Dr. Charles Mensa is the founder and Chairman of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana (IEA). He is also the Board Chairman of SAB Miller Ghana Limited and was formerly the Chairman of Barclays Bank Ghana Limited now ABSA Group. Dr. Mensa brings to the board of Fan Milk Limited an extensive experience in leading key industries and also in public policy advocacy.

Dr. Mensa served as the CEO of Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), the largest aluminium smelter in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to assuming the position of CEO in October 2004, he had been the Resident Director of VALCO since joining the company in April 1996. He was also Vice President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), and President of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA).

Dr. Mensa previously worked in the United States as a Research Associate at the Centre for Public Choice, George Mason University, and at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the United States, Dr. Mensa obtained a Master’s degree in Finance from the George Washington University and a PhD in Economics from George Mason University.

Committee Membership: Audit

Other Directorships: Maersk Shipping Company, Quality Care Medical Clinic

George H.O. Thompson B.A. (Hons) LLB (Hons) Barrister-At-Law and Solicitor. He was called to the Ghana Bar in September 1976 and to the Bar of The Gambia in March 1982. He was appointed Assistant State Attorney/Asst. Registrar General and worked at the Registrar General’s Department from 1977 to 1980.

He was attached to the U.S. Department of Commerce (Patents & Trademark Office) in 1979 and has been in private law practice since 1980. He was appointed Special Prosecutor by the Government of The Gambia in March 1982 in connection with treason and allied offences. In private practice, he has rendered opinion and advice on a wide range of civil matters such as competition law, banking, corporate, labour, tax and land law to both local and foreign companies. George has acted for Volta Aluminium Company Limited, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd, Maersk Ghana Limited, APM Terminals Ghana Limited, Damco Logistics Ghana Limited, Sky IP International Limited and the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Ghana. He currently runs the law firm of G.H. Thompson & Associates which has a special relationship with the South African intellectual property law firm of Spoor & Fisher.

Mr. Barrere, a newly appointed member of the Board of Directors, brings a wealth of operational and leadership expertise to Fan Milk PLC.  Mr. Hervé Orama Barrere’s extensive experience and regional insights position him to drive growth and brand-building across Africa. Mr. Barrere commenced his career in the banking sector, accumulating valuable experience over 8 years. 

During his 12-year tenure at Nestlé, he held various pivotal positions. Notably, he served as Managing Director in the Congo and Central Africa regions. In 2017, Mr. Barrere joined Danone to lead the Fan Milk Danone business in Nigeria as Managing Director. Subsequently, he assumed the role of Managing Director for the Danone Algeria business unit in 2019.

Since the beginning of 2023, he has been the Managing Director of Danone South Africa. He has post-graduate certifications from Paris XII University and French Polynesia University. 

Committee Membership: None Other Directorships: He is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Fan Milk International A/S. 

Mr. Jakub has over 18 years of experience in operational and executive finance roles. He is the Vice President Finance, AMEA and leads the finance for Danone across Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Before that, Mr. Jakub was for 15 years CFO for Danone entities in different European markets and categories.

He also served as Managing Director in Danone DACH (Geschaftsfuhrer) and Danone Waters Poland. He has his Masters in International Relations, Finance and Banking from Warsaw School of Economics. 

He also has a professional degree from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Committee Membership: None Other Directorships: He is Chairman of the Board of Nutricia MMP (Iran) and Board member in other Danone entities.

Lionel commenced his career in the cosmetic industry with L’Oréal before transitioning to the spirit industry, where he held pivotal roles in both family-run businesses and industry giants such as Pernod-Ricard and William Grant & Sons.

 

In 2017, Lionel joined Danone as Sales & RTM Director Africa, leading and supporting the company's commercial transformation across various markets. His leadership led to successive roles, including Customer Director of Danone France business unit and Global Sales Director – Distribution & Digitalization Transformation at Danone headquarters.

Since the beginning of 2021, he has served as the Commercial Development Director of Groupe Délice in Tunisia, achieving a number of successes, notably of digital transformation and productivity.

He is also a passionate advocate for talent development and inclusive diversity initiatives. He has dedicated  time to mentoring emerging talents and startups over the past years.

Lionel therefore brings extensive experience and a dynamic vision to his new role, poised to lead Fan Milk Plc into its next phase of growth and innovation while continuing to strengthen its leadership and commitment to delivering high-quality products to consumers across Ghana.

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