I was born and raised with the mentality to study hard in school and find a good job. Growing up, I felt there was more to my life than just getting a good job. I always found myself wanting to do the impossible. I was a woman who loved and pursued Math to the tertiary level and that’s rare in the typical African setting. After school, I interned at Standard Chartered and that’s where my desire to work in Treasury was ignited. I was so passionate about it and tried to get in at Standard Chartered but it seemed difficult at the time. So, I got in at GTBank Ghana and that’s where I honed my skills in fixed income trading and other areas of treasury management. I have always wanted to nurture and grow a business. I am the founder and CEO of Savvy Securities, a broker dealer firm that provides access to over-the-counter markets across a full range of asset classes and their associated derivatives. We are a women-led organization in a male dominated industry and strongly believe in women and the role women can play in our financial markets.
What were the biggest initial hurdles and how did you overcome them?
Fear was one of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome. The fear of whether I would be able to succeed and the fear of the unknown. I just had to make the decision to START!
What books are you currently reading?
Becoming by Michelle Obama and My Vision by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
No, my family and friends have been nothing but a source of support for me and have always encouraged me through the hard times. I will choose the same family and friends in my second life!
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your success?
I see success as a journey not a destination and one key thing that helps me on this journey is my faith in God because I am confident that He will never leave me and is the major reason for my success.
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started?
I wish I knew that business takes time to build. I easily got frustrated in the beginning because I thought I wasn’t working hard enough. But now I know that a strong business is built on a solid foundation that may grind slowly but surely. I also wish I knew that trust was a very precious gift in the journey of entrepreneurship. You need to be careful who you trust and be wary of who you discuss your future plans with.
What advice would you give to an upcoming youth or talents locally and internationally?
Don’t give up on your dream! Develop a strong mind and take little steps towards your dream by setting goals. Keep pushing and be persistent because you will always face setbacks. Be patient and work hard and smart, things will fall into place.
