Mr. Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani

Mr. Mpiani worked for the Capital Investment Board (now Ghana Investment Promotion Centre) as a project officer and the National Investment Bank.

He was a Senior Project Officer at the Bank in 1970, promoted to be Head of the Investment Development Department in 1974 and Chief Manager in 1978. He was a Member of Parliament between 1979 and 1981.

As a Parliamentarian he served as a member of two committees on Finance and Economic Planning; and Trade, Industry and State Enterprises.

At the National Investment Bank, Mr. Mpiani's main functions involved the conduct of feasibility studies, identifying potential technical/financial partners for the implementation of feasible projects. This was done through the establishment, funding and operations of joint venture companies in whose equity the Bank subscribed and, also, provided both foreign and local currency loans. Since the foreign technical partners were chosen on the basis of their know how, Management of the companies was entrusted to them with the Bank only monitoring the development of the project.

Mobilization for funds for these projects involved resources from both local sources and external agencies like the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederanflbau of West Germany. The mobilization of external funds and promotion of viable projects Involved extensive travels to attract and negotiate with prospective investors, lending banks and development institutions in aid donor countries. Among some of the projects promoted and which were in operation are: Novotex Ltd., a Venture with a Belgian company as well as an indigenous Ghanaian company for the production of chipboards and veneer for domestic consumption and export; Nestle Ghana Ltd., a joint venture with Nestle of Switzerland for the production of milk and baby foods; Kabelmetal Ghana Ltd., a joint venture with kabelmetal of West Germany for the production of electricity cables.

In addition to these projects Mr. Mpiani participated in feasibility studies into the establishment of the following financial institutions in Ghana. Thereafter, he was involved in their establishment.

• Merchant Bank Ghana Ltd: The shareholders are Ghanaian Institutions with the participation of Grindlays Bank of the United Kingdom who are also the technical partners.
• Bank for Housing and Construction: An institution wholly owned by Ghana Government and other Ghanaian financial institutions.

Mr. Mpiani's involvement in the promotion and establishment of the above mentioned and other organizations in Ghana has provided him with considerable expertise in the operations of development banking institutions. Mr. Mpiani's involvement in the international consulting at optimal Consultancy Services have covered companies in La Cote d'Ivoire. A sample is as follows:

La Cote d'Ivoire: Plantation Edmund 'Adieke

Plantation Edmund with its own plantations exports most of its pineapples. However, under law the exports were done through COFRUITEL, a parastatal established for export of fruits on behalf of producers. Due to poor organizing and management, COFRUITEL lost the position of sole exporter and farmers and companies who could were permitted to do their own exports. Plantation Edmund took the opportunity survey of the pineapple market in the UK. The Survey involved the identification of potential customers, determination of the types and grades of pineapples acceptable in the market, the packaging and pricing of such products, and an examination for the types and grades on pineapples acceptable in the market, the packaging and pricing of such products and an examination of the characteristics and sales policies of competing exporters, mainly from Israel and Central America.

La Cote d'Ivoire: BAMCI Sarl of Abidjan

The assignment involved a study into the feasibility of exporting coconuts, mangoes and yams to the United Kingdom. Prior to this assignment the company had attempted to export coconuts to the UK and failed. The study indicated that failure of the Company's export effort was due to packaging and inconsistent quality. The study in question reviewed the company's packaging, pricing and ability of the company to compete with Brazillian yam exporters, coconuts, from Sri Lanka and Costa Rica and mangoes from South America (Mexico and Venezuela in particular). The results of the study subsequently enabled the client company to export the three products to the UK market.

EDUCATION

a) Prempeh College: Kumasi Feb. 1955-Dec. 1961 School Cert. & Higher Sch. Cert.

b) University of Ghana: Oct. 1963-June 1966 B.Sc. (Admin)

c) Arthur D. Little Institute for Economic Dev. & Mgmt: Sept. '68 - July '69 Dip. Econ. Dev. & Mgmt.

EPERIENCE

Capital Investment Board:

Mr. Mpiani was employed by the board as a project officer. His duties involved the implementation of GhanaA's fiscal concession policy of attracting private foreign investment into the country. This was done through conducting pre- Investment studies into potential projects and preparation of brochures on Investment opportunities in Ghana for distribution to potential foreign investors. The brochures among other things incorporated synopsis of the pre-investment Studies on potential projects, as well as various fiscal concessions. Other duties involved the analysis of projects submitted for fiscal concessions to determine if they fell under the criteria set up by the Board and if so recommended that they be granted concessions.

National Investment Bank:

Mr. Mpiani worked for this Bank between 1970 and 1978. His function involved the conduct of feasibility studies, identifying potential foreign technical/financial partners for the implementation for feasible projects. This was done through the establishment, funding and operations for joint venture companies in whose equity the Bank subscribed and, also, provided both foreign and local currency loans. Since the foreign technical partners were chosen on the basis of their know how, Management of the companies was entrusted to them with the Bank only monitoring the development of the project.

Member of Parliament:

Between 1979 and 1981 was one of the 140 members of Parliament in Ghana. In this capacity he served as a member o f the Parliamentary Service Board. He was also a member of the following Committees of the House: Finance and Economic Planning an then Trade, Industry and State Enterprises.

After the overthrow of the Third Republic, Mr. Mpiani went into exile first to La Cote d'Ivoire and later to the United Kingdon. He returned to Ghana in 1992.

Optimal Consultancy Services Ltd:

Mr. Mpiani, a founding shareholder of Optimal Consultancy Services rejoined the consulting team in 1992, after his return from exile and has been working with the firm since his return.