Head of Production Department @ Agro Kings Food Limited, Ghana
My name is George Okaikwei Okaiteye, a Ghanaian and an employee of Agro Kings Food Limited, Ghana. I am the Head Production Officer at Agro Kings Foods Limited. I started working for Agro Kings in 2020 as a casual staff until the nation's lockdown directives were made by the government. From my observation, COVID might have created an avenue/opportunity for individuals like me to work permanently at the production site without going out of the site walls and following all prevention protocols as we are majorly into food production. Speaking of COVID-19, I was later promoted on a permanent basis, that was how my leadership role began. The work culture so far has been amazing, and I am grateful to reinvent my career – by learning on the go, learning the act of communicating with my team members (leading by example), showing some form of empathy and putting consumers first).
What were the biggest initial hurdles and how did you overcome them?
One of the hurdles I faced as I got employed was the fact that I had less idea or knowledge about “rice farming” and the agricultural sector as a whole. My only experiences were based on the brewery industry. My employer was an inspiration as he told me during our first meeting that he believes in building capacities and even if it's not my field of experience, if I believe I can do it, I will definitely achieve it. This pushed me to overcome my fears and now I can boldly talk and share my experiences when it comes to rice farming and food production.
Your advice to an upcoming youth or talents locally and internationally?
My advice to anyone will be "never be afraid to try something new out of your comfort zone because that might be where your breakthrough cometh from". Be open to opportunities and don't let the challenges you face be a barrier to achieve greatness. I'm glad I could share this with you. I hope this makes an impact and a source of inspiration to other humble beginners like me. Thank you.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter: @floeazyrocks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/floeazyrocks