Aker Energy appoints Ghanaian woman as new boss

Oil firm Aker Energy AS has appointed Kadijah Amoah as the Country Director of Aker Energy Ghana Limited.

Her appointment takes effect from 1 February 2020.

She becomes the first woman to head an upstream oil firm in Ghana and is replacing Jan Helge Skogen, who will stay on as an advisor until 1 March 2020.

In a statement, the company said Mrs Amoah’s appointment follows Aker Energy’s strategy to strengthen the company’s local presence and management in Ghana.

She will join the Executive Management Team of Aker Energy AS in addition to heading the country office of Aker Energy in Ghana.

She will also work closely with affiliated companies, AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited (“AGM”) and Aker Ghana Investment Company (“AGIC”) in Ghana, two companies with the same majority owner as Aker Energy, and hold directorships in both companies.

“We are very pleased to strengthen our team and presence in Ghana with Kadijah as the Country Director of Aker Energy in Ghana. With Kadijah’s experience, I am confident that she will lead with success as we move toward the development phase of the Pecan project offshore Ghana,” said Svein Jakob Liknes, CEO of Aker Energy AS.

Mrs Amoah, a Ghanaian citizen, is a lawyer by training and holds degrees in law and political science, a master’s degree in international business, and awaits the award of a postgraduate diploma in strategy and innovation.

Prior to joining Aker Energy, Mrs Amoah was a Senior Foreign Lawyer at the German office of Clifford Chance Germany, one of the largest law firms in the world.

“I am extremely pleased to join Aker Energy at such an important stage of the company’s history. Building on the Aker group’s 180 years’ industrial heritage, Aker Energy will, together with AGM and AGIC, take the lead to develop Ghana’s oil and gas resources and related industries,” said Mrs Amoah.

Mr Skogen has held the role of Country Manager since May 2018 and has been instrumental in building a strong organisation and foothold for Aker Energy in Ghana.