18 January 2010, London, UK                                                                                                         Read Martyn`s full profile here

The Board of worldwide membership association for marketing and business professionals Global Marketing Network has confirmed the appointment of well-known Ghana business personality Martyn Mensah as the inaugural Honorary President of Global Marketing Network in Ghana.

A pioneer in the establishment of the private electronic media sector in Ghana as a key player in the introduction of Ghana’s first pay-television service, MNET/MultiChoice, Martyn currently serves on the boards of a number of major organizations in Ghana. He is the Managing Director of Kasapreko Company Ltd., an innovator in the beverage manufacturing sector ranked fourth (first position in manufacturing category) on the most current Ghana Club 100 listing. He is also a director of UT Financial Services Ltd., ranked number 5 on the same listing.

Martyn is a seasoned management consultant/specialist with very broad and varied experience. He is a founder and the Resident Director of Strat-Afrique Development Ltd., a South Africa based firm of international corporate strategy advisors where his expertise in corporate strategy development and operational efficiency improvement is placed at the disposal of a wide variety of clients.

He also founded the Ghana operations of Steadman Group (now part of Synovate), at the time Africa’s largest indigenous media and consumer research company. Previously, he served on their Africa-wide board and currently is the local Director of the Ghana operation.

He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Common Purpose Ghana, the local arm of Common Purpose International and was a member of the faculty on Ghana’s first management/business reality TV programme, “THE CHALLENGE”. Martyn is also an assessor of submissions to the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences awards committee in the management category.

Says Darrell Kofkin, GMN’s Chief Executive. “We are honoured and delighted that Martyn has accepted this important position. He has an exceptional academic and business background and, with his senior marketing and management experience he is ideally placed to champion the cause of marketing in the Boardroom and act as a role model for Ghanaian marketers aspiring to be world class. We are very much looking forward to working with him in furthering the development of the marketing profession in Ghana.”

Martyn Mensah says of his appointment. “In today’s world there are very few products, or services that can escape the “commodity” tag. As integration of economies across geographical boundaries accelerates, everything that a company does, can be easily replicated - often at a lower cost and at a level of quality that still meets customers’ minimum value-for-money expectations. Whether one is at the sharp end of commercial business or at the heart of the not-for-profit space, the challenge remains the same; how to achieve sufficient uniqueness, whether tangible or intangible!!

Mensah continues. “Global Marketing Network addresses this core challenge in an innovative and contemporary way by providing a platform for the sharing of current marketing knowledge between academia and the corporate world, as well as across various regions of the globe. This is the “breath of fresh air” that the marketing discipline has been looking for, allowing leadership to keep abreast with a discipline that is undergoing a dizzying evolution in response to changes in the global/local marketing construct. I feel privileged to be associated with this organisation.”

Martyn Mensah’s appointment signals Global Marketing Network’s commitment to supporting the professional development of Ghanaian marketing and business professionals. He will be making his accepatance speech and keynote address at the official launch of GMN Ghana,  hosted by His Excellency, the British High Commisioner Dr Nicholas Westcott, CMG at the British High Commissioner’s residence on 17 February 2010. On 18 February GMN Ghana will also stage its opening conference and Africa’s inuagural World Marketing Forum, featuring world marketing guru Svend Hollensen amongst the keynote speakers. For more details click here