Sir Samuel E. Jonah is one of Africa’s most prominent businessmen, a giant in global business, and internationally recognized as a leading business executive. He was educated at Adisadel College in Ghana, Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall and The Imperial College of Science & Technology, London.
Sam Jonah’s career began in 1969 at the Obuasi gold-mine. He became deputy CEO of its holding company Ashanti Goldfields at the age of 31. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited in 1986 and oversaw its growth from a one-mine operation into a multinational. In 1996, Ashanti, which had listings in London and Ghana, became the first operating African company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He became Executive President of AngloGold Ashanti Ltd (world’s second largest gold producer) in May 2004 when Ashanti was merged with AngloGold Limited. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital Limited, an investment holding company in South Africa.
Sam Jonah has been decorated with many awards and honours. In 1994 the Camborne School of Mines and the University of Exeter (UK) jointly awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree. In December 2005 Ashesi University College through its affiliate University in Ghana, University of Cape Coast, awarded Sam the Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree for his excellent and illustrious career as a Mining Engineer, Chief Executive, Director, Management Consultant, Diplomat, Educationist and Administrator. In 2003 Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth, conferred on him an Honorary Knighthood as Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). The award was in recognition of his exceptional achievements as a businessman, a leading business executive from the Commonwealth and an international public figure. In 2006 he was awarded Ghana’s highest national award, the Companion of the Order of the Star.
In December 2004, CNN and Time Magazine ranked him as one of the world’s top 25 most influential business people – setting the global standards for management, ethics, marketing and innovation. He is the recipient of five Lifetime Achievement awards, the most recent conferred on him in March 2017 by the Ghana Legacy Honors was for his Impact in Business and Entrepreneurship. In February 2016 was the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Award West Africa. In March 2011, he was profiled as Mining Personality of the month in Martin Creamer’s Mining Weekly publication.
Sam Jonah has served on the boards of several international public and private companies. He currently serves on the board of Vodafone UK, amongst others.
