Adelaide Abbiw-Williams is a transformational business leader with over 18 years of experience across manufacturing, media, satellite broadcasting, FMCG, telecommunications, and mobile financial services. She is currently the General Manager of Shoe Fabriek Limited, Ghana’s largest footwear manufacturer, where she is leading a complex turnaround to optimise operations, unlock export growth, and prove that world-class manufacturing can deliver both commercial success and social impact through job creation and community empowerment.
Adelaide is also the Founder of CatalyzHER Africa, a business transformation consultancy with a gender lens. Through CatalyzHER, she is committed to activating the power to transform by blending commercial acumen with gender intelligence to unlock the full potential of people and performance. The firm’s focus includes pipeline building, mentorship for C-suite readiness, sponsorship and stretch assignments, market research and amplification of women’s stories, as well as business consulting, operational restructuring, marketing strategy, training, and leadership development.
She made history as the first woman CEO of a satellite TV platform in Ghana, leading SES HD PLUS to unprecedented milestones:
- ✦Expanding HD broadcasting reach from 250,000 to 5 million homes across West & Central Africa.
- ✦Training and empowering 10,000+ satellite installers, including women and underserved youth.
Her leadership philosophy blends strategic vision with disciplined execution, and her expertise spans corporate turnarounds, commercial excellence in B2B and B2C markets, board governance, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and inclusive leadership.
Adelaide’s achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Outstanding Woman in Leadership (2023 Women’s Choice Awards Africa) and the Technology Leadership Award (5th National Communications Awards). She has been profiled in leading publications such as GhanaWeb and MyJoyOnline for her contributions to leadership and innovation.
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK & Ghana) and the Institute of Directors, Ghana. Adelaide holds an MBA from Lancaster University, UK, and a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Cape Coast.
A sought-after speaker and mentor, Adelaide is passionate about leveraging innovation, inclusion, and sustainable leadership to build resilient organisations across Africa and beyond.
She welcomes opportunities to partner with boards, corporations, and innovators driving transformation at scale.
