PROF. DOUGLAS BOATENG

Professor Extraordinaire (Retired) | Strategist | Chartered Director | Industrialisation and Boardroom Governance Advocate

Douglas Boateng is an internationally recognised Chartered Director, strategist, social entrepreneur, and researcher who has shaped global thinking on supply chain management, governance, and industrialisation. He is Africa’s first and now retired Professor Extraordinaire in Supply and Value Chain Management, a distinction that cemented his reputation as a pioneer in linking supply chain strategy to long-term socio-economic development.

He is the author of the Supply Chain Management Compendium, the world’s only known all-inclusive reference on the subject, and Perspectives on Boardroom Governance, the first book globally accredited for both high school students and C-suite executives. He is also the creator of the NyansaKasa series, with more than twenty published volumes of reflective insights, and the founder of the GhIE–Professor Douglas Boateng Annual Lectures, a platform shaping continental discourse at the intersection of engineering, governance, and industrialisation.

Passionate about Africa’s future, Professor Boateng continues to inspire policymakers, executives, and academics across the world, championing industrialisation, ethical governance, and supply chain–driven socio-economic transformation.

Achievements and Awards

  • Director of the Year (2024), Institute of Directors Ghana
    Recognised for exemplary governance leadership, commitment to organisational excellence, and significant contributions to advancing boardroom governance standards in Ghana and beyond.
  • HP Lifetime Supply Chain Management Leadership Achievement Award (2018)
    Honoured for educating policymakers and public and private sector leaders about the powerful link between supply chain management and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Two Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (2013 and 2016)
    Celebrated for outstanding industrial and academic contributions to global supply chain governance, productivity, and industrial engineering.
  • Professor Extraordinaire in Supply and Value Chain Management (2013)
    The first appointment of its kind in South Africa and across Africa. These rare academic honours are reserved for individuals of national prominence and international recognition for exceptional academic, industrial, and leadership excellence. Professor Boateng has since retired from this appointment, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking thought leadership in supply and value chain management and governance.
  • Institute of Directors Southern Africa Wall of Fame Inductee (2008)
    Acknowledged for transformative contributions to logistics and supply chain management across the African continent.
  • Chartered Professional Fellow, Institute of Directors United Kingdom
    One of a very select group of senior international executives outside the UK elected by both invitation and examination. This recognition is reserved for highly experienced C-suite leaders who actively serve on boards to strengthen governance, organisational development, and long-term growth.
  • Distinguished Extraordinary Chair, Institute of Operations Management United Kingdom
    The first independent appointee to this position, created to strengthen executive operations and industrial management skills development in Africa.
  • The Supply Chain Management Compendium
    Author of what remains the world’s only known all-inclusive compendium on supply chain management. This definitive reference continues to guide policymakers, academics, practitioners, and business leaders globally.
  • Perspectives on Boardroom Governance
    Author of the first book in the world accredited for reading by both high school students and C-suite executives and policymakers. This unique recognition demonstrates his rare ability to bridge academic learning, executive practice, and policy formulation.
  • Prolific Author and Thought Leader
    Beyond these landmark works, he has published more than ninety action-based company and industry case studies, executive training manuscripts, and independently endorsed thought leadership books that continue to influence practice and policy around the world.
  • First Recipient of the MSD (MMD) Doctoral Scholarship Award (1991)
    Awarded in the United Kingdom for excellence in engineering business management.
  • Early Leadership Milestones
    Among the youngest professionals admitted to membership of the Institute of Directors United Kingdom in 1994, and one of the first vertical-specific postgraduates in the UK to graduate with an Engineering Management Doctorate in 1998, focused on international pharmaceutical and pharma-chemical logistics and supply chain management.
  • Public Recognition by the Commonwealth Business Council
    Acknowledged for contributions to international supply chain management and long-term economic development in emerging economies.
  • Public Recognition by Who’s Who of Southern Africa
    Celebrated for leadership in industrial initiatives, including pioneering contributions to e-commerce development in the developing world since 2000.

Fact

Africa’s first ever appointed Professor Extraordinaire for Supply and Value Chain Management.

Publications and Knowledge Legacy

  • The Supply Chain Management Compendium
    Still the only known all-inclusive compendium on supply chain management worldwide. This landmark publication serves as a bridge between theory and practice, guiding policymakers, academics, practitioners, and business leaders toward sustainable industrialisation and socio-economic development.
  • Perspectives on Boardroom Governance
    The first book in the world accredited for reading by both high school students and C-suite executives and policymakers. It remains an unprecedented example of governance education that speaks across generations and leadership levels.
  • The NyansaKasa Series
    Creator and author of more than twenty titles, each comprising 357 pages of reflections that blend poetry, philosophy, governance wisdom, and socio-economic insights. The series has become a global source of daily inspiration for policymakers, professionals, academics, and ordinary citizens, sparking mindset change and socio-economic awareness.
  • Prolific Author and Thought Leader
    Has written more than ninety action-based company and industry case studies, executive training manuscripts, and independently endorsed governance and supply chain management books. His thought leadership has consistently shaped reforms and inspired organisational and policy transformation.
  • Global Knowledge Advocate
    Through publications, lectures, and advisory roles, Professor Boateng has created a multi-generational knowledge bridge, ensuring that governance, supply chain management, and industrialisation are not just academic disciplines but practical tools for long-term development and continental transformation.

 

Affiliations – Past and Present

Professor Douglas Boateng has been formally recognised by leading professional bodies across multiple disciplines for his contributions to governance, supply chain management, industrial engineering, and leadership. Over the course of his career, he has been an elected Fellow and member of:

  • Institute of Directors – United Kingdom and Southern Africa
  • Institution of Plant Engineers (IPlantE)
  • Society of Operations Engineers (SOE)
  • Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE)
  • Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) – United Kingdom and Southern Africa
  • Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
  • Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
  • Institute of Operations Management (IOM)

Although formally retired from a number of these institutions, his affiliations continue to reflect his interdisciplinary expertise and international professional standing. They underscore his lifelong commitment to advancing governance, supply chain excellence, engineering innovation, procurement leadership, and socio-economic transformation across Africa and globally.