The Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa, Alfred Baku, was named CEO of the Year at the 3^rd Ghana Business Awards, held on Friday.

Gold Fields Ghana was also adjudged Mining Company of the Year.  

Mr Baku, who oversees Gold Fields’ Tarkwa and Damang mines in the Western Region, was honoured for his role in promoting the mining industry in Ghana and for his exemplary leadership, which has seen Gold Fields excel over the past six years, since he assumed office as the head of the company.

Mr Baku has over two decades of experience in mining engineering and rose through the ranks to become the Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields’ West African operations in 2014.

The Mining Company of the Year award was also in recognition of Gold Fields’ commitment to operational excellence and contribution to host community and national development.

Gold Fields was among top companies and business leaders from various industries in Ghana that were celebrated for business excellence and contribution to Ghana’s economy and sustainable growth through local content and job creation.

According to a stakeholder report published by Gold Fields in October 2020, the gold mining company paid $109 million in taxes, royalties and dividends to government in 2019.

Mr. Baku noted that Gold Fields would continue to set high standards in Ghana’s mining industry.

“We remain committed to business sustainability, safety, environmental stewardship, local enterprise development and social investment. I’m humbled by this recognition and encouraged to continue in that trajectory.”

He said Gold Fields had directed its focus to shared value and high impact projects with long-term measurable impact.

“Over the past 27 years, we have focused on mining responsibly as we create and share the value from our operations with our stakeholders, especially, members of our 19 host communities,” Mr. Baku said.

He added that, the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation had invested over $74.5m in development projects and programmes in host communities since it was established in 2004.

Early this year, the Foundation completed and handed over 11 community projects, including the upgraded Huni-Valley Health Centre.

On the company’s Covid-19 response, Mr Baku said that Gold Fields had so far committed over $850,000 to fight the virus at its mines and in host communities, as well as supporting government’s actions to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

The company donated Covid-19 prevention items such as facemasks, hand sanitisers, protective gowns, gloves, sample collection kits, as well as handwashing facilities to health centres and community members.

In September 2020, the Foundation also donated two brand new, fully equipped ambulances, at the cost of $248,000, to the Apinto Government Hospital and the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital to boost emergency healthcare and Covid-19 response in the host communities.