Maxwell Amoah

Senior finance and operations professional with 20+ years of progressive leadership across international development, NGOs, government, and donor-funded programs. Recognized for building finance, operations, HR, procurement, grants, and compliance functions from the ground up; leading multi-country and multi-million-dollar portfolios; and strengthening institutional systems for accountability, scalability, and impact. Brings a rare blend of executive leadership, financial stewardship, operational transformation, stakeholder engagement, and people development, with extensive experience supporting USAID-funded programming, foundation portfolios, and fisheries-sector resilience initiatives across Ghana and West Africa.

Director of Finance & Operations - Global Fisheries and Resilience Action (GFRA) - Accra, Ghana

(2025-09)

• Co-founded GFRA and provide executive oversight for finance, operations, governance, compliance, and institutional growth within Ghana's sustainable fisheries and resilience sector.
• Built core operating systems from inception, including financial controls, administrative procedures, compliance routines, procurement processes, and reporting structures.
• Lead resource mobilization, donor engagement, and strategic partnership development to position GFRA as a credible implementation partner.
• Drive recruitment, mentoring, and team capability-building to support organizational scale-up and delivery excellence.
• Represent the organization in high-level forums, donor discussions, and stakeholder engagements across government, civil society, and industry networks.

Deputy Chief of Party, Operations | USAID Feed the Future Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity - Tetra Tech ARD - Ghana

(2022-11 - 2025-08)

• Directed operations for a $23M USAID-funded activity focused on strengthening Ghana's fisheries sector and preventing sector collapse.
• Provided senior leadership across finance, HR, procurement, grants, logistics, compliance, and administration for a complex donor-funded program.
• Managed a delivery ecosystem of 28 staff, 11 field agents, 15 grantees, and 4 subcontractors, ensuring coordinated execution and accountability.
• Strengthened compliance with USAID requirements, internal controls, Ghanaian labor obligations, procurement standards, and reporting protocols.
• Built productive relationships with government counterparts, local organizations, private-sector actors, and international partners.
• Served as Acting Chief of Party when required, maintaining leadership continuity, decision-making discipline, and program momentum.

Director of Finance & Accounting | USAID Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity - Tetra Tech ARD - Ghana

(2021-07 - 2022-11)

• Established the Ghana finance and administration platform for project launch, including office systems, financial controls, reporting structures, and compliance processes.
• Led recruitment and onboarding of finance and administrative staff, creating a capable foundation for rapid implementation.
• Developed SOPs, control procedures, and risk-management routines aligned with USAID standards and local statutory requirements.
• Supervised 20 grantees while managing contracts, procurement, expenditure tracking, documentation quality, and audit readiness.

Head of Finance & Accounting | West, Central & Northern Africa - Mastercard Foundation

(2019-09 - 2020-05)

• Supervised finance and accounting oversight for a $500M regional portfolio across Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.
• Supported the operational and financial foundation for the Young Africa Works 10-year strategy, helping align regional delivery with institutional standards.
• Managed and coached a 15-member finance team while coordinating with banks, tax authorities, internal stakeholders, and external partners.
• Strengthened financial reporting, controls, partner accountability, and compliance practices across a multi-country operating environment.

Earlier Career Roles - Multiple Organizations

Additional roles with USAID, IREX, Pyxera Global, Social Impact, and government service contributed deep expertise in project finance, operations management, compliance, grants administration, public-sector engagement, and institutional strengthening.

Doctorate of Business Administration - Business Administration - Southshore University College, Ghana

MBA - International Business - Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England (2010)

ACCA - Accounting & Finance - London School of Business and Finance, London (2012)

HND - Accounting & Finance - Sunyani Technical University, Ghana (2003)