As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility activity, the Executive team of Barclays Bank Ghana paid a visit to campus this month to engage with the university community on careers in banking. The visit involved a meeting with members of Ashesi’s executive team and a panel discussion with students, staff and faculty.
The team led by Barclays Ghana Managing Director, Patience Akyianu, shared experiences on their individual career progression, and the dynamics of the work environment in the financial industry. Having worked in several countries around the world, the individual members of team also spoke to the trends in global work environments, and ways in which students could prepare themsevles to thrive out of school.
As one of the few women leaders in Ghana's banking sector, Head of Barclays Ghana Patience Akyianu spoke especially to women, asking them to step forward more. “It is important that you deliver at work,” she said. “The point is not whether you are a man or a woman, once you have been given a task, the best is expected from you. But women feel that their work should speak for itself; this is not true. You need to constantly step up the challenges, and allow yourself to be seen. It's not enough to know that you are doing big things in the background. Step forward and let people see you as a leader.“
Following the panel discussion, students also had the opportunity to speed network with the members of Barclays Bank Ghana's executive team.
"Seeing the outcome of an amazing visionary gave me a different perspective of the potential for development in Ghana and Africa through quality education," said Nana Essilfuah Boison, Director for Marketing & Corporate Relations. "I truly believe Africa is about to birth great thinkers and innovators in the coming decade, and Ashesi will be the catalyst."