Astute, result-oriented, versatile, and professional are some of the key traits that describe the Managing Director of Research Development and Financial Consultants (RDFC) Holdings – Mr. Kwame N. Acquah. Under the management of Kwame Acquah, the company has established itself as one of Ghana’s leading business development and market-entry support Services Company, serving clients in Ghana and the West African sub-region. Established in 1979, Kwame Acquah has over time positioned RDFC as a company of excellence, ensuring that transactions are executed to the highest standards of efficiency and transparency. The company is a member of the non-profit organization TRACE International, the Africa Business Centre and NOF Energy (UK).

Kwame is a strategic partner of choice in West Africa’s oil and gas community having developed RDFC, a finance and investment company his late father founded in the 1970’s. He has extensive experience in business development and marketing relating to the Oil and Gas, Local Content, Banking & Finance and Telecommunication sectors. In his experience over the last decade, he has developed a broad and relevant network with key decision and policymakers in both the public and private sectors across the sub-region.

He has been involved in the establishment of many companies notably; the establishment of one of Ghana’s fastest growing “indigenous” bank – Fidelity Bank. He has also been a participant and a speaker at many conferences and events on oil and gas and private sector development in Ghana, Africa and globally.

Kwame Acquah through RDFC Holdings, provides a wide variety of local content support services and business intelligence to companies angling to set up and do business in the sub-region. He aims to offer multinational companies with local content guidance while navigation the evolving institutional labyrinth of regulatory authorities, seeking permits and addressing all logistics and mobilization challenges including compliance registration for indigenous partners. He has spent the last decade nurturing local content in Ghana in collaboration with selected foreign partners drawing on his own experience in business development and background.

In the past few years, Kwame Acquah has led RDFC to make great strides in new territories including Sierra Leone, Kenya, South Africa, and The Seychelles. In these countries, RDFC have provided various services including research and feasibility studies, market-entry support, logistics and business development services to its clients and has in the process ensured success at both entry level and JV activities in a continuous and sustainable manner. Through regular engagements with these countries, He has developed a strong understanding of these markets and has established strategic network with key players and decision makers that seek to foster profitable business relationships.

Kwame has the ability to negotiate, and “close” high-level transactions based on his in-depth knowledge of the relevant legal framework and laws within West Africa and beyond. He leads RDFC according to the strong principles that are underpinned by responsibility, efficiency, and integrity. These principles have guided the businesses activities and interaction with employees, partners, clients, and affiliates. Although RDFC is a Ghanaian company, Kwame has steered the company to gain a global perspective that fully adheres to international compliance standards.

Kwame Acquah holds a Financial Times Non-Executive Director Diploma from the UK, an MA in Marketing Management from Middlesex University, and a BSc in Business Studies with a major in Marketing.

He has also been featured in both local and international publications. The 20th of May 2011 article in Upstream Magazine titled Local Content Poster Child is one such publications. Mr. Acquah was the Country Adviser to the Africa Business Centre (formerly UK West Africa Action Group). He began his career in financial services and international marketing prior to joining RDFC in 1999. He has attended and featured as a speaker or panelist in over 30 international conferences and events on oil and gas and private sector development in Ghana, Africa and abroad.

Core Capabilities

• Strategic & Tactical Thinker
Conceives, designs and leads very effective protective security & operating strategies, risk based, intelligence lead and outcomes focussed polices, systems and operations delivery in
high risk/high volume aviation and critical infrastructure business environments.

• Leadership
Employees a collaborative style and achieves outcomes through working with and coordinating people and teams to drive change and meet targets. Led many organisational changes delivering significant security protection and business improvements operationally, financially, culturally and politically.

• Networking
Outstanding networking skills provide ready access to a wide range of professional across the private and public sectors. A collaborative and adaptable style to deliver to strategies across all levels of an organisation.

• Decision Making
Able to quickly make sense of complex information, identify options and make decisions. An experienced decision maker that is astute to internal and external agendas and drivers.

• Problem Solving
Very Strong conceptual and analytical skills underpin an ability to identify, investigate and resolve problems quickly and creatively and to identify and address opportunities for continuous operational and business improvement strategies.

• Business Acumen
Broad-based business experience in the administrative, economic, legal and social environment. A strong involvement in marketing, human resources, information systems and financial management in delivery of successful outcomes.

Diplomatic Service
The Ghanaian Government has a long tradition of accepting Honorary Consuls and over half of the consular posts established in the country are headed by Honorary Consular Officers. Honorary Consuls continue to make a substantial contribution to aspects of individual bilateral relationships since the country they represent do not maintain diplomatic representation in Ghana.

Kwame Acquah’s appointment as an Honorary Consul is based on a formal agreement between the government of the Republic of the Seychelles and the Republic of Ghana, as outlined in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR).

His main tasks include:
◦ The enhancement of bilateral relations in trade, economy, culture and science between the Republic of the Seychelles and the Republic of Ghana.
◦ Assisting with the economic and trade cooperation and with the expansion of business between both countries.
◦ Supporting the development of international relations, the representation and interests of Seychelles and assisting Seychellois citizens in Ghana and the sub-region.
◦ Supporting the work of the nearby Seychelles Embassy and providing intelligence reports on Ghana based on the economic, political, cultural, and social life of the country.
◦ Contributing to the traditionally friendly and multilateral relations between the Seychelles and Ghana and their people, representing the interests of Seychelles and its citizens.

Currently, he is the Executive Secretary of the Honorary Consular Corps of Ghana (HCCGH) responsible for organizing the administrative duties of the HCCGH, supervising the implementation of HCCGH work programs and their coordination, maintenance of files, archives, accounts and other records of the Corps and preparing of annual statements of membership of the HCCGH for circulation to all members. During his tenure, he has directed and managed various community-themed projects, HCCGH elections and meetings with government officials.