The University of Ghana has a female professor of finance for the first time in its 75 years history and in six decades since the UG Business School, UGBS, was established.
The bearer of that record is Prof. Vera Ogeh Fiador, who has been bestowed the appointment by the UG Council in a statement dated November 18, 2022.
According to the statement, Prof. Fiador is a through-and-through Legon-trained academic who joined UGBS in 2008.
“She joined the Business School as a faculty member in the year 2008, having attained a BSc Administration degree (Banking and Finance with First Class) and an MPhil in Finance from the University of Ghana Business School in 2003 and 2006 respectively.
“The first female Associate Professor of Finance has been dedicated to the University since she joined the university and serves on a number of ad hoc and standing committees, including the University's Finance and General Purposes Committee, and the Resource Allocation for Academic Purposes Committee.
“Until her sabbatical in 2020, she also served as a tutor for Legon Hall. She is currently the Programme Coordinator for one of the Business School's flagship programmes, the One-Year MSc in Development Finance,” the statement read in part.
Maybe not very high up in the leadership of the university as a whole, Prof. Fiador joins a league of women history-makers at the University, a list that includes Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo.
Amfo, a former pro-Vice-Chancellor made history on two different levels with her appointment as the youngest VC and the first woman to be appointed last year.
Her appointment was ratified by the head of UG's Governing Council and the Chancellor of the university - also history-makers in their own right.
The duo were; Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, the first female Chancellor. In attendance was Justice Sophia Akuffo (Rtd), the first female Chair of the University Council.
Brief about the history-making Professor of Finance
Prof Vera Ogeh Fiador started her primary school education at Datus Complex, Dansoman, truncating at class three to continue at Christ Mission School, Kwashieman and then to Ministry of Health School, Korle-Bu for her Junior High School education.
She then got admission to Holy Child School, Cape Coast, where she obtained her high school (SSCE) certificate.
Professor Fiador holds a PhD in Management (with Finance specialisation) from the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her PhD research focused on Monetary Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Her core expertise lies in the areas of corporate governance, corporate finance, gender diversity, enterprise risk management, and environmental and social risk management. She has a number of peer-reviewed publications to her name.
Prof Vera Ogeh Fiador is married to Mr. Daniel Fiador, Esq. and they are blessed with 4 children.