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The President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo has today named his incoming Chief of Staff as well as two other deputies.

Ahead of his official inauguration as President on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at the Independence Square, Nana Addo named former Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency Member of Parliament Frema Osei-Opare, as his Chief of Staff.

Francis Asenso-Boakye was named the first deputy Chief of Staff and will be assisted by Mr. Abu Jinapor as second deputy.

Below is a detailed profile of the ‘First Deputy Chief of Staff’ under incoming President Nana Addo’s led administration.

Francis Asenso-Boakye has been Political Assistant to the NPP presidential candidate (now President-elect) Nana Akufo-Addo since 2008.

A development planning, project management, and policy specialist, Asenso-Boakye has over 15 years of wide-ranging professional experience in his field. Prior to joining the staff and campaign of Nana Akufo-Addo, he held positions at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW), Global Media Alliance (GMA), Delta Acquisitions and Development, Delaware, USA, Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan, USA, Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), and Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC).

At MESW, he was a development communication specialist for a program to eliminate child labour in cocoa growing communities in Ghana. In that capacity, he served as secretary to the Technical Working (TWG) on child labour in the cocoa sector and the Joint Working Group (JWG) of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on child labour in the cocoa sector; led Ghana’s engagement with the United States Government and the chocolate industry on efforts to eliminate the practice; and coordinated the development of a Facilitator’s Manual on best practices that has become a blueprint for efforts to eliminate child labour on cocoa farms.

At GMA, where he was Project Manager, Asenso-Boakye managed several of the company's flagship assignments and projects, including Ghana@50 fireworks display at the Independence Square, the Opening & Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 African Cup of Nations, CNN Africa Journalist of the Year Awards, and Africa Union Summit Media Center. He also served as lead consultant for GMA's event consulting work for the Government of Guinea for the Guinea@50 celebrations.

As a Project Analyst at Delta Acquisitions and Development, LLC, Delaware, USA, Asenso-Boakye was responsible for monitoring and evaluating the company’s real estate acquisitions and development and oversaw the construction of 50 homes/duplexes in Dover, Delaware.

Asenso-Boakye also served as a policy and research associate in the Office of State Representative Michael C. Murphy and to the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC) - Michigan House of Representatives, USA, where his work focused on policy and legislative issues affecting the interests of African American and minority communities. He drafted an Issues Book to serve as policy guidance for the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. In 2005, he received a special Tribute from the Michigan House of Representatives in recognition of his exemplary service as a legislative staffer.

Asenso-Boakye also previously worked as a planning officer at GFZB, where, as project manager for the Tema Export Processing Zone (TEPZ), he managed a $50m World Bank financed-project for the provision of off-site infrastructure at the TPEZ, including a road network, water storage, drainage and sewerage system.

For his National Service, Asenso-Boakye was a Research Analyst at GIPC, where he prepared product profiles for potential investors and also served as GIPC’s focal person for an Investment Survey on Ghana conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank.

Francis Asenso-Boakye is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, with a B.Sc. degree in Development Planning. He obtained his Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from Michigan State University, Michigan, USA, as a Rotary Scholar, and also holds a Certificate in Public Sector Management from Tulane University, Louisiana, USA.

He is a former student activist and the founding president of the tertiary students confederacy of the NPP (TESCON)

Francis Asenso-Boakye is married with three kids.