Ken Ofori Atta: All You Need To Know About Him

Databank co-founder Kenneth Ofori-Atta was born in 1959. He is Finance Minister. On January 10, 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo appointed him, and he started on January 27.

Ken was born in the Eastern Region of Ghana’s Kibi village. He belongs to Ghana’s famous Ofori-Atta dynasty, which has excelled in politics, law, chieftaincy, and commerce.

Ofori-Atta earned his O- and A-Levels at Achimota School in 1976 and 1978. After graduating from Achimota, he briefly taught arithmetic at Accra Academy.

In 1980, Ofori-Atta started studying economics at Columbia University. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1984 after graduating from Columbia. He joined Salomon Brothers in New York City after earning his MBA at Yale University School of Management in 1988.

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Ken Ofori-Atta co-founded Databank Financial Services in 1990 with Keli Gadzekpo and Togbe Afede XIV, serving as its executive chairman until his retirement on February 14, 2012. He invests in retail banking, private equity, microfinance, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and insurance.

He was the first African to testify in favor of the African Growth and Opportunity Act before the Ways and Means Committee in 1996.

Ofori-Atta was a director for many companies and organizations. He heads the boards of Enterprise Group Ltd. and Trust Bank Ltd. of The Gambia. He is also an International Bank director and Acumen Fund governing board member.

Nana Akufo-Addo appointed Ofori-Atta to assess Ghana’s economy following the 2016 elections.

In May 2017, President Akufo-Addo named nineteen ministers, including Ken Ofori-Atta. The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Mike Ocquaye announced the 19 ministers.

Ken Ofori-Atta, a cabinet minister, will help Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo make key decisions.

Ofori-Atta became World Bank/IMF Development Committee Chair during the 2018 spring sessions. She formed the African Capacity Building Foundation and chairs its governing board (ACBF). He chairs the World Bank African Caucus.

Accolades

For nearly a decade, Ofori-Atta has been an Aspen Institute Henry Crown fellow. Ghana’s second-most-respected CEO.

Ken was a 2010 Yale Donaldson Fellow and 2011 Columbia University John Jay Award recipient. 2011 Columbia University John Jay Award winner. He founded the Aspen Africa Leadership Initiative and is a fellow.

PriceWaterHouse Ghana has recognized him twice as the Top 5 Most Respected CEOs in Ghana.

In May, London’s The Banker named him the Best African Finance Minister.

Marriage

Ofori-Atta married fellow professor Angela Lamensdorf.

The Ghana Medical Association includes University of Ghana Medical School clinical psychologist Ofori-Atta. They have four kids.

Offices

World Bank-IMF Development Committee chairman (since 2018)

African Development Bank Board Governor ex-officio (AfDB). AfDB (since 2017)

Economist and ex-officio EBID Board member (since 2017).

Ex-officio member of the World Bank Group’s MIGA Board of Governors (since 2017).

World Bank Board of Governors, ex-officio member (since 2017)