subsidiaries, among them GH-Daewoo Motors Ghana Limited, GH-Express Ghana Limited, and Family Fountain Assets and Securities Limited. Mr. Ofori-Poku's professional development has been augmented by training in financial management and analysis, human resource management, bookkeeping, leadership, and corporate governance, providing him with a structured foundation to complement his hands-on entrepreneurial experience.
Mr. Robert Kwaku Danso Boakye
Board Member & Director
Mr Robert Kwaku Danso Boakye is a Partner of OAB Financial Advisors and a Banking and Finance Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in Commercial Banking in Ghana. He was the Country Head Retail Operations of Ecobank Ghana from January 2012 to March 2017, responsible for coordinating all aspects of branch banking operations and interface with e-banking suite and mobile money operations. Prior to that, Robert held various Senior Management positions at The Trust Bank Limited Ghana from December 1994 to December 2011 in Treasury Management, Credit and Corporate Banking, Consumer/Commercial Banking (SME), as well as Banking Operations.
Robert also worked for the Social Security Bank (now Societe Generale) for 8 years within their Development Finance Division from 1981–1989. Robert serves on several Boards including St Jude Hospital Obuasi, Trust Care Hospital Kumasi, and Holy Cross Technical Training Institute Takoradi. He is also a Board member of New York University African House and the Centre for Technology and Economic Development (CTED). Robert holds a BA in Economics from the University of Ghana (1981), MSc International Banking and Financial Studies from Edinburgh Business School–Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1990), and was a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom (1993–95).
Mr. George Ofosuhene
Board Member & Director
George Ofosuhene is one of Ghana’s more experienced investment bankers, with close to three decades of high-level participation in the development of the country’s banking and capital markets infrastructure. His career has straddled the private banking sector and institutional finance, with a consistent focus on product development, investor identification, and strategic market positioning. A landmark contribution in his career was his involvement with the Ghana Stock Exchange at its formative stage in 1992. He was part of the team that executed the first two Initial Public Offerings on the exchange and played a central role in shepherding eight companies through the listing process, an undertaking that required intensive compliance work and preparation to meet the exchange’s regulatory requirements.
Mr. Ofosuhene was also instrumental in the establishment and early growth of two Ghanaian banks: First Atlantic Merchant Bank and The Trust Bank (later absorbed into Ecobank). At First Atlantic Merchant Bank, he served for four years on the apex committee, with Board-level accountability for the bank’s risk assets, and as a divisional head of Credit and Marketing. Since 2008, Mr. Ofosuhene has served as Chief Executive Officer of BOND Savings and Loans Plc, a non-bank financial institution licensed by the Bank of Ghana, underscoring a sustained commitment to financial sector development, particularly in extending banking and credit services to Ghana’s business community.
Mr. Venance Dey
Board Member
Mr Venance Dey is a land and development economist and precious metals trading expert with over 15 years’ executive management experience in facilities, mining, and minerals trade. He holds a BSc in Land Economics from KNUST, Kumasi (2002) and an MSc in Facilities Management from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland (2005). Mr Dey has 9 years’ experience on the GBC Board, during which his contributions helped to turn the company around into a profitable enterprise with a positive outlook.
He served as Deputy Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Ltd (PMMC), now Goldbod, between 2017 and 2021, and also acted as Managing Director between 2020 and 2021. He currently delivers consultancies to reputed companies in business development, gold, and minerals trade. Mr Dey is also a philanthropist and advocate for older adults and persons with dementia, having co-founded Alzheimer’s Ghana, an advocacy organisation in health across Ghana with international affiliation to Alzheimer’s Disease International, headquartered in London, UK. He is a CEPA nominee for the 2026 Personality and Excellence Award.
Dr. George Ayittey
Board Member & Director of Operations
Dr. George Ayittey is a senior technology executive and board director with over 20 years of leadership experience in regulated financial services. He specialises in technology strategy, operational resilience, and governance, with a strong track record of aligning technology investment with risk management and regulatory expectations. He currently serves as Director of Operations and a board member at Ghana Bauxite Company, where he contributes to oversight of operations, governance, and strategic transformation.
He has played a key role in advancing the company’s transition to modern surface mining, including the adoption of surface miner technology to improve efficiency, safety, and environmental performance. Previously, Dr. Ayittey held senior roles at Metro Bank and London Stock Exchange in the United Kingdom, where he was responsible for technology delivery, large-scale transformation, and the resilience of critical services. He has worked closely with boards and regulators, supporting firms in meeting UK regulatory expectations and strengthening operational performance. Dr. Ayittey holds a Doctorate in Information Security and postgraduate qualifications in artificial intelligence, including studies at the University of Oxford. He advises boards and senior leadership teams on risk, governance, and transformation, recognised for translating complex technical issues into clear, decision-focused insight.
Bernard Oswald Tandoh
Board Member
Bernard Oswald Tandoh is a highly accomplished banking and corporate executive with over two decades of experience across financial services, corporate banking, credit risk management, and internal audit. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of IOP Group, where he provides strategic leadership and drives business growth. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ghana, and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, reflecting his strong professional grounding in finance and banking.
