Group Chairman of the McDan Group, Dr. Daniel McKorley, is one of Ghana’s top serial entrepreneurs whose selfless commitment and investments have helped to create jobs and wealth for thousands of young Ghanaians. Through his charity organisation, McDan Foundation, he has also contributed meaningfully to society through various social and economic interventions.
His desire to create opportunities for the youth led him to introduce the McDan Entrepreneurial Challenge (MEC), a competition that solicits, nurtures and supports workable business ideas of young and budding entrepreneurs.
Dr. McKorley’s contribution to the domestic entrepreneurial landscape and society at large has seen him scoop several awards over the course of his journey, his latest being the “Outstanding Entrepreneur CEO of the Decade 2010 -2020” at the 10th anniversary edition of the Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executives Awards.
In this interview, Dr. McKorley shares his aspirations and passion for entrepreneurship and how he is changing the mindset of the Ghanaian youth from job-chasing to job-making.
You have been recognized among the top Ghanaian entrepreneurs of the decade, which is a reputable achievement. As a serial wealth creator, what fascinates you about entrepreneurship and how did you become one of Ghana’s top business moguls?
DM: I am an ardent believer in the can-do spirit, very resourceful and a man of integrity. I have come this far by the grace of God and through hard work. I never give up no matter the challenges.
It’s not that easy to start and nurture a young business, but you have overseen and built a chain of top globally-accepted Ghanaian brands. How did you navigate the various obstacles as a young entrepreneur to get to where you sit today?
DM: Continuous persistence pays. Risk taking has its rewards and making the right investment. Once I set my heart on a project, I give it my all with a lot of discipline and commitment.
As a serial entrepreneur, you have set up various initiatives to groom young Ghanaians from job-chasers to self-made business persons. What is the motivation and drive behind these noble acts?
DM: Entrepreneurship is what Ghana and Africa needs. I believe in investing in the dreams of young entrepreneurs for jobs and wealth creation. I do that through mentoring and providing critical funding to support and promote viable projects. Giving back to society is my passion.
One of your numerous projects is the McDan Entrepreneurial Challenge (MEC). Tell us about how that idea started and how it has helped to shift the mindset of the youth towards entrepreneurship?
DM: The MEC was my idea to reduce unemployment among the Ghanaian youth and inspire the youth of Ghana to believe in their dreams. Through MEC, we have been able to train several hundreds of young entrepreneurs in both skills and business development, and created thousands of jobs for the country. Through MEC, we have restored hope to a lot of Ghanaian youth who otherwise would have risked their lives travelling to Europe through the deserts of North Africa. We are a building a modern shea nut factory for the Winner of MEC. Alko Shea in Nasia in the Northern Region. I have invested over 2 million cedis in supporting viable entrepreneurship development through my Foundation.
Apart from promoting entrepreneurship, you have invested extensively in various disciplines such as sports and also carried out social responsibilities in several communities across the country. What is driving these selfless commitments?
DM: Giving back to society, particularly the poor and vulnerable, is my passion, and it is the right thing to do. I have been there before and I have suffered a lot while growing up and I share whatever God has blessed me with the poor. I have constructed modern Astro turfs for sports development in Labadi and La. I am about building a multi-million dollar modern sports complex in Bwaleshie and Teshie. I have enrolled hundreds of needy but brilliant students in basic and tertiary institutions. The McDan Foundation pays medical bills of so many needy patients, and we recently donated three (3) dialysis machines with special chairs to the 37 Military Hospital. And we will continue to do more!
There is this debate about the mismatch between industry and academia that has created a huge backlog of unemployed graduates in the county. What is your view on this from the perspective of career development?
DM: Academia is not producing the type and quality of human resource needed to develop Ghana, especially in the 21st Century. A lot of people graduate from the university with degrees and yet are not fit-for-purpose for industry. I don’t employ certificates! I employ people with the right attitude, skill sets and passion to succeed.
What would you recommend as possible measures for improving the entrepreneurial environment in Ghana?
DM: Government is doing its best to create the enabling environment for socio-economic development. I think we should empower the universities to shift their emphasis from book- knowledge to proper skills training for industrial development. We should encourage artisanal training, for example, in bricks and tiles laying, metal fabrication, technology development, automobile engineering, basic agricultural engineering, etc. We should set up more skills development centres across the country and provide funding for micro and small-scale businesses to grow and develop. Already I am showing leadership through the McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge to build the capacities of the youth for jobs and wealth creation.
What significant role does one’s social networks and linkages play in his/her entrepreneurial journey, and in what ways have your social ties impacted on your success as a business leader?
DM: Social networks and linkages are critical for business development, and I have come this far largely because I have developed strong strategic networks with critical stakeholders, and through these channels we have worked together to develop new ideas, products and services for the betterment of society. I encourage the youth to lead exemplary lives and deliberately choose their friends and partners if they want to climb up.
Credit: Business24 e-Newspaper