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Diasporia News of Thursday, 9 April 2015

Source: John Kelly

President Obama invites budding Ghanaian journalist

The Managing Editor of Business Day Newspaper, Felix Dela Klutse, has been selected as a Fellow of President Barack Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Program.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the US President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which aims to bring 500 most promising young leaders in Africa under the age of 35 to the White House and top U.S. universities for a period of six-weeks for leadership training, academic coursework, mentoring, and networking opportunities.
While in US, Mr. Klutse will be interacting with President Obama at a three–day Presidential Summit, to be held in the White House in Washington DC. During the summit, he will also have the opportunity to interact with prominent U.S. leaders in the fields of business, government, and the non-profit sector.
He will also participate in an intensive six weeks academic and leadership program at the prestigious Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he would be studying Business and Entrepreneurship track. Northwestern University has been ranked as one of the top universities in the world.
“I intend to come back home with fresh ideas, and great leadership skills to continue the good work I have started in Ghana,” Mr. Klutse stated.
He continued: “I strongly believe the fellowship program will arm me with the skills and experience required to become a better professional.”
The 2015 Washington Fellows were selected based on a proven record of leadership and accomplishment in public service, business and entrepreneurship, or civic engagement; demonstrated commitment to community service and a commitment to apply their leadership skills to benefit their home country and Africa, among other criteria.
Mr Klutse is expected to leave Ghana in June this year. Upon completion of the U.S.-based program in August, he will continue his fellowship in Ghana where he will have access to ongoing professional development, networking, and a variety of possible funding sources.
“On behalf of the U.S. government, I congratulate you again on your selection as a Mandela Washington Fellow. I share President Obama’s vision for the Mandela Washington Fellowship and believe that your commitment, courage, and “yes, we can” attitude will lead sub-Saharan Africa into a new age of prosperity as it takes its place on the world stage,” a congratulatory letter from the US Embassy in Accra has stated.

Profile of Felix Dela Klutse
Mr Klutse is an award-winning journalist with over 13 years’ experience in various fields of journalism. He is currently the Managing Editor of Business Day, a 48-page business and financial newspaper in Ghana, which has a subsidiary in Nigeria.
Before joining the publication, Mr Klutse was the Managing Editor of Ghana Business & Finance, an upscale monthly business magazine, which focuses on serving the information needs of Ghana’s top-tier media readership. He also worked at Daily Guide Newspaper as a Business Editor, Economic Tribune Newspaper as Managing Editor, as well as The Statesman Newspaper, and Information Services Department.
He was adjudged the Best Business News Reporter in Africa for 2010 during the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards held in London. The award is dedicated to honoring journalists and media organizations’ that have gone the extra mile to promote the African continent.
Mr Klutse was also adjudged the Winner of the 2011 Citi Journalistic Excellence Award, an elite programme administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in the United States of America in collaboration with Citigroup, a global financial institution.
He was the first Ghanaian journalist to have won the aforementioned two awards since their inception in 2003 and 1982 respectively.
He was further adjudged the Print Journalist of the Year 2012 during the maiden Gold Business Journalism Awards sponsored by World Bank and the Ghanaian business community.
In 2014, Mr Klutse was adjudged the 2014 Best Business and Financial Journalist during the prestigious IFEJ-Flamingo Awards for business and financial journalism organized by Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) in collaboration with the World Bank and the Ghanaian business community.
He also swept two other awards during the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards namely the Best Reporter in Agribusiness and the Best Reporter in Finance.
Mr. Klutse holds an Executive MBA from the University of Ghana Business School (Marketing option). He also holds Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from University of Ghana with First Class Honours, Diploma in Communications Studies, as well as Diploma in Newspaper Reporting from Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Klutse has also pursued a number of Executive Education Programs abroad. They include a Certificate in Economic and Financial Reporting from the International Institute of Journalism (Germany), Certificate in Business Journalism from Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania (USA), Certificate Course in Financial Journalism by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (USA) and Certificate in Economic & Development Issues from Thompson Reuters Foundation/ and African Development Bank and many more.
He is a fellow of International Institute for Journalism in Germany, and Wharton Business School Journalism Fellowship Program (University of Pennsylvania) in USA. He is also a member of Ghana Journalists Association, Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists, Institute of Public Relations, Network of Communication Reporters and serves as media consultant to a number of companies in Ghana and abroad.
Mr. Klutse had covered a number of international assignments including the World Bank/IMF Annual General meetings in Washington DC, USA and interviewed a number of dignitaries including Mr. Dominique Strauss-Khan (former IMF MD) and Mr. Robert Zoellick (former World Bank President).



Managing Editor of Business Day Newspaper, Felix Dela Klutse