Mr. Tandoh has built a distinguished career within Ghana’s financial sector, holding senior leadership positions at institutions such as Unibank Ghana Limited and Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited. His experience spans corporate banking, credit administration, and audit oversight, equipping him with a well-rounded perspective on financial discipline, risk management, and operational efficiency. Beyond his executive roles, he has contributed to professional development and industry capacity building through lecturing and his service on the Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Ghana. He brings to the Board a strong blend of strategic insight, financial expertise, and governance experience.
Marianne Quansah
Board Member
Marianne is a lawyer by profession having completed her law degree at the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law. She has an MBA (International Finance) from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia; LLM (Banking & Finance) from the University of London (2003) and from the University of Baltimore, Maryland, USA (2015). In 2003 she qualified as a solicitor for England & Wales and has also undertaken the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) towards the Washington D.C. Bar. Marianne commenced her career with the law firm Fugar & Company in 1991.
In 1998 she launched into banking and finance and worked in various capacities in managerial positions in legal, credit, risk management, operations and marketing in various banks in Ghana. After a stint working in her private practice, Lexnet Consult in Ghana and Maryland, USA, concentrating on corporate, commercial, real estate, finance, company secretarial, compliance, governance, and risk advisory services, she ventured into the power, oil & gas, and extractive industries. She was Director for General Services for Bui Power Authority (a hydropower corporation), supervising Legal, Human Resources & Administration, Estate, Transport, Corporate Affairs, IT, Security, and Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation departments. She is currently a member of the steering committee on the implementation of an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) programme. In January 2025 she completed the University of Pennsylvania – Wharton’s Corporate Governance: Maximize Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom programme. She is currently the General Counsel & Board Secretary for the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC).
Richard Awumey
Board Member
Richard Awumey is a Ghanaian professional with extensive experience spanning mining, hospitality, real estate management, and transport services. He began his career with Ghana Consolidated Diamonds in Akwatia, where he worked from 1979 to 1989, gaining solid grounding in mining operations and workforce dynamics. He subsequently transitioned into the hospitality sector, serving as Manager of Taste Lodge Complex from 1992 to 1998, where he demonstrated strong operational and customer service leadership.
He received his early education at R.C. Boys Middle School in Hohoe and later pursued technical training at Akwatia Technical Institute, equipping him with hands-on skills that shaped his professional journey. In addition to his formal employment roles, he serves as Director of Awumey Estate Management and manages Awumey Transport Services, reflecting his versatility and business acumen across multiple sectors. Mr. Awumey brings valuable expertise in mining operations and industrial relations to the Board of Ghana Bauxite Company, contributing practical insight into workforce management and operational efficiency. He is fluent in English, Ewe, and Twi.
Edward Ian Armah-Mensah
Board Member
Edward Armah-Mensah is a highly experienced Senior Banker with over 31 years of professional banking experience within the Ghanaian Banking and Financial Services Industry and beyond. He has a stellar track record of transforming organisations through exemplary leadership, with rich experience spanning Corporate & Investment Banking, Credit Risk Management, Sales and Marketing, Debt Recovery, and Corporate Restructuring. He is a top specialist in Structured Trade in the Ghanaian context and a well-known expert in cocoa finance at both syndicated and local finance levels. His core specialisations include Cocoa Financing, Oil & Gas Financing, Mining Finance, MNC Financing, Cash Management/Transaction Banking, Trade Finance, Corporate Finance, and Structured Trade & Finance.
Edward developed winning business strategies at the Agricultural Development Bank (2010–2022) and held senior positions at Barclays Bank Ghana (now ABSA Ghana), Stanbic Bank, and NDK Financial Services. He was actively engaged in the listing of ADB on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2016 and participated in various board sub-committees, EXCO, ALCO, and Credit Committee during his tenure. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate at SBS Swiss Business School in Geneva, Switzerland, graduating in July 2026. He also holds an Executive MBA (Finance) from the University of Ghana Business School and a BSc in Business Administration specialising in Banking and Finance.
Christian Teye Azu
Board Secretary
Christian Teye Azu is an experienced legal practitioner and corporate governance professional who serves as Board Secretary of Ghana Bauxite Company Limited. In this role, he supports the Board in ensuring effective governance, regulatory compliance, and the smooth functioning of board processes. He is a Senior Lawyer and Office Manager at Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co., with nearly two decades of legal and administrative experience, and also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Stugg Ventures, demonstrating strong entrepreneurial and leadership capability.
Mr. Azu is a Barrister-at-Law and a member of the Ghana Bar Association in good standing. He holds an MSc in Wood Technology Management and a BSc in Natural Resources Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He is a recipient of the Eugene Akoto-Bamfo Memorial Prize for excellence in Commercial (Insurance) Law. He brings to the Company a unique blend of legal expertise, governance experience, and multidisciplinary insight, contributing to the strengthening of GBC’s institutional framework.
