Dr. Henry Shirazu Alhassan is a highly accomplished expert in development finance, an educator, and a strategist, boasting a distinguished career that spans over two decades in banking, policy formulation, research, academia, and consulting.
He currently serves as the General Manager and Head of the Knowledge and Exhibition Centre at the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM), a role in which he has been instrumental in conceptualising and establishing the department. Under his leadership, the Centre was operationalised with well-crafted policies and operational manuals, contributing to GEXIM’s institutional knowledge sharing and public engagement.
Before this, Dr. Alhassan played a pioneering role in establishing the Bank’s Recovery Department, where he developed foundational policies, operational tools, and reporting structures that ensured the department’s efficiency. He has also served as the Director of Corporate Affairs and International Relations at GEXIM, spearheading strategic partnerships and positioning the newly established institution within Ghana’s development finance landscape.
His previous role as Director of Corporate Planning and Communications at the Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Development Fund (EDAIF)—the precursor to GEXIM—proved pivotal. He spearheaded the development and implementation of corporate strategy, business development, research, and communication functions, significantly enhancing the institution’s export financing initiatives. As a central figure in the transition from EDAIF to GEXIM, he played a crucial role in shaping the institution’s strategic vision, branding, and policy development.
Before his tenure at GEXIM and EDAIF, Dr. Alhassan served as the Policy and Strategy Implementation Coordinator at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), where he spearheaded efforts to merge agricultural policy lending with commercial banking. His technical insights significantly shaped policies that increased ADB’s agricultural lending portfolio from 15% to 28% of total loanable funds between 2009 and 2012.
Dr. Alhassan has worked across various sectors, including government, international development, academia, and media. His academic contributions encompass lecturing and tutoring at institutions such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University of East Anglia, and the London College of Management Studies. His teaching and research interests cover development policy, environment, agriculture, climate change, and corporate governance.
As a skilled consultant, he has provided support for UN, World Bank, EU, and bilateral donor projects in agriculture, environmental issues, and communication. His roles in the public sector have encompassed positions at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ghana Education Service, and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.
Dr. Alhassan holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Development Studies, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), an MSc in Environment and Development, and a Diploma in Journalism. His academic interests centre on development finance, agricultural and climate finance, sustainability policies, environmental governance, political ecology, and the global competitiveness of organisations.
