AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine received two prestigious awards at the 6th Ghana Business Awards held on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra.
The Mining Company of the Year Award and the CEO of the Year (Private Sector) Award were both claimed by the Mine, with Samuel Boakye Pobee, the Managing Director, securing the latter honor on the same night.
Iduapriem Mine won the 2023 Mining Company of the Year award following excellent performance in key aspects, including corporate social investment, contribution to the economy, local content, health, safety, environmental management, and its esteemed status in the mining sector.
In addition, the Managing Director of Iduapriem Mine, Samuel Boakye Pobee, received the CEO of the Year (Private Sector) Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership abilities, strategic decision-making, significant contributions to socio-economic development and introduction of several innovative programmes to shape the company’s performance, especially in safety, environmental management, and human capital development.
The 6th edition of the Ghana Business Awards, themed “The Role of Businesses in Promoting Tourism, Arts, and Culture,” was organised by Globe Productions with support from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture. It recognises and rewards excellence across all sectors in Ghana.
In his address to the gathering after receiving the CEO of the Year (Private Sector) Award, the Managing Director, Samuel Boakye Pobee, expressed his profound gratitude to the Iduapriem team for the hard work and unflinching support.
“I am extremely grateful for this achievement. This award is a testament to the team’s dedication to excellence and speaks volumes of the company’s quest to turn gold into sustainable wealth for our stakeholders,” he said. “We remain committed to making a positive contribution towards an enduring world and would continue to count on the support of everyone.”
The event was attended by dignitaries such as the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku-Mantey, Switzerland Ambassador to Ghana, H. E Simone Giger, High Commissioner for Pakistan to Ghana, H. E Farhat Ayesha, Egyptian Ambassador to Ghana, H. E Emad Hanna, and Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Ghana, Jonas Claes, among others.
ABOUT IDUAPRIEM MINE
AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited operates the Iduapriem Mine in the Western Region of Ghana, about 17km southwest of Tarkwa. Iduapriem Mine started operation in June 1992 as the Ghanaian Australian Goldfields Limited. It also became part of the AngloGold Ashanti Group in 2004 following the business combination with Ashanti Goldfields Limited. It is an open-pit operation comprising the Iduapriem, Teberebie, Ajopa, and Ajopa South-West mining leases covering an area of 140km2 concession and encompassing 19 communities. The Mine provides employment to about 2500 people, all being Ghanaians.
Iduapriem Mine has been recognised and received several awards for its superior performance in environmental management, corporate social investment, occupational health and safety, innovation, as well as fiscal contributions to the state.
ABOUT SAMUEL BOAKYE POBEE
Samuel Boakye Pobee was appointed Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine on 1 July 2021. He is a mining engineer by profession with over 20 years of experience in both underground and open pit operations, including over 5 years in senior leadership positions. Prior to his appointment, he held several senior operational and technical roles, including General Manager – Operations, and Managing Director for Barrick Gold (formerly Acacia Mining) in Tanzania, and General Manager – Technical Services for Resolute Mining in Australia.
Samuel holds MBA (Executive) from INSEAD Business School, France, a post-graduate certificate in Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Australia, and is a Chartered Professional member – Mining Engineering (CP Mining) of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). He is currently completing a Master’s degree in Geostatistics through the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Sam took over at Iduapriem Mine at a very difficult period where the Mine was facing many challenges, especially on the production front. He immediately assumed accountability for end-to-end business optimisation, improvement, and integration, and started steering the Mine through a crucial reinvestment period with focus on continuous improvement towards a high performing culture.
