Yvonne N.A. Opare’s story is that of excellence, accomplishments, and commitment to driving long-lasting change. In a stellar career, spanning more than two decades, she has worked in multiple domains, including real estate asset management, business development, strategy development, brand positioning and much more. Now, as Managing Director at Ghana Airports Company Limited, she is enhancing relationships with stakeholders such as airlines, customers, suppliers, and government, in addition to driving rapid revenue growth. Her diverse experience and strategic vision are transforming Ghana’s aviation landscape.
Yvonne has several achievements to her credit, but for her, the most significant milestone of her career so far has been the commissioning and operationalization of the newly built terminal of Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi, Ghana. She worked closely with the Operational Readiness and Airport Transition (ORAT) team, prepared the facility for testing all equipment and IT systems, and ensured training of staff to be in compliance with International Civil Aviation requirements and regulations. Additionally, she was mindful of cultural nuances and successfully synchronized them with global practices. “Today, Prempeh I International Airport is a fully functional, top-notch airport in Kumasi, Ghana,” Yvonne says. “Successfully completing this project is a significant achievement of my career that I am proud of.”
The Interesting Professional Journey
Yvonne’s journey has been interesting so far. “My entrepreneurial spirit swayed me from corporate life very early on in my career path,” she says.
After completing her secondary education in Ghana, Yvonne moved to the United States to further her studies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University in Atlanta, Georgia; later, she obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialisation in Operations Management from American Intercontinental University in Illinois, USA. Instead of returning home after graduation, she began her corporate journey in the U.S., where she had professional work engagements with Fortune 500 companies such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Eli Lilly.
Yvonne also earned a professional real estate license in Georgia, U.S. In the ultra-competitive real estate sector in the U.S., her performance was exceptional. While working at RE/MAX, an international real estate brokerage firm, she achieved remarkable success. For two consecutive years, in 2006 and 2007, Yvonne won the prestigious North American Association of Realtors Million Dollar Sales Club award. After staying for over a decade in the U.S., Yvonne returned to Ghana, motivated by her desire to leverage her wealth of expertise to contribute to national development.
“Another highlight of my career was moving to Ghana and taking up the role of General Manager at a real estate firm,” she says. With no prior work experience in her home country, she had to learn how things work in Ghana and understand its market dynamics. After her time at the real estate firm, Yvonne went on to develop an international-standard brokerage firm, becoming its CEO and earning the honor of being an employer, contributing to national development in the area of human capital. “These are some of the career highlights I achieved before being appointed Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited,” she says.
At the age of 20, Yvonne left the shores of Ghana, but she never considered not returning to her home country. “It was always my dream to return home one day, after completing my bachelor’s degree and gaining work experience, to immerse myself in the workforce, and ultimately give back to my nation in whatever capacity I found myself,” she says.
Dealing with Challenges
Yvonne has worked significantly in the real estate sector. After RE/MAX, she worked at Blackwell Realty Limited and Vantage Real Estate Group – at both these companies, she served in leadership positions. In the real estate sector, one of the major challenges she faced was identifying the right mix of human capital in order to grow a fledgling company. She points out that it was also a challenge to deal with the high staff overturn, which happened primarily because of not identifying the right fit of people. “I, therefore, learned to tap into the resources of professionals whose core job is to headhunt and find the right people,” Yvonne says.
Leveraging International Experience
Yvonne believes that her international experience is playing a pivotal role in her work as Managing Director. “As a frequent traveller before taking on my current role at GACL, I gained an appreciation for how things work at airports around the world,” she says.
Additionally, her professional life prior to her move to Gahana has also made her aware of the best practices across various airports. This, according to her, has made it easier to adopt similar ideas and sell them effectively to different stakeholders in her country.
About Ghana Airports Company Limited
Ghana Airports Company Limited was established as a result of the decoupling of the existing Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in line with modern trends in the aviation industry. Registered in January 2006, it is currently responsible for planning, developing, managing, and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana, including Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Prempeh I International Airport (PIA), Tamale International Airport, Sunyani Airport, Ho Airport, WA Airport, as well as various Airstrips.
The company is committed to providing world-class facilities and services to position Ghana as the preferred aviation hub and leader in West Africa’s airport business.
Key Ingredients for Key Success
As Managing Director, Yvonne oversees a portfolio of six airports—three international and three regional airports. One of her responsibilities is to ensure consensus. “Team deliberations and stakeholder engagements are critical to building consensus,” she says.
