September 16, 2019
When Ruweida Salifu ’14 became Entertainment Chairperson on the Student Council, Ashesi had spent barely over a year at our new campus in Berekuso. With the campus still evolving recreational facilities for students, she shared responsibility for developing creative student life and engagement activities. Over that period, she would become recognized as one of Ashesi’s most storied student council executives. From organizing one of the most memorable student awards events to pop-up concerts, Ruweida led a team of peers to strengthen a culture of student-driven campus activity.
“Rather than pine about the absence of the city life we had in our rented Labone campus, and its attendant limited entertainment options, we learned to focus on making do with the resources we had,” she recalls. The experience taught her a lot about designing experiences for people. Planning events and activities for students who had changing needs and different expectations for recreation was a phase of deep learning. And at graduation, Ruweida was named a recipient of the President’s Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship award.
In hindsight, her experiences on the Student Council at Ashesi set her on a path to the work she does today – Marketing and Public Relations Manager for one of Accra’s leading hotels, the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra. In her role, she leads the hotel’s communications; from approving key branding material and social media messaging, to coordinating events for the hotel and its guests.
“I have to be on my toes every day, working to present the hotel’s services in the best way possible,” she explains. “No two days are the same, and this fuels me. We have a task to deliver the best, to meet and exceed the high expectations our guests have of us. It’s a promise we cannot go back on.”
And for a hotel that serves clients from around the world, keeping this promise is a daily task of managing unpredictable outcomes. “We do our best, but sometimes we may leave gaps that lead to dissatisfied guests,” she explained. “It is a job that leaves very little margins for error, but we are always evolving and working to ensure that these are situations we see less of.”
Ghana, like many other countries on the continent, has significant resources for tourism. And with the country increasingly becoming a point of reference for first-time visitors to the continent, the potential of the industry continues to grow. For Ruweida, hotels like hers play a key role in helping make Ghana a tourist haven. Helping ensure consistent delivery of world-class service is an important part of this role.
“If we do our work well at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, not only do we help provide world-class hospitality in Ghana, but most importantly we help move the needle for Ghana’s tourism industry,” she shares. “I am committed to ensuring all our brand touchpoints are offering the highest standards of service with the remarkable warmth and hospitality Ghanaians are renowned for, and ensuring this is communicated.”
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