My new path - introducing Belinda as our head of investor relations
Meet Belinda Kugblenu, our new colleague at Brighter Investment. Belinda will work closely with our CEO Thijs Mathot to provide existing and new investors with the best investment experience possible. Belinda will reach out to new investors, update existing investors about their investments, and share investment related news with the larger world. Two days into her job the office closed due to Covid-19 and Belinda has been working from her floral bedroom since. So for now you’ll hear from her through emails and by phone. But as soon as travel restrictions lift, you will meet her at conferences and events near you. Here is Belinda’s background story:
Society constantly tries to tell us which career paths are interesting and rewarding, but should we pay attention to what it says all the time? I still remember the days when I dreamt of being a medical doctor. The mere idea of being in a white lab coat excited me more than anything else at that time despite not having the slightest idea of what becoming a medical doctor entailed.
My decision to switch from my childhood lab coat fantasies was taken one evening in 1999. I remember falling in love with a newscaster whose poise and command of the English language got me staring in awe and admiration. Since that evening, I never missed the evening news for anything in the world. I wanted to be like her; to sit in front of the cameras and read the news. Yet again, I had no idea what being an on-air personality entailed. I assumed that if I could communicate excellently in the English language, nothing could stop me from being the next Gifty Anti. Growing up, also my dreams to read the news waned. As I became more self-aware, I started to see the world as a huge hub of opportunities and realized that I could be anything I wanted to be. I didn’t want to be the next Gifty Anti or next anyone else, I want to be a unique me; making a difference in the world. Now, that is my definition of absolute freedom.
But despite losing interest in becoming a newscaster, my love for the English language remained. This had the lucky consequence that it made my parents transfer me to a good private school where I could pursue my interest in the English language without any hindrance. Every student in my new school was so smart! So much so that initially this realization shook my morale and confidence. Looking back now though, being part of a class of children smarter than I had ever been part of before, only expanded my ambition. And upon completing my basic education I got accepted into one of the best high schools in Ghana.
The first days at this new school I couldn’t help but feel accomplished. After all, I had indeed proved my mettle by doing well in a school I was initially scared to compete in. However, it didn’t take long to realize that this new high school was yet in a different league with more ambitious students than I could have ever imagined. My classmates didn’t want to be doctors and lawyers and journalists like my mates in basic school. They wanted to be presidents and CEOs. Comparing their ambitions to mine, I realized I had to step up my ambitions once again, as there was more life could offer than I had initially thought.
Before I knew it, I was graduating from high school with high hopes. I wanted nothing more at that time than to get an offer from the University of Ghana. It appeared to be the perfect place for honing my business skills and for developing my new found interest in the business world. I got accepted into Ghana’s premier university and began my journey towards realizing my new found love for the business world. My classmates were the best and brightest Ghana has to offer. But by now I had recognized the pattern: a child’s ambition can only be as large as the world they live in. Education has the possibility to expand that world and that way raise the bar of what we hope to accomplish.
Applying this lesson, I began my professional journey as a Finance Assistant with a research institute associated with the University of Ghana. In my role, I helped graduate students realize their dream of attaining a Masters’ or Doctorate degree through scholarships. As a next step, I took on the role of an Audit Associate. I wanted to practice more of what I had learned at the university. However, I wondered if towing this path was going to make me happy and if it was going to avail me of the opportunity of making an impact in the world. So my search began for a unique position where I could practice business and change the world at the same time.
And that’s how I got to join yet another bright group of individuals with yet a new level of ambition: As an Investor Relations Manager with Brighter Investment I get to practice my business skills and change the world at the same time. I knew immediately that this was the role I was looking for and I accepted the offer with so much enthusiasm I couldn’t wait to get started. Together we are going to ensure that every talented student in the world can pursue higher education. Education that will expand their worlds, and raise the bar of what they ambition to accomplish. The future is bright!
