President - WestPark Ghana

The President of WestPark Enterprises will develop and grow a modern hub for trade and production in West Africa. The emerging WestPark already counts Bosch, DHL and Standard Bank among its tenants and has attracted interest from several multinational companies that are seeking to locate assembly and manufacturing facilities in West Africa.  

The WestPark is a 405-acre commercial, industrial and residential development in a strategic location in Takoradi in Ghana’s Western Region, which generates 60% of Ghana’s GDP. The mixed-use development addresses challenges – including access to reliable power, water, transport and telecommunications – that often confront companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Providing modern and reliable infrastructure, the WestPark offers custom-built warehouses, factories, offices, and retail space to its tenants in conjunction with business development services to ease their entry into the world’s fastest-growing market.

The President will attract tenants, define the strategy and actions to add value to the Park and tenants' businesses and ensure that the construction and operations of the WestPark are executed to the highest standards and enjoy continued support from the local community.

In fulfilling this role, the President will:

• Develop a leasing and sales strategy to identity and attract tenants to the WestPark, leveraging and growing a network of brokers and negotiating directly with prospective tenants;
• Lead and grow a small team to complete the 53-acre Launch Phase of the WestPark and build out the remainder of the 405-acre development with a mix of industrial, commercial and residential zones;
• Position the WestPark as the leading industrial park in West Africa, delivering value to its tenants;
• Leverage his/her and BlackIvy’s networks and industry experience to secure debt and equity capital for the WestPark’s development phases and propose and execute on an optimal funding strategy;

• Oversee, through the recruitment and supervision of dedicated project management talent, the construction of the WestPark’s infrastructure and buildings, consistent with budget parameters, milestones and international building standards;
• Identify and deliver opportunities for the WestPark to grow, both by expanding geographically beyond its initial development and by deepening the scope of value-added services the WestPark offers to its tenants;
• Supervise the WestPark’s operations to provide a market-leading, competitive operating environment for its tenants;
• Engage with public and private stakeholders and facilitate an open and collaborative relationship with surrounding communities; and,
• Maximize the impact of the WestPark, in terms of job creation, adding value to indigenous resources, recruiting new business entrants to West Africa and attracting meaningful foreign direct investment to Ghana.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate:

•  has more than 10 years’ experience in developing and managing commercial/industrial real estate, preferably in Africa or other emerging markets
• is experienced in attracting multinational corporations as tenants to a commercial/industrial real estate development, including developing and leading tenant acquisition strategies, collaborating with brokers and concluding lease negotiations
• is adept at structuring commercial/industrial real estate projects, securing both debt and equity capital for expansion
• possesses excellent organization, attention to detail and highly-developed interpersonal skills with a demonstrated track record of collaborative leadership in a fast-paced and diverse team environment
• shows relentless commitment to good governance and ethical business practices. BlackIvy has a zero-tolerance policy on corrupt business practices and will not proceed with projects or conduct any activities where we determine a misalignment of our core values

Candidates for the role should embody BlackIvy’s core values: Partnership, Relentlessness, Forthrightness, Humility, Imagination and Courage.