The Whitaker Group was named “Company of the Year” by the African Diaspora Association at Applause Africa’s Second Annual African Diaspora Awards ceremony in New York City on Saturday, December 8th 2012.The awards were hosted by Nigerian Actress Ebbe Bassey and South African radio personality Sduduzo Ka-Mbili, and included a keynote address by Amini Kajunju, President and CEO of the Africa-America Institute.The objective of the African Diaspora Awards is to identify and celebrate notable and exemplary individuals of African descent who have contributed to the advancement of Africans in the Diaspora and Africa as a whole.The Whitaker Group (TWG), founded by former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Rosa Whitaker, is a global consulting firm advancing trade, investment and enterprise solutions in Africa.With offices in Washington, DC, and Accra, Ghana, the Whitaker Group has brought more than $2 billion in investments and capital flows to the African continent and is the consultancy of choice for Fortune 500 companies operating in the region.Mr. Anthony Annan, Executive Vice President of the Whitaker Group, received the award on behalf of the company at the African Diaspora Awards ceremony on Saturday.In receiving the “Company of the Year” award, Mr. Annan closed with a word of inspiration: “We must remember that as Africa’s rises, it rises with a purpose, with a reason: to uplift but also to uphold. Our growth must be on our own terms. It is up to this audience: the future entrepreneurs, scholars and activists to make that a reality.”The African Diaspora Awards ceremony is sponsored by Applause Africa, a quarterly lifestyle magazine publication that focuses on the people, cultures, and successes of Africa’s Diaspora.