She explains that as Ghana Airport Company Limited, a state-owned enterprise, has multiple stakeholders, it is important that they collaborate with them. This results in the smooth running of the operations. Yvonne and her team strive to formulate their game plan together. She points out that they discuss and deliberate extensively, and the viewpoints of all team members are considered before forging a way forward. “This has been the key ingredient to my success in achieving some of my goals so far,” she adds.
Yvonne comes alive when there is a business opportunity on the table for Ghana Airports Company Limited, as she immediately sees opportunities for revenue growth. She believes that a successful business partnership requires critical thinking, calculated risks, and determination of key objectives. “My approach to strategic development is ensuring that Ghana Airports Company emerges significantly better off than it was before entering the partnership,” she explains.
Shaping of Leadership Style
Yvonne believes that exposure to different viewpoints, perspectives, work ethics, cultures, and systems of benchmarking and measuring achievements helps a great deal when an individual steps into a leadership role. “This is what has shaped my leadership style,” she says.
According to her, exposure is essential for leaders, along with a willingness to learn and build tolerance for divergent viewpoints.
A Typical Work-Day
Yvonne is an “early bird.” Most days, she arrives at work by 8 a.m. As a woman of faith, she begins her day with a few minutes of prayer. After that, she jots down all the tasks she needs to tackle, synchronizing this list with her diary to review her appointments for the day.
Every day, she meets with the Group Executives of the company – even if it is only for a few minutes – to get updates on pending issues and to iron out any problems they may have faced during the week.
“I spend part of the day carefully reviewing documents and making decisions on how to proceed with various requests,” Yvonne says.
She not only excels professionally but also leads a fulfilling personal life as a wife and a mother to three children. Her work schedule is demanding; so, how does she maintain a balance between a professional and personal life? “Balancing a high-profile career with family responsibilities is indeed challenging,” Yvonne says. “One has to identify what works best for them in achieving a work-life balance.”
For her, chatting with a friend over a cup of tea or lunch or hanging out with her daughters on a Saturday afternoon at a supermarket – these are all memory-making avenues as well as stress relievers that are important for achieving a work-life balance.
Yvonne is intentional about time management and pays close attention to the needs at her home. “Having a supportive spouse and extended support system also helps tremendously to maintain a work-life balance,” she says.
Intentional About Time Management
Yvonne underscores that she is intentional about time management. She is focused on writing down her overall goals and objectives, her daily tasks, and allocating her time properly to ensure she achieves them as much as possible within her control.
“I’m also intentional about spending time with my family, whether it’s sharing a meal or taking time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life,” she says.
Leaving a Legacy
During her tenure as Managing Director at Ghana Airport Company Limited, Yvonne wishes to leave a lasting impact on three key areas.
The first is capacity building and welfare. She aims to be remembered as the Managing Director who built capacity with staff training and staff promotions where deserved, and who paid specific attention to issues pertaining to the general welfare of employees.
The second area is infrastructure development. Yvonne would like to be remembered as the leader who facilitated and implemented critical projects such as the much-needed overlay of the 30-year-old Kotoka International Airport runway, and building a head office that had been on the books for 17 years, and refurbishment of the Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 2, helping to decongest the existing terminal and creating a more pleasant passenger experience for travellers.
Lastly, Yvonne’s focus is on being the champion of business development for Ghana Airports Company Limited. She wants to be remembered as the Managing Director who successfully brokered the partnership that established an Aircraft Mechanic Training School in Tamale and a Maintenance and Repair of Aircraft Operations in Ghana. These initiatives boosted revenue growth and broadened the company’s income streams, according to her.
“I envision GACL playing a key role in Ghana’s infrastructure development in terms of expansion of various airports and the development of non-aeronautical revenues at all airports across the country,” she adds.
Message to Aspiring Women Leaders in Africa
Yvonne firmly believes that women are fantastic leaders, especially when they set their minds to it. They possess the right balance of empathy, emotional intelligence, grit, and stamina to achieve their goals, according to her. She is currently witnessing the emergence of a new generation of women who are at the forefront of leadership. “That is refreshing to see,” she says. She points out that more women will climb the ladder and become successful when more African girls are educated and exposed to the world.
Yvonne advises aspiring women leaders to stay focused on their goals and aspirations. She encourages them to create a pathway to achieving those goals and to be persistent in pursuing them. Above all, she tells aspiring women leaders never to give up.
“When you feel like giving up, it’s okay to take a break, but it’s never okay to give up entirely,” Yvonne adds.
