Mr. Sam takes over from Ms. Juliet Amoah who led the organisation from 2019 to June 2022.

A press statement issued Tuesday announcing the new appointed said “the Board is very excited to welcome Jerry to take over affairs of Penplusbytes."

Jerry brings a wealth of experience from occupying various managerial roles in the organisation over the 13 years he has worked for the organization”, said Dr. Charity Binka, Board Chair.

Jerry is a trained journalist and civic development practitioner.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies and an M.A. in Local Government Administration and Organisation.

He is currently a Fellow and Columnist at AudienceScapes (The InterMedia Knowledge Center), a member of the Ghana Journalists Association and chairs the Civil Society Implementation Committee on the Right to Information in Ghana.

Until his appointment, Jerry was the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Programmes and also held the role of the Project Manager of the African Elections Project ( www.africanelections.org ), where he led in the coverage of 16 elections across the African continent.

Mr. Sam is a skilled project manager and digital tools deployment expert with many years of undertaking trainings and research in the area of media development and the use of technology that enhances civic participation in governance. He has presented several papers on civic engagements, freedom of expression and social accountability at various national, regional and international conferences.

“Any new chapter is always an exciting one. I am honoured to take the reins of Penplusbytes from Juliet who leaves the organisation in a strategically strong position, in spite of the shrinking civic space and the myriad of challenges facing the sector. I am optimistic that as the new ED, my team and I will continue to drive the execution of a strategy that will see Penplusbytes realise its vision of becoming the leading institution for promoting effective governance using technology in Africa” said Jerry.

Ms. Amoah will remain involved with the organisation in a consultancy role. “It has been a fantastic 3 years and none of us could have predicted how the terrain would be impacted by the pandemic, but I’m very proud of the achievements of Team Penplusbytes so far. It is a resilient and hardworking team that any leader will be proud of leading. I am happy to be leaving the organisation in highly capable hands while I attend to personal commitments and explore some new opportunities”, Ms Amoah said.