For the past six months, Joy Business’ Executive Lounge has brought you informative personalities to share their stories, successes, failures and views on topical issues in their various industries. As season two comes to an end, we bring you excerpts of five of the best interviews in season two of the Executive Lounge.

This week, we recap CEO of McDan Shipping Company Daniel Mckorley, who called on government to do more for the local private sector. In the past, the government passed laws to encourage foreign investment and replaced regulations perceived as unfriendly to investors. However, concerns raised by local business owners have brought to light the reality of foreign business investors stifling the local businesses.

Speaking on the business leadership show the Executive Lounge, CEO of McDan Shipping Dr Daniel Mckorley, said there must be a concerted effort to create an environment where local businesses are given priority over foreign investors in the business sector. “If you allow a man like myself to thrive, where will I take the money? It stays here, but if you build foreign companies up, they take their profit away”.

Meanwhile, CEO of public relations company, Burston Masteller Africa, Robyn De Villiers, said Ghanaian entrepreneurs should consider branding and public relations as an integral part of their business strategy from the very beginning.

She said, “I think that smaller companies feel that big companies can afford to do these things, but what you have to remember is that you create the reputation of your business from the day you launch it”.

She advised entrepreneurs to make brand building and public relations a part of their monthly budget in order to build a strong presence and control public perception of their companies.

She said, “I think that smaller companies feel that big companies can afford to do these things, but what you have to remember is that you create the reputation of your business from the day you launch it”.

This week’s episode of the Executive Lounge features five of some of the best interviews in season two. The executive lounge airs on Saturday at 6pm and a repeat on Sunday on the Joy News Channel on MultiTv and on DSTV channel 421.