During the 9th edition of the What I Wish I Knew (WIWIK) Conference, Thelma Tackie had a fireside chat with Dr. Daniel Mckorley, CEO of the McDan Group of Companies, who offered valuable advice to fellow entrepreneurs. He stressed the importance of prioritizing attitude over academic certificates when hiring employees for their businesses.
According to Dr. Mckorley, he places a strong emphasis on attitudes rather than degrees when building his team. He acknowledged that Human Resources (HR) can be a challenging aspect of any business and emphasized that focusing on the right attitudes is essential for sustainable growth.
Furthermore, he expressed his concern about the prevalent extravagant lifestyle among today’s youth and young entrepreneurs. Drawing from his own early entrepreneurial days, he emphasized the significance of simplicity and the avoidance of unnecessary show-offs.
Recalling his own experiences, he said, “During my early years as an entrepreneur, I had considerable wealth, but I remained grounded and simple. The problem we face today is the obsession with showing off.”
Furthermore, Dr. Mckorley advised entrepreneurs not to prioritize personal recognition over their companies. He highlighted his 20-year journey with the McDan company, where he remained behind the scenes, allowing the brand to speak for itself and garner recognition.
As an annual event, the WIWIK Conference has become one of the largest personal development conferences on university campuses.
Its primary aim is to educate, advise, and inspire final year undergraduate students.
The conference also featured Capt Rtd. Kofi Amoabeng (President, UT Holdings) who also shared his entrepreneurial journey with participants. Distinguished panelists for this year’s edition included Dr. Dennis Oteng (CEO, Ravens Consulting Gh), Prof. Carol Javis (Professor in Knowledge Exchange and Innovation, Bristol Business School – UK), Sammy Gyamfi (Politician), Audrey Naa Dei Kotey, Esq, FCCA (Managing Partner, Audrey Grey & Chairperson, ACCA Ghana Network Panel) and Doris Ahiati (CEO, Crescendo Consult).
This year’s conference was on the theme ‘Thriving in uncertainty; a conversation on intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship’.
Speaking to the media on the side, the convener of the WIWIK conference Dr. Bernard Tawiah mentioned that “These past years have been marked by shifting narratives and unexpected outcomes. These year’s conference has equipped our participants with a toolkit of simple, practical, evidence-based techniques that can apply in their intrapreneurship or entrepreneurship journey in these challenging times”.
Delivering the keynote address, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, Vodafone Ghana’s Human Resources Director highlighted the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit within organisations, a concept she referred to as “intrapreneurship”.
She also emphasised the need for organisations to create an environment that encourages innovation and does not punish failure. Dr. Dennis Oteng, CEO of Ravens Consult Gh, urged participants to prioritize growing their family businesses instead of solely seeking employment opportunities, especially considering the challenges of the current business climate.
The WIWIK Conference was organized by the WIWIK Foundation, a non-profit organization, in collaboration with the University of Ghana Business School, the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), and Crescendo Consult.
The 2023 edition was sponsored by Ravens Consulting Ghana, ACCA, Akosombo Textiles, MPA, Benchmark Professional Institute, and powered by Order Consult.