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Jael Agyei Akyeampong makes giant strides in hospitality industry …inspires young talents
● Jael inspires young girls and women to rise to the top
In 2021, she was nominated the ‘Rising Star’ at the Pyne Hospitality & Tourism Awards held in Nigeria and subsequently adjudged the ‘Most Admired Female Hospitality Professional’ at the Hospitality Awards held in Ghana the same year.
Few years on, she continues to make remarkable strides and inspires young people to take up leadership roles and contribute positively to the fast-growing hospitality industry.
She is a professional hotelier with over ten years of experience, a Certified Hotel General Manager (CHGM), a Gender Advocate and the Director of Administration at the African Association of Women in Tourism & Hospitality (AAWTH).
JOURNEY
At age 10, she dreamt of becoming a flight attendant but later switched to her current field after discovering the prospects in the sector.
Responding to questions by The Spectator, she said the decision to pursue a career in hospitality hinged on “the diversity, opportunities and the fulfillment that comes from making a guest happy.”
Mrs. Akyeampong holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Hospitality Management from University of Derby, United Kingdom (UK) and Executive Masters in Hotel Management from Les Roches Global Marbella Spain in addition to a Diploma in Travel & Tourism from Enfield College (UK).
After completing internship at JW Marriott Hotel in London, she worked at Marriott Hotel, Accra and with travel agencies in the UK. She has also volunteered at Nightingale House Hospice, Wrexham UK as well as Bawso Limited (UK).
She started as Front Office Manager (Receptionist) in October 2019 prior to assuming her current role at RB Park- Hill Hotel Ghana.
Apart from her managerial duties, Mrs. Akyeampong is also the Country Chair of ‘G100’— a group of influential women leaders from across the world aiming to create an equal, progressive and inclusive environment for women worldwide.
MENTORSHIP
As a Talent Agent, she serves as a role model to young women within the hospitality Industry. She is the Founder of Teens Tourism and Hospitality Club – which aims at bringing teenagers between ages 13-17 together through mentorship and coaching sessions, educational trips, while encouraging them to pursue higher education.
The young Managing Director is committed to helping young people discover, improve their potentials and expand their networks. She further wants to empower more women to strive for excellence in their respective roles in the hospitality industry.
She admits the challenge in combining personal and professional life but says constant support from her family lessened the task and responsibilities in her current role.
“As a female leader in the Hospitality Industry, you need to work harder to prove yourself. It has been quite challenging working long and odd hours to prove yourself as well as have enough time to take care of your family. Thankfully, with the support of my family, I am able to assert myself in the industry to become what I am now,” she said.
ACHIEVEMENTS
In addition to other accomplishments, she had won the Travel & Tourism Excellence Award issued by the College of Enfield, Haringey and North East London.
In 2022, she was named among the ‘Top 10 Hospitality Influencers’ in Africa and was again listed among the ‘100 Most Powerful People in Africa’s Travel and Hospitality Industry by the International Hospitality Institute.
She also emerged the ‘Most Outstanding Female in Hospitality’ issued in 2022 by Feminine Ghana Achievement Awards.
RB Park-Hill Hotel Ghana, which she currently leads, was adjudged the ‘Best Accommodating Hotel’ by the Hospitality Awards in 2021 — an achievement Mrs. Akyeampong has attributed to improved customer care and service delivery as well as positive feedback from clients.
She praised her team and other professionals in the industry for the progress made over the years as they work harder to make their respective companies and the industry more lucrative.
VISION
Mrs. Akyeampong envisions her travel company (The Haven Honeymoon Concierge) to become the most preferred “honeymoon travel company” as she is aiming at establishing more offices across the country.
“I want to own a Boutique Hotel in the next five years and continue to be a role model to young women in the industry by providing coaching and training sessions and guide them on their career paths,” she says.
Considering the significant role of the hospitality industry in creating jobs, she believes “heavy investment” in the sector should be the plan of government and the private sector while efforts were made to support young people to develop their ideas and enterprises.
ADVICE
Mrs. Akyeampong loves traveling, reading and meditating. She encourages young people to find a mentor who would help develop their skillset and potentials.
“Don’t forget to surround yourself with positive people, take up voluntary work and internships. Never underestimate yourself; love and be passionate about what you do.
“In every caterpillar, there is a butterfly ready to stretch its wings and soar to greatness.” Young people have greatness inside them that’s just waiting to be released, similar to the butterfly,” she says.
By Ernest Nutsugah
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
