Impact Investing Ghana and its National Advisory Board for Impact Investing is pleased to announce that Amma Sefa-Dedeh Lartey has joined the organisation as their new Chief Executive, taking over from the inaugural CEO, Hamdiya Ismaila.
Impact Investing Ghana is an independent national steering group promoting sustainable development and advancing the development of the impact investment ecosystem in Ghana. IIGh was established in 2019 and is Ghana’s representative to the Global Steering Group for Impact Investing, the successor to the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established by the G8. The GSG’s National Advisory Boards (NABs) currently cover 33 countries with strategic partnerships with leading global organisations such as UNDP and the Impact Management Project. Chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen, it brings together leaders from the worlds of finance, business, government, social organizations and philanthropy. IIGh has an ambitious plan to support the growth of impact ventures and to catalyze $1billion in impact funds for investment in impact ventures in Ghana and the West African sub-region.
Alex Asiedu, CEO of Stanbic Investment Management Services and chair of the Ghana NAB and IIGh said, “I am personally delighted to welcome Amma as our new CEO. Her experience and understanding of the impact space are outstanding. Amma served on the taskforce that established IIGh and has been a passionate supporter of the organisation since our founding. She has contributed to the growth of Impact Investing regionally over the last eight years as Regional Director of Reach for Change, launching accelerators and other programs across Africa. She founded Social Enterprise Ghana, the umbrella association for the social enterprise sector in Ghana. Her contribution to the growth of impact investing has been remarkable and we are delighted that she has agreed to lead the movement in Ghana. As we announce Amma’s appointment, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Hamdiya Ismaila, our interim CEO who continues to serve as a member of our Executive Committee for her achievements spearheading the organisation and great personal commitment to the impact movement.”
Amma Lartey said, “I am delighted to be joining IIGh at a time when Impact Investing is needed in Ghana more than ever. As Ghana charts a path to economic transformation beyond aid there is a need for private sector solutions that address our pressing social and environmental issues at scale. IIGH as a driver of collaborative action is partnering with the government, the private sector and others to ensure this happens. We want to see an exponential increase in the amount of money from local and international investors going into impact ventures and projects in Ghana. The great work done by Hamdiya and her team has positioned us to be able to deliver”. Amma joins after eight years as Africa Regional Director of Reach for Change, a Swedish Venture Philanthropist with programs across Africa.
About Amma Lartey:
Amma Lartey is CEO of Impact Investing Ghana an initiative to mobilize $1billion in funds for impact investing in Ghana and West Africa. She is also co-founder and board chair of Social Enterprise Ghana (SE Ghana), the association for organizations in the social enterprise sector in Ghana. She is a board member and led the Africa region of Reach for Change, Ghana – a Venture Philanthropist that runs accelerators, incubators and hubs for social enterprises in key growth markets including Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and Chad. She is also the co-founder and board member of MarketExpress, Ghana’s largest online grocery supermarket and distribution company that enables SMEs in the FMCG space to grow. She graduated with a BA from the University of Ghana and an MBA from Babson College. She is a fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative-West Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
About GSG
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG – www.gsgii.org) is an independent global steering group promoting sustainable development and advancing education in impact investment. The GSG was established in 2015 as the successor to, and incorporating the work of, the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK’s presidency of the G8.
The GSG’s National Advisory Boards (NABs) currently cover 33 countries. It has established strategic partnerships with leading global organisations such as UNDP and the Impact Management Project. It is an organisation of over 500 senior people, chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen, which brings together leaders from the worlds of finance, business, government, social organizations and philanthropy. The GSG, a British charity, aims to bring solutions to social and environmental challenges through education by spreading the use of impact approaches in making philanthropic, business and investment decisions.