PERSONAL VISION STATEMENT

Fundamentally, education and training should be geared towards the enhancement of the
individual’s ability to initiate and sustain change in a society. The change should consciously
reflect the practical or hands-on experiences of the trainee and the benefit thereof should be
equitably distributed among the actors in the society, notably the marginalized. Primarily, it is
my strongest desire to pursue a program which seeks to balance the interests of all stakeholders
through the setting of rules that define the relationship between stakeholders, management, and
board of directors of a company and influence how that company operates.

The purpose behind this personal statement is not only to gain admission to your well-established
and highly respected MBA programme, but also to impress upon you my passion for learning
and my tremendous desire to succeed in a system whose most basic rule will be transparency and
fairness in resource allocation in every environment I find myself. My decision to pursue an
MBA programme is not based on purely practical reasons, but rather on my own natural interests
and aptitude. My personal philosophy is that money and social status should not be pursued as
life-consuming objectives and that in actuality they are the by-products of goals originating from
one’s inner needs.

As a young teenage secondary school boy, my daily preoccupation as I moved along with my
cohorts was to define a ground rule which all competing interests among my colleagues will
revolve and by which all will live happily and fairly. Today, as a mature enterprising young man
with a broadened horizon and world outlook, the reality of my life, perhaps my philosophy has
been ensuring that the rule of law and the principle of fair play guide all my corporate actions.

Essentially, I have an ever growing interest and desire to develop sufficient skills and control
measures that will significantly seek to achieve a harmonious relationship among diverse
interests in an organisational environment. The corporate culture which I hope to make an
inseparable part of my working life will be key and strategic to the development of any
organisation.

"To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you
everybody else--means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never
stop fighting." When I first read this passage written by E.E. Cummings, I detected I have been
fighting the same battle my whole life. When choosing the direction for my future, I have often
accepted educational programmes based on a compromise between my own dreams and what
others thought my dreams should be. This, of course, has led to an unfulfilling career.

Looking back, I always knew that I wanted to work in institutions where all stakeholders’
interests are put first or perhaps public service; but I also knew my business oriented uncle who
has been my coach from teen age would not be pleased. To him, the government is too big, too
intrusive and too wasteful. I see things differently. And yet, his approval means a lot to me and
his opinion has certainly influenced the direction of my career. But I have finally come to
understand that I must pursue my own path. After careful deliberation, I am confident that
corporate governance is, without a doubt, the right career for me.

My interest in the field of Corporate Governance started developing during the pursuance of my
undergraduate programme in Business Administration at the Institute of Professional Studies,
Legon, from 2006 to 2008. The actual turning point was at the final year when we (students)
were taken through a course in Public/Corporate Administration. The course helped me to
understand the concept underpinning the nature of the management function within the business
organisation and in its interaction with the market, legal, social and political environment. Prior
to the pursuance of the undergraduate programme, I had had an experience of working in settings
where the interests of all the stakeholders i.e. the organisation, the employees, the customers and
the government were all different.

From my experiences at the Electricity Company of Ghana, I have learned how I want to shape
my future. My goals are now clear: I want to help develop and advocate policy decisions that
will benefit society as a whole, not just a few influential special interest groups. I want to
uncover the objective truth of issues and tackle them in the best interests of the nation, not distort
the facts for the benefit of a small group. I know I would be able to look beyond partisan politics
to solve problems for this country when I am afforded the opportunity. Because of these
unbending desires to reveal truth and to remain committed to fair and equal advancement for all
citizens, I think of myself as an ideal candidate for corporate governance.

Additionally, I consider my inactive interest in politics to aid my pursuit of a career in corporate

governance. My faith in the political process began to wane as I witnessed sensible public policy
proposals torn apart by partisan conflict. I saw advocacy groups distort facts, and provide
extreme, over-blown examples, jeopardizing prudent policy decisions. I observed how powerful
elected officials, ensnared in their own partisan rancour, would block fair and balanced
legislation which offered the most practical solution for their constituents. But I also encountered
many thoughtful and wise people who devote their lives to public service. These devoted
individuals inspired me. Like them, I want to be actively involved in the design and delivery of
essential corporate services that improve the lives of the citizens in our society today. I am
positive that by avoiding partisanship and urging the private industry, the public sector and non-
profit groups to collaborate, many difficult problems can be resolved.

I have chosen the MBA Corporate Governance programme for several reasons. The programme
stands out because good corporate governance makes good contribution to financial market
stability; investment and economic growth .Companies better understand how good corporate
governance contributes to their competitiveness. Investors, especially collective investment
institutions and pension funds acting in a fiduciary capacity-realise they have a role to play in
ensuring good corporate governance practices, thereby underpinning the value of their
investments. In today’s economies, interest in good corporate governance goes beyond that of
shareholders in the performance of individual companies. As companies play pivotal role in our
economies and we rely increasingly on private sector institutions to manage personal savings and
secure retirement incomes, good corporate governance is important to broad and growing
segments of the population.
 I am excited by the possibility of continuing my undergraduate programme in business
administration with MBA Corporate Governance Programme. I am particularly interested in
studying this programme to help reform institutions to avoid waste, mismanagement and
corruption. I feel confident in my knowledge of the corporate governance program and its
potential to teach me.

On the road "to be nobody but" myself, I've encountered twists and turns, and some detours--it is
unquestionably the hardest battle I could fight. However, in the process, I have accumulated
tremendous amount of valuable experience and knowledge. My diversity of experience is my
biggest asset.