The Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of Global Media Alliance (GMA), Edward Boateng has won the prestigious African Business Leader for the Year 2013.
He was recognised in New York at an impressive ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York, United States of America (USA).
Mr. Boateng won the award from an impressive number of strong contenders comprising CEOs from across the African continent.
Organised by African Business magazine and IC Publications for the past six years, the African Business Awards has become a platform to celebrate excellence and best practices in African business and to recognise CEOs and deserving Africans who are driving Africa’s rapidly transforming economy and continue to play a role in its transformation.
Mr. Boateng was recognised for his immense contribution towards the transformation and development of media and film in Africa to tell the African story, mentoring of young professionals, his work with the disabled and the development of social and environmental awareness programs. His company Etv Ghana is the only television company to employ a blind news reader in Africa.
“I am honoured to be adjudged the 2013 African Business Leader of the Year. Indeed, I am very grateful for this huge recognition; I want to thank my wife and my family for their immeasurable sacrifice and support, and the board, management and staff of Global Media Alliance.
“I owe this to the hardworking employees of GMA who are driving our vision to be in industry leader in Africa. This award is a testament that we are certainly making an impact and achieving our goal despite our challenges,” noted Mr. Boateng.
Other awards that were given include the African Business of the year, outstanding woman in Business award, award for good corporate governance and award for innovation.
Under Mr. Boateng’s leadership, GMA now boasts of one television station in Accra (e.tv Ghana), four unique radio stations spread across Ghana (Happy 98.9 FM, Y107.9 FM, Y97.9 FM, Anigye 102.5 FM), an Event Management company, a Public Relations Firm.
Also included is a Creative and Brand Management Firm, a Mobile Content Development Company (Starfish Ghana Limited), LED Service Provider (Megascreen Ghana Limited), as well as the country’s only multiplex cinema and complete entertainment house (Silverbird Ghana Limited). He also helped establish Nu Metro Cinemas, later to become Silverbird Cinemas in Kenya and Nigeria.
Prior to founding of GMA, Edward was the Africa Head of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), establishing brands such as CNN, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies as household names in Africa.
He initiated the highly successful weekly “Inside Africa” program on CNN, which has now been running for over a decade, and established the CNN African Journalists Awards (CNN AJA), now widely recognized as the most prestigious award of its kind on the continent.
In addition, Edward helped establish the first 24-hour Pan African TV News Channel, SABC Africa, in 1999 and the Africa2Africa Entertainment Channels, the precursor to the now very popular Africa2Africa Channels on DSTV. He was also one of the main architects who helped deregulate media across several African countries in the 1990s.
