Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama announced yesterday the appointment of Mrs. Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei as new chair of the country?s Electoral Commission (EC).
She will succeed Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who will retire this month after chairing the EC for about two decades, said a statement signed by Julius Debrah, chief of staff to the Ghanaian president.
In 2011, the late President John Evans Atta Mills appointed Mrs. Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei as the Chairperson for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to replace Mr Larry Bimi, who died in July the same year.?.
The appointment was made in consultation with the Council of State, a statement signed by the former Secretary to the President J.K. Bebaako-Mensah has said.
Prior to the appointment, Mrs Osei was the founder and Lead Counsel of Prime Attorneys, a leading law firm in Accra. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Commercial Bank Limited and the Ghana Reinsurance Company Limited.
Charlotte Osei has significant experience in several facets of Law with particular specialization in Corporate/Business Law, banking, investment and employment law.
Mrs. Osei holds an LLB degree from the University of Ghana and was admitted to the Ghanaian Bar in 1994. She also holds a Master of Laws degree from Queens University Canada and Masters in Business Leadership from University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Mrs. Osei had earlier served as a Senior Legal Officer for the Ghana Commercial Bank and as a Company Secretary/Legal Adviser for the Unibank Ghana Limited.
In her practice as a lawyer, she has focused on corporate and commercial Law, with particular emphasis on transactions, corporate financing and restructuring, banking and finance, investment.
Professional Profile
Appointed by the President as Chairperson for NCCE with a strong track record in public service management, institutional reform and transformation. Excellent knowledge of constitutional law and corporate and regulatory legal systems in Anglophone Africa. Extensive experience as a Board Member for a number of African causes, demonstrates considerable expertise within corporate law, banking, insurance, project financing and public/private partnerships. Excels in providing comprehensive legal advice on compliance and regulatory requirements across multiple industries, and within the private and public sectors. Significant expertise in negotiating and structuring transactions and providing support for Ghanaian companies, foreign investors and international development agencies. Committed to delivering excellent strategic advice and leadership for public sector institutions, and national and multinational institutions and companies, builds effective working relationships with stakeholders at all professional levels.
Career Summary
2011 ? Present Chairperson, National Commission for Civic Education
Providing education to Ghanaians on their civic rights and responsibilities, voter education and knowledge of Ghana?s Constitution in order to strengthen Ghana?s democracy. Involves managing 1700+ staff in over 200 offices nationwide.
2005 ? 2011 Founder and Lead Counsel, Prime Attorneys (Business Lawyers)
2002 ? 2005 General Counsel & Company Secretary, Unibank (Ghana) Limited, Accra
1997 ? 2002 Senior Legal Officer, Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd
1997 ? 2003 Lecturer (Part-time) [Commercial Law, Company Law, Law of Contracts] Faculty of Law, University of Ghana
1994 – 1997 Associate Barrister and Solicitor, Laryea, Laryea & Company, Accra
1994 – 1995 Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon
Director / Board-level Experience
2014 – Present Member, Advisory Board, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
2012 – Present Vice Chair, African Capacity Building Foundation, Harare, Zimbabwe
2012 – Present Member, Board of Governors, Dominion University College, Accra
2009 – Present Non-Executive Director, Ghana Reinsurance Company Ltd
2009 ? 2012 Non-Executive Director, Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd
Education and Qualifications
Masters (MBL) Business Leadership, University of South Africa, Pretoria (2006)
Masters (LLM) Law, Queen?s University, Kingston, Canada (1996)
Qualifying Certificate Law, Practicing Certificate to work as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Ghana School of Law, Accra, Ghana (1994)????????????????????????
LLB (Hons) Law, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (1992) (Second Class Upper Division)
Awards
1996 Faculty of Law, Queen?s University, Canada
E.S. Aidoo/Ghana School of Law, Best Student in Conveyancing & Drafting
1994 F.K. Apaloo/Ghana School of Law, Best Student in Company Law & Practice
1992 Ghana Bar Association, Excellence, LLB Final Examinations, University of Ghana
1991 Volta Hall Award, Best Arts Results, First University Examinations, University of Ghana
Professional Development/ Certificates
Notary Public, Republic of Ghana (2010)
Structuring & Negotiating Legal Agreements for PPP Projects: Concession Law, Procurement and Contracts, Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA (2009)
PPP Skills & Competency Development, Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Arlington, VA, USA (2009)
Basic & Advanced Securities, Securities Selling & Investment Advice, Ghana Stock Exchange, Accra (1997)
Publications
? ?Challenges Facing Ghanaian Youth? Paper presented at the 61st Annual New Year School, University of Ghana. January 2010
? ?Governance in the Past Fifty Years & Challenges for the Future: Examining The Relevance of Ghana?s Educational Policies? Paper presented at the 58th Annual New Year School, University of Ghana. January 2007
? ?An Assessment of the National Labour Commission of Ghana? 2006. Unpublished dissertation submitted to the University of South Africa
? ?Citizenship, Customary Law and a Gendered Jurisprudence: A Socio-Legal Perspective.? C. Kesson-Smith and W. Tettey (2001. Wisdom Tettey et al. Critical Perspectives on Politics and Socio-Economic Development in Ghana, Leiden, Brill Publishers)
? ?Remedies for International Sellers of Goods in Ghana? (1998: Centre for International Legal Studies: Release 3 July, 1998 on ?Remedies for International Sellers of Goods?)
? ?Reclaiming Ourselves?? Re-examining the Status of Ghanaian Women Under Customary Law.? 1996. Unpublished dissertation submitted to Queen?s University, Canada
? ?Property Rights of Widows in Ghana- An Assessment of the Intestate Succession Law, PNDCL 111
Source-Spyghana.com
