Kwame Achampong-Kyei is the Founder and Executive Chairman of GLICO Group with affiliates like GLICO Life Insurance Company, GLICO General Insurance Company, GLICO Healthcare, GLICO Pensions, GLICO Capital, GLICO Properties and a deluge of others glorifying his hard-earned achievements. His star-studded company, being a household brand, has for three decades and running prepared Ghanaians by paving the way with profound education on innovative insurance and financial solutions. Unquestionably, GLICO is a fortified brand and a leader in the insurance and financial services industry in Ghana.
Kwame Achampong insured his life by going through the ropes of educating and enlightening himself to be better placed to achieve his dream. He had his secondary school education at Kumasi Academy and upon completion, made his way to the United Kingdom where he also successfully obtained certificates and degrees from Waltham Forest Technical College, Hammersmith and West London College, City of London Polytechnic, Polytechnic of the South Bank, London. Achampong-Kyei also became an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, UK (ACII).
In the late 80’s, Dr Achampong-Kyei deserted his comfortable and stable life in Britain where he was working with reputable blue-chip company to return home, all in a bid to bring some level of security into the life of the ordinary Ghanaian. After gathering enough experiences and training from American Life in the United Kingdom, where he judiciously rose to the managerial position, the GLICO man felt aptly ready to boldly capitalize on such abilities to forge his own path to attain success.
Candidly, he admits that his decision to leave Britain to set up a life insurance company was hinged on his belief that, “a man cannot sit on another’s sun and shine”. Like a luminary, he set out to pursue his dream of establishing a life insurance company with a vision to bring life insurance to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian household. Back then, the unstable socio-economic challenges that characterized the 1980s were enough to deter any shrewd businessman to pack his idea to a more receptive environment. However, that only spurred the tenacious and hot-blooded businessman. True to form, he lived out the idea he strongly believed in by ‘insuring’ his faith for the success of his business by christening his company Gemini Life Insurance Company, which was later converted into GLICO Life and was incorporated in 1986 with operations commencing in 1987.
Evoking all the necessary qualities to ensure a formidable foundation for the success of the business, Dr Achampong-Kyei exuded and displayed to the maximum his knowledge, skills and experience to markedly grow and develop GLICO to become a leading privately owned life insurance company in Ghana, thereby opening the canal for the flow of other insurance companies to proliferate the country.
Coupled with his affirmed determination to continually take charge of his need to achieve the desired impact, Dr. Achampong has grown and expanded the robust company into other equally viable, niche and high-profile companies to provide employment for hundreds of Ghanaians, thus contributing to the development of the country. Justifiably, the industrious insurer’s vision of being a leader, a world class organization, and a brand of choice in Ghana and the West African sub-region gave him absolute leverage in real estate, healthcare and the pensions arena.
Highly regarded as a go-getter in his sphere of influence, Dr Achampong-Kyei served as an Executive Council Member and General Secretary of the Ghana Insurers Association from 1993-2008. His tenure and leadership led to the formulation of the framework and ethics to champion the operations of the association. Admittedly, he was also instrumental in seeing to it that the identity and image of the association was founded and built on sound insurance principles.
Dr Achampong-Kyei also served on the Board of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club from 2004 – 2006. His stewardship and passion for success projected the team to countless victories and created an indomitable team to reckon with. Featuring prominently also on his achievement list is his instrumental role in initiating and assisting in the establishment of a number of industry code of practice. He was one of the major brains behind the establishment of an oil and gas consortium by name GOGIP, following the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities in Ghana.
Honoured for his outstanding entrepreneurial contributions to society, Dr Achampong-Kyei has received plaudits and awards including the Presidents Club Membership. In 1980, he won the “International Quality Award in Life Underwriting” from the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association, USA. Moreover, he was awarded the “Gold Award” of the American International Group in 1982, the “CIMG Marketing Man of the Year” in 2008 and the “Best Entrepreneur” in Insurance in 2010 which was instituted by the Entrepreneur Foundation of Ghana. Other awards he has under his belt include the “Order of the Volta National Award” in 2008, and a conferment of a Doctorate Degree by the London Graduate School in 2015.
Blurring the lines of impossibilities, Dr Kwame Achampong-Kyei continues to pursue his entrepreneurial passion with dynamism and also inspires the youth to explore and exploit their inherent and God given talents to fully realize their dreams.
