Joanna Asiedu ’14 had always been eager to contribute to the growth of her family business, even as a child. G&J Technical Services, started by her father 25 years ago, has been an industry leader in providing power and backup power services for some of the biggest energy clients within the country. However, after graduating from Ashesi, she accepted a job offer in the financial services industry, working for one of the largest investment banks in Africa.

“I felt it best to get some corporate experience before moving into the family business,” she said. “Working with a bank that had the organisational structures and established governance processes was something I was interested in. The goal was to learn even more and incorporate the experiences when I joined the family business. I’m glad I took that path.”

Following a two-year stint, Joanna eventually came back to the family business. And since joining, she has been instrumental in helping improve efficiency within the firm, rolling out service application platforms, developing structural processes and policy, and leading in-house training for staff. Joanna also works closely with her father to develop and implement strategy, as the company expands its services to take advantage of developments within the energy sector.

Balancing relationship dynamics 
While Joanna’s contribution has been impactful to the company, she has also learned to navigate some of the nuances of working in a family business. 

“Disagreeing over decisions is a normal part of work,” she shares. “If we didn’t have conflict, it wouldn’t feel natural. But I’ve learned to not bring work home, and to separate disagreements at work from family conversations. Without the balance, there can be issues. I have tried to avoid that.” 

“There’s also the unspoken need to prove your worth to colleagues who’ve been in the business for years,” Joanna adds. “Not only do you have to prove yourself in maintaining efficiency of existing operations, but you also have to be thoughtful in introducing new policies and ideas to operations. Thankfully my father and the team at G&J have helped make the transition manageable for me.” 

Handing over to the next generation

For Joanna’s father Godfrey Asiedu who looks forward to stepping back from the business, the firm was built with the same principles with which he raised his family. 

“Trust, loyalty, hard work and responsibility, are some of the most important values in building anything to last,” he shares. “We’ve built G&J around these values, and these are the same values I try to live by and share every day. As my children become more and more involved, I am hoping they can carry this on to the next generation.” 

And as the world begins to turn to cleaner sources of energy, G&J has started developing its own capacity to keep up with the shift. “This is a high point to step back and support the younger leadership of the company,” adds Mr. Asiedu.