Magdalene Appenteng, the Acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Planning has been adjudged the winner in the Government Employed Official category at the 2017 CEO Global awards in South Africa.
In May 2017, she was nominated for and sailed through as a Country and Regional winner of the CEO Global, becoming the first woman from Ghana to win such award in the government employed official category.
The award is to recognize government employees who have served governments over the years in a unique way, ensuring that they have provided the best they can to serve the various governments over the years.
Mrs Appenteng’s success was hinged on a stringent dedication to public service, having worked for over 30 years and rising through the ranks at the Ministry of Finance.
“Basically I have been in the service since 1988, so l have served the government of Ghana for almost 30years and l believe this must have been one of the recognitions that it came about that I was given this award.
This award is very gratifying and I am very excited about it because l believe that I have actually served my nation well and l have done the best in all the capacity that I have served in”.
She served as the leader of the debt management unit at the Ministry of Finance, moved on to become a director at the Public Investment division, then elevated to a director at the financial sector division also at the Ministry of Finance.
Undeniably, all her years has been in finance, until in May this year when she was transferred to Ministry of Planning as the technical head and the team leader to establish the Ministry.
On her advice for young female executives who aim to achieve higher heights, she conceded that the working environment is hostile towards women, but encouraged them to work their hearts out.
“I want to ask that everybody gives women the chance to come on board to give off their best. We are multi-tasking [you can find a woman at home cook, you will also be working, you take care of your work and your children], I think we can actually do the job better”.
She then qualified to compete at the African level where again she emerged the winner and was recognized at a Continental gala in South Africa recently.
The African recognition programme honours excellence in the private and public sector, covers 23 economic sectors and has for the past sixteen years independently recognized those leaders who are at the pinnacle of their respective industries
Mrs Appenteng has experience in providing consultancy services to institutions both home and abroad aside her public service work.
She is an ardent believer of integrity as a virtue for business growth and achievement of recognizable impact.
She also believes the critical success factors that have helped her in realizing her achievements include, surrounding herself with the right team and empowering them to be understand the job and discharge the work even in her absence.
“I believe the mark of a good leader is when you are not around, the work should still go on, it means your presence should not be felt much, the people you also know the job and perform their roles as expected” she told B&FT in an interview
