Mrs Yvette Atekpe, Managing Director of Internet Solutions was also adjudged the Marketing Woman of the Year, 2017.

The National President’s Awards went to Mr Ken Ashigeby, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications for playing a leading role in the Media Coalition Against Galamsey; and Ms Esther A. N. Cobbah of the Ghana Garden and flower Movement.

Other award winners included; CIMG Marketing Student of the Year which went to Mr John Kafui, Kwame Klu, who is the Head of Market Access, Policy and Governmental Affairs, Roche-Ghana; and the Marketing Practitioner of the Year award, went to Mr David Afflu, a Business Unit Director, PZ Cussons Ghana Limited.

The awards covered major areas like: Personalities, Hall of Fame-Elites, Hall of Fame, and other categories such as Media, Products and Business organizations.The theme for the event was: “Marketing: A catalyst for driving Ghana beyond Aid”.

The CIMG marketing performance award is an event held to recognize individuals and organizations that have excelled in their various fields of marketing endeavours and to also create awareness for the marketing concept and its importance for the success of businesses.

Dr McKorley, in his acceptance speech, commended the organisers for the honour and recognition of his hard work.He dedicated the award to all the young entrepreneurs and his team at MacDan.

He said the award would give him pressure to work hard to sustain the achievement for which he was honoured.The marketing Man of the year noted that as part of the recognition, he would collaborate with the leadership of the CIMG to build 20 young businesses in the country.

He said some of the areas per the proposal, which would be development in consultation with the CIMG, would include agriculture, agro-processing among others. “I want to build young entrepreneurs in this country,” he added.

Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III,  Paramount Chief of Akwamu Traditional Area speaking at the Awards night said , one of the reasons most businesses fail in the country is due to lack of marketing research and analysis before introducing new products to the market.

He called on businesses also improve on their packaging, branding, and product engineering to whet the appetite of consumers for them to make a purchase.He said the country could be self-sufficient if businesses in Ghana “shift from business which are largely unplanned in its early stages to market potential estimation, customer preference analysis and trends, innovations in product design, packaging, delivery, product information to better model”.

The Akwamumanhene said the theme could not be any less suitable considering the fact that the President was driving this agenda so strongly.He said the "state of our nation calls for such visionary action to drive our economy beyond aid. The place of marketing is obvious".

Mr Kojo Mattah, the National President of CIMG, said the annual performance awards have since decorated scores of individuals and organizations, which have distinguished themselves in various aspects of marketing.

He said government's ambitious declaration of Ghana beyond Aid by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was in the right direction because it was evidently clear that over-liberalisation and an excessive appetite for foreign support have chocked the economy over the years.

He said the brave proclamation by the President meant that government has recognized that the country has reached the crossroad.He said the Ghana beyond aid mantra cannot remain a mere rhetoric but rather a call to duty; “it must be a renaissance in every facet of the national life.

"It is a call to change our educational, legal, governance, political, religious and social structures and systems of the country".He said the leadership of the CIMG believes that the country has both material and human capacity to help move the country from current quagmire to a future state of prosperity and hope for all citizens of the country.

Other awardees are: Hall of fame Non-Life Insurance Company of the Year, 2017 – Vanguard Assurance; Non-Life Insurance Company of the year, 2017- Enterprise Insurance; and Hall of Fame-New Entrant Motor Firm of the Year, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 - Japan Motors.

Insurance Company of the years-2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017- SIC Insurance Company; Bank of the year -2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017-Ecobank.The Elite Category includes; Retail Outlet - Melcom Group of Companies;Motor Firm of the Year- Toyota Ghana Limited; and Brand Activation Programme of the Year – Unilever World Oral Day.

The Media award category; TV Programme of the Year – The National Science and Maths Quiz; Radio Programme of the Year – Dwaso Nsem; Radio Advert of the Year – Access Bank; and TV Advert of the Year – MTN Momo Banking Buddy.