Happy New Year and welcome to the new look ReConnect Africa!

Our aim is to bring you a website and monthly magazine that addresses your needs as a skilled professional and that continues to bring you the best of Africa, whether in the Diaspora or from the African continent.

As a Ghanaian who moved to the UK at the age of seven, I, in common with many others, have enjoyed the advantages of a strong set of African values allied with the opportunity to participate in the cultural and economic opportunities offered by Britain.

Today, as a black African, I am one of a group that represents over 10% of the non-white population of Britain and which is the fifth largest ethnic minority group in the UK.

So what do I – and others like me – bring to UK plc and to Africa?

In addition to the infusion of food, music and culture from Africa’s 53 countries into Britain, we also bring multiple and diverse talents.

For employers, businesses and institutions throughout the UK that are increasingly challenged in their efforts to identify talent, professionals of African origin offer a rich pool of diversity and skills.How is this so?

Professionals of African origin also represent a crucial asset for the African continent.As more economies around the African continent raise their game and provide fertile ground for economic investment and business growth, professional Africans in the Diaspora present an opportunity to African businesses to reverse the brain drain of skills and talent that has been so much a feature of recent decades.

Through ReConnect Africa we will continue to provide employers and businesses, both in the UK and Africa, with a platform to connect with the vibrant talent and exceptional market offered by African professionals in the UK.

In the coming months, we will be bringing you more information about job opportunities in the UK and overseas.Through our articles, we will share stories of success; whether by corporations, by individuals or by groups and networks.  We will report on Africa’s growing economic confidence, talk to those who can inform and inspire us, and share vital tips, strategies and skills to help us move forward in our professional lives. 

Finally, sign up now to  Connections - our new free Members’ Forum  - a great way for us all to share information, experience and advice.

 Register now for a chance to win Margot Katz’s fantastic book, ‘Tarzan and Jane: How to Thrive in the New Corporate Jungle’.

In this issue, London-based  Margot Katz addresses the subject of Emotional Intelligence.In the first of a two-part article, the South African-born business guru and writer explains how developing your EI can set you apart from the crowd. 

We speak to  Rhema Nti, the newly crowned Miss Ghana UK, about the value of beauty pageants and how she plans to be a role model for other Ghanaian girls.  Africa is at the dawn of a new day of prosperity, says John Battersby, who explains how Africa today is strategically placed for the new world order.  Meanwhile, the new Managing Director of the African Venture Capital Association,  J. Mawuli Ababio, shares his life lessons in the ‘5 Minute Interview

Our Careers Coach  tackles the problem of finding a career direction and we publish  your letters and comments on previous issues of ReConnect Africa. In our revised News format, we bring you  a summary of news from the UK and around the world as well as  a round-up of news stories from Africa. As we start a brand new year, we have highlighted  some upcoming events for your diary.Finally, from our  ReConnect Africa Archives, we publish again  the report from Gbenga Olatunji on the first trip by London Business School students to West Africa.

Enjoy this issue - and  write in and share your comments!