At the end of the 2019 edition of the Ghana Business Standard Awards, The Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, Mr. Eric Asubonteng, was crowned the Overall Outstanding Business Leader of The Year.

The award was to honour his outstanding commitment to remarkable business standards in the mining sector and the demonstration of compassion and humility as a business leader.

Presenting the award, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, Minister of Planning in Ghana highlighted the drive for localisation explaining that the Government was partnering with the private sector which is a real engine for growth and development for Ghana.

Upon receiving the award, the MD of AGAG remarked that “a leader can only be as good as the team he/she leads. As such this award is a recognition of the effort of the team at the Obuasi mine over the last few years to bring the mine to its current state and looking into the future with optimism” he dedicated the award to the Obuasi team adding he was fortunate to be leading them.

As Managing Director at Obuasi, Mr. Asubonteng, heads the Redevelopment Project and Key to Obuasi’s future was securing the social licence to mine, both from the surrounding community and the Government of Ghana.

He led the negotiations with the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo among other strategic stakeholders which culminated in the signing of an agreement in June 2018, including a one-on-one direct security agreement for the mine.

Mr. Asubonteng, has worked with AGA for seven years, taking up a position in the Accra office in 2013 as a Senior Manager of Finance, rising through operations and cooperate affairs to the role of Managing Director of Obuasi in April 2016, securing the position at a difficult time for the mine.

The Ghana Business Standard Awards which was organised by KN Unique Communications at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra was in partnership with Strategic Accountancy Africa, to celebrate organizations committed to remarkable business standards in their sectors as well as industry leaders breaking barriers of excellence across the Ghanaian business region.

In February this year, Obuasi achieved its first blast and is on track for the first gold pour in December.