1. What’s the secret to your success?
Being a woman! It’s partly also my commitment to Ghana. I’m hard working, I’m open, and I like to engage with people. I’ve got a positive outlook on life.

2. You’ve been elected president of your country. What’s your priority?
The people of my country would be my priority. I’d probably be that politician on the road corner. How do you engage with people, how do you learn what their needs are so you can address those? I’d focus on bringing the right team of people together to lead the country. No one person can do everything, you need a team to succeed.

3. What about Africa makes you smile most?
Ghana!! The sun, the people…. It’s just what’s in my heart and it’s what I live and breathe. I wake up each day and Ghana motivates me. It’s so rich in resources

4. What made you decide to do what you do?
It kind of happened without planning. You know, you meet someone, you give them the right impression and when they’re looking for that ideal person, it’s going to be you. It happened in my previous job [BusyInternet, red.] and it happened again with Google. It’s a ripple effect: when you give out positive vibes, it comes back to you.

5. Being a role model yourself, who’s your personal role model?
My parents. They’re my guiding principles in life and I thank them for everything I’ve been able to achieve. As I grew up, I liked Kwame Nkruma, the president who took Ghana into independence. And I love Bob Marley, particularly the words in his songs. If you’re feeling down, that’s how you’re uplifted and ready to face the day.

6. What’s your most precious personal possession?
My kids. Sure that’s a possession, I made them! It took me nine months. Nothing else in my life has taken me that long, not even getting the Google job. They’re the most valuable thing in my life. Aside from that, I’d say my car. It’s my freedom. I drive a Toyota Corolla, an automatic. I call it a bumper car, it knows where it goes by itself and gets me there safely.

7. Thinking about the Netherlands, what’s the biggest cliché you can think of?
The bicycles. They’re the first thing that comes to my mind. Although I must say that some of your bikes are a bit outdated. I can hardly believe that anybody would still ride them. A taxi driver told me the other day that the most expensive part of a Dutch bike is usually the padlock to keep it secure.

8. What’s your connection with the Netherlands?
Actually, my granddad was the first Ghanaian who was given legal authorisation to distill alcohol. It used to be illegal to make alcohol in Ghana. It had to be made under the trees, hidden away somewhere. My granddad was engaged in that illegal activity, but he managed to convince the government that they should change that approach. So the Ghanaian government sent my grandfather to the Netherlands to learn how to set up a real distillery. He was trained by Bols and partnered with them to set up Bols Gin in Ghana later on.

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