GoodWorks International
GoodWorks International (GWI) was founded in 1996 by Andrew Young, Carlton A. Masters and Hamilton Jordan and with a stated mission to "be the leading global advisory firm offering international market access and political risk analysis in key emerging markets within Africa and the Caribbean."[1] GWI is a public relations company that seeks to primarily promote economic ties between Africa and the United States, improve the image of African countries in the US, counter negative news about African countries and leaders in the US. In the United States GWI primarily acts on "Crisis Prevention & Mediation" with issues pertaining accusations of corporate race abuse or discrimination. In addition, it actively works to access government and Congressional officials on behalf of its clients. GWI's success stems mostly from its relation to Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria. According to Laolu Akande, US correspondent for Nigerian newspaper, GoodWorks "made its fortune from its relations with Obasanjo".[2]
Contents
GoodWorks in Nigeria
In April 2007 the New York Times reviewed GoodWorks International's work in Nigeria. Barry Meir reported that "GoodWorks is paid to represent many major companies like Chevron, General Electric and Motorola that seek big contracts from the Nigerian government. In addition, executives of GoodWorks have stakes in Nigeria's oil industry, the country's main source of wealth. And several years ago, the firm’s chief executive, Carlton A. Masters, started an American company with close relatives of President Obasanjo ... Mr. Masters said that GoodWorks typically received a 'success fee' equal to 1.5% percent of a contract's value, a fee that can lead to big payouts. In 2005, for example, G.E. Energy, a GoodWorks client, won a $400 million contract to supply generating turbines in Nigeria."[3]
Funding
Most of GWI's business is in Nigeria where it obtains about 40% of its funding. Jean-Christophe Servant reports:
- GoodWorks's operations are international, which helps conceal its earnings of at least $300,000 a year per client from image-polishing activities in Nigeria, Angola, Ivory Coast, Benin and, more recently, Rwanda and Tanzania. It also works for leading US companies like Chevron, General Electric, Motorola, Monsanto and Coca-Cola, trying to penetrate African markets or consolidate their position there. It takes 1.5% of the value of any contracts secured by its clients.[4]
There have been some scandals involving GWI among them the payment of a percentage of oil traded betweek Jamaica and Nigeria. Servant reports:
- Trafigura, an oil trading and maritime chartering company involved in similar dealings in South Africa, was brought in to buy the oil cheaply and to transport it. To secure its involvement, Trafigura was paid a percentage on each barrel carried; GoodWorks received 15% of the PCJ net earnings.(ibid.)
Principals
- Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. – co-founding Principal and Chairman
- Carlton A. Masters – President, CEO and co-founding Principal
- Hamilton Jordan
| Percival J. Patterson - Senior Advisor | Martin Adlam - Managing Director, Rwanda and North Africa | Omar Arouna - Managing Director |
| Sika Awoonor - Sr. VP, Business Development; Managing Director, Angola | Sylvia P. Henry-Ashley - Sr. VP, Corporate Affairs | Jill Bishop - Managing Director, Tanzania |
| Cecil Callahan - Managing Director | Mary Kamari - VP, Business Development | Marianna B. A. Ofosu - Managing Director, Ghana |
| Ugo Okafor - Sr. VP, Business Development; Managing Director, Nigeria | Yomi Oniwinde - Sr. VP, Business Development | Aisha Rimi - Sr. VP, Business Development |
| Samuel Smoots - Managing Director | Howard H. Sullivan - Sr. VP, Technology | Moustapha M. Touré - Managing Director, Côte d'Ivoire |
| Austin R. Cooper Jr. - VP for Government Affairs and Communications | Mvemba Phezo Dizolele - VP, Business Development | Sharon Ikeazor - VP, Nigeria |
| Yamina Karitanyi - VP, Business Development | Yuri Tadesse - VP, International Business Development | Wayne Thompson - VP, Business Development, Middle East |
| Magdalene "Maggie" Womack - VP, Government Relations | Gloria Gbalekuma - Asst. VP, Government Affairs | Marva S. Reid - Asst. VP, Administration |
| Ed Barber - Sr. Adviser, Africa Development | ||
| Source: Team (Accessed 10 July 2007) | ||
|---|---|---|
Clients (alpha order)
From GWI's About Us:
- GWI clients, past and present, include a top-five U.S. petroleum company, a top-three worldwide energy producer, a top-three mining company, a top-three sports merchandise producer, a top-five financial asset management firm, a South African transportation firm and a major U.S. telecommunications operator.[5]
Corporate clients
- Barrick Gold
- Chevron
- Coca-Cola
- General Electric
- Monsanto
- Motorola
- Nike
- Petroleum Company of Jamaica
- Trafigura Beheer BV
National clients
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Congo
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- São Tomé
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
Affiliations
- Corporate Council on Africa – Member
- Atlanta Chamber of Commerce – Member
- Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council – Member,
- Council on Foreign Relations – Affiliate
- Congressional Black Caucus Foundation – Friend,
- Southern Center for International Studies – Member,
- US-Angolan Chamber of Commerce – Member
- The Leon H. Sullivan Summit – Associate
- Africa Society – Associate
- Africa-America Institute – Associate
- Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
Contact
Atlanta, Georgia
- 303 Peachtree Street NE Suite 4420
- Atlanta GA 30308-3264
- Phone: 404-527-8484
- Fax: 404-527-3827
- Web: www.goodworksintl.com
Washington DC
- 1700 K Street NW Suite 430
- Washington DC 20006
- Phone: 202-736-2211
- Fax: 202-736-2213
New York, NY
- 420 Lexington Ave. Suite 1706
- New York, NY 10170-0002
- Phone: 212-739-7886
- Fax: 212-867-4410
External Resources
- ^About US (accessed 10 July 2007)
- Bruce Dixon, "Andy Young: The Shameless Son," The Black Commentator, 2 March 2006.
- Michael Barbaro, "Wal-Mart Tries to Enlist Image Help," New York Times, 12 May 2006.
- Abigail Goldman, "Young to Quit Wal-Mart Group After Racial Remarks," Los Angeles Times, 18 August 2006.
- ^Barry Meier, For U.S.-Nigeria Go-Between, Ties Yield Profits, New York Times, 18 April 2007.
- Kevin Bogardus, "Washington lobbyists develop strategy for Nigerian politicians", The Hill, 30 May 2007.
- ^ Laolu Akande, "Carl Masters named Ecowas Envoy", Nigerian Village Square, 31 Oct 2006.
- ^Jean-Christophe Servant, Nigeria: GoodWorks, bad behaviour, Le monde diplomatique, July 2007 (subscription access).
