President John Atta Mills has set up a Brand Ghana office to co-ordinate the development of a compelling national image for Ghana and has appointed Mr. Mathias Akotia, a brand marketing consultant and adjunct lecturer at GIMPA, as the Chief Executive Officer of the Brand Ghana office. Mr. Akotia brings to this new role his vast experience working on commercial and corporate brands and demonstrated achievements at the highest levels of international brand management. He has several publications on brands and branding in peer reviewed journals. Mr. Akotia, whose management career began with Unilever, later joined British America Tobacco (BAT) rising to become Brand Marketing Director, BAT Central-West Africa. Mr. Akotia has also worked with BAT-Kenya, BAT-West Africa and, was one-time Managing Director of Pioneer Aluminum Factory, Tema. A member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Mr. Akotia has won several “excellence” citations, culminating in the award of BAT’s prestigious Sir Albert Levy Award for Marketing Excellence. Mr. Akotia holds an MPhil in Marketing and is completing a PhD progamme at the University of Ghana in Internal Branding and Performance Culture. The Brand Ghana office is located within the Former Parliamentary Ministry office building at the State House. Source: Koku Anyidoho, Head, Communications (at the Presidency)