John Kobina Richardson




Dr.John Kobina Richardson was a Ghanaian industrialist who was Chairman and Managing Director of British American Tobacco Ghana and Managing Director of Merchant Bank. Richardson was President of the Association of Ghana Industries from 1987 to 1993.

Early life and Education

Richardson had his secondary education at Accra Academy in Accra, completing in 1955. He graduated from the Kumasi College of Technology and continued to the University of Ghana, from which he obtained a bachelor of science degree in Economics in 1962.

Career

In the period immediately after his university education,he joined the Pioneer Tobacco Company. Pioneer Tobacco Company was then one of the largest multinational corporations operating in Ghana. Richardson rose in rank from a number of senior positions to become the company's Managing Director and later,combined the position of Managing Director and Chairman.He was the first Ghanaian to take over the running of a large multinational corporation.
Richardson was a member of the advisory council of the Ghana Employers Association and the School of Administration of the University of Ghana. He was the First Vice President of the Association of Ghana Industries before becoming President of the Association from 1987 to 1993.
In 1989, Richardson helped set-up the Ghana Stock Exchange.
Richardson was made Chairman of the University Council Of the University of Ghana,Legon,acting within this position from 1991 to 1997.He was the first alumni of the University to take up the role of Chairman of the University Council.
In 2002,he was appointed as Chairman of the Interim Management Committee for the Tema Oil Refinery. He later served as the Board Chairman of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority

Honours

Richardson was amongst two main speakers for the first ever Public Service Commission of Ghana Annual lecture which was held in 1998. The lecture had as its chair, Nana Wereko Ampem, Chief of Amanokrom and Special Guest of Honour, Nathan Quao, then Special Assistant to the President. Dr.E.M Debrah was the other speaker, and gave a presentation on the public sector, whilst Richardson gave a presentation on the private sector.