Herman Chinery-Hesse: John Mahama Pays Tribute Following Death Of Ghana’s Bill Gates

• John Dramani Mahama has paid tribute to the late technology entrepreneur Herman Kojo Chinery-Hesse
• Mahama described the Ghanaian businessman's passing as a great blow to Ghana and to its IT industry
• Chinery-Hesse reportedly passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on Monday, September 17, 2024

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has paid tribute to the late technology entrepreneur Herman Kojo Chinery-Hesse.

Mahama described Chinery-Hesse's passing as a great blow to Ghana and the IT industry.

In a post on Facebook, the former president also described the late businessman as a friend.

"We’ve lost a good man. I’ve lost a friend. This is a great blow to Ghana and our IT fraternity. We must be inspired to produce a million more Herman’s. Rest in peace, Herman."

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Several tech industry players have also paid tribute.

The Mfantsipim Old Boys Association also paid tribute online, saying their thoughts and prayers were with his family.

Who was Herman Chinery-Hesse?

Chinery-Hesse, who was often described as the Bill Gates of Ghana, died at 61 from reported cardiac arrest.

Chinery-Hesse was born in Ireland and was raised in Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Switzerland.

He attended Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast and lgot his first degree in Industrial Technology from Texas State University.

From the US, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he worked as a manufacturing engineer.

In 1990, he returned to Ghana and set up SOFTtribe a year later, which went on to become one of the leading software houses in Africa.

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Chinery-Hesse was named as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine, cementing his legacy in the field.

When Chinery-Hesse was honoured by Google

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that tech giant Google recently honoured Chinery-Hesse by naming a meeting room at its headquarters in his honour.

In a Facebook post at the time, he said he did not know that the company had given him this distinction until he was told so by one of his friends.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh