“People have always asked me; why are you still with the Multimedia Group after all these years, can’t you change your job? My reply to them, as always, has been: my life is not just about changing jobs but rather, ‘fulfilment’, which I find at Multimedia.”
These were the words of Flora Lamptey, popularly known within the Multimedia Group’s fraternity as Mama Flo, as she took clients, as she sat with adomonline.com to give account of her 20-year journey with the Multimedia Group.
Madam Flora Lamptey is a vibrant and hardworking mother-of-three and the wife to Dr Kobina Darko-Annan.
She started her Multimedia journey as a receptionist who rose through the ranks to the current position of a Sales and Marketing Manager in charge of Adom FM, Adom TV and Asempa FM.
To catalogue her experience and lead all of us into her impeccable 20-year journey, she sat for an exclusive interview with Ghana’s most comprehensive online portal, Adomonline.com.
Mama Flow has attributed her journey so far to the Biblical principles taught her by her late grandmother, which she said had helped in shaping her life.
“I have come this far with the help of my grandmother, Dora Reindorlf of blessed memory. She nurtured me with biblical principles.
“She was my mentor and the single most influential person in my life when growing up. My grandmother made it her mission to teach me the Bible every single day,” she recounted.
Speaking on her career choice, Aunty Flora who has gained the admiration of many through her hard work and dedicated service to MGL, disclosed it was always her dream to be an Air Hostess.
However, she ended up as a secretary at Toms Telecom, a business communication centre at Darkuman as it was called back in the days.
“I bet if you were born after the nineties, you cannot relate with what a communication centre was; don’t get offended my Millennia babies. Hahaha that was just by the way,” she joked amid her usual broad smiles.
Flora was with Toms until she heard of a vacancy for a secretaryship position at the then Osu-based Groove FM where she was offered a job as the secretary to the CEO, Liberette Hesse.
Unfortunately, just a year into Groove FM’s operation, Flora will learn of a news that shook her: the station was being sold to the owner of Joy FM and was going to be renamed as Adom FM with workers’ lay-off staring her and other colleagues in the face.
“It was a tough and difficult time for us since we did not know our fate and it happened that myself and three others; Bosco Ocansey, Victor Senaya and Ken Addy were employed to work with Multimedia and that was how the journey started,” an elated Flora said.
To cut the long story short, Flora said she became the first receptionist for Adom FM which was then based in Tema Community 2 but had to make another tough decision as chunks of receptionists were laid off at a point in time.
Despite not being on the company’s payroll after the layoffs, Madam Lamptey, through the advice of a colleague opted to work at the Sales Department of MGL, a designation she noted was preferable to being unemployed.
“I just had to adapt and learn on the job till I went to GIMPA for my Marketing degree programme and MSC in Project Management,” she said.
After successfully completing her programmes at GIMPA, she was given the opportunity to market Adom FM to some potential clients, a task she said wasn’t an easy.
“God being so good, I had very supportive colleagues and managers but there was still a much bigger problem to be dealt with: Adom FM’s coverage was just within Tema, Ashaiman and its environs so how then do I market the station to someone in Accra,” she asked.
In spite of the challenge, Flora said she managed to get a few organisations who believed in her and the Adom FM brand to spend with Adom FM.
Flora remembers her first major client vividly and it was the company behind the production of Angel and Goodnight mosquito coils.
On her immediate family’s contribution to her rise, Flora acknowledged that her husband and kids have always been supportive over the years.
But, apart from her immediate family, Flora was full pf praise to the Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Group Limited, Mr Kwasi Twum who she affectionately calls KT as all others at Multimedia do, recognising him as a strong pillar in her life.
“The attitude of managers and colleagues over the years discouraged me and at a point in time, I made up my mind to quit the job. And although he [KT] asked me about it, I could not open up on the issues but he somehow got the then Chief HR, Jane Gyekye to resolve the issues. In all, I don’t regret having stayed at MGL,” she said happily.
“The work has been challenging but that’s what makes it fun and keeps some of us going; we set targets and when these targets are achieved, there is this bundle of joy.
“There has been a lot of pressure from the job, especially when I was appointed Sales Manager for Adom FM, Asempa FM and Adom TV.
“It was quite easy just handling Adom FM and I had a solid team I worked with; we were called the sales force. They were two key people who were my lieutenants and we did exceedingly great.”
“Michael Enoku took care of Asempa, Fritz Kanyagui, Oswin Adjei Kwakye all served as Assistant Sales Managers and Mordecai Quarshie as Head of Sales for Adom and the Entertainment cluster who gave me the room to operate and at a point was adjudged the Best Sales Dealer,” she lauded.
“I never thought I could stay for 20 years but I believe my passion and love for the job has kept me. A lot has changed and I haven’t been doing the same thing; there’s been different roles, functions and increased responsibilities as I rose through the ranks,” she explained.
Mama Flo, among other things, also prides herself in being one of the brains behind Adom FM’s flagship programme, Adom Praiz which has been an avenue for believers to worship God since a decade and and more ago and still counting.
“The initial plan was to have a 3-day-programme to give people the platform and avenue to worship and praise God but it finally became a day’s programme and today it’s one of the most important programmes on the station’s calendar,” she said proudly.
“I have never wasted my 20 years as there was something to conquer each year and I have no regrets because I focus on and love what I do.”
“It has been about fulfillment and there was this recognition that I have been a loyal worker who puts integrity high, even though some managers doubted my loyalty [at apoint] but I never paid attention to them and I delivered as expected,” she bragged.
“I say a big thank you to Prof Samson Praku of Samara Company Limited, producers of Sasso, Fekko and Roma sprays; and End Point Homoeopathic Clinic, Dr Adu Boateng who have been with us from the beginning, Osons Chemist’s Mr Akwasi Osei Assibey, my client for over 15 years.
“Mr William Addo of Borges, Chief Marketing Officer of Multimedia, Ekyi Quram, CVD [Charles Vandyk], another great personality, Mr Nuamah Eshun Fameye, Head of Marketing at Kinapharma, Mr Ken Ashigbey and Mrs Theodora Okine for believing in me and providing me with the needed training and mentorship.
“Last but not least, my father, Mr Lucky Lamptey, who was a salesman with GNTC until he became a marketing manager.
“He has been my mentor who always makes sure I’m on track, reprimands me when he has to and commends me when necessary.
“Finally, I will urge up-and-coming employees not to despise their small beginnings but always endeavour to grab every opportunity that comes their way”.
Many people have joined in celebrating Madam Flora Lamptey including the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Jospong Group Ltd, Mrs Sophia Lissah.
For those of us at Multimedia, we can only say Ayekoo; we hope and pray we enjoy more years of your dedicated service. God bless you.
You may listen to the full interview of Mama Flo in the audio below: