Dr. Hene Aku Kwapong is a distinguished corporate development expert, governance scholar, and founder with a career spanning global finance, technology, and economic development. Born in Elmina, a Ghanaian village known for its significant role in transatlantic history, Dr. Kwapong’s journey has taken him from the roads of West Africa to the Ivy League institutions and corporate corridors of the United States.

He is the founder and Managing Partner of The Songhai Group, a corporate development company focused on fostering growth and innovation. Complementing this work, he also founded The Practice School, a specialized management program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of senior leadership for African companies. His work in development strategy is further highlighted by his role as a founder of NBOSI (National Blue Ocean Strategy Institute) and as a respected Fellow at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana), where he contributes to discourse on governance and constitutional reform.

Dr. Kwapong’s extensive career in the corporate world includes senior leadership positions at some of the world’s most influential financial and technology institutions. He served as a Vice President at Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., a Senior Manager at Microsoft Corp., and a Vice President at GE Capital. His expertise in finance and operations was further honed as the Chief Operating Officer for EMEA Credit at NatWest Group Plc (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland).

His commitment to public service is evidenced by his impactful tenure as a Senior Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he was involved in shaping economic policy and initiatives for one of the world’s major cities. Today, Dr. Kwapong lends his strategic oversight to several boards, serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Ecobank Ghana Plc and an Independent Director at the Danish real estate investment firm Park Street A/S.

His academic foundation is as impressive as his corporate career. Dr. Kwapong holds a doctorate from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Columbia University, an MBA from the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management, and an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This blend of rigorous academic training and extensive real-world experience across continents uniquely positions him as a leading authority on corporate development, economic strategy, and governance.