Herbert A. Morrison - Accounting visionary marches on
For most Ghanaians in the formal sector, attaining 60 years is the time to leave active service.
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It is then assumed that one can take things easy by relaxing a bit more and spending time at home with family and close friends.
Unlike most retirees, leaving KPMG was not the end of his career; rather it was the beginning of a new journey for Mr Herbert A. Morrison.
After working for 24 years with the leading audit, tax and advisory service firm, Mr Morrison parted ways with the firm a few years before turning 60 to set up a wholly-owned Ghanaian firm with a global reach and outlook.
This year, Morrison & Associates, a total consulting audit firm, turns 20 and coincidentally, Mr Morrison also turns 75 today, September 1.
Speaking to The Mirror, he attributed the firm’s success to God’s grace and direction and his supportive partners and staff who dedicated their time and efforts to making the company what it is today.
He was also grateful to his clients who believed in the firm, thus contributing to the successes chalked up over the years.
In April last year, the firm took the first step to realise its global vision by becoming a member of HLB International (HLBI), a worldwide network of independent accounting firms and business advisors.
Touching on the rules that guide his daily activities as a Managing Partner of the firm, Mr Morrison said he is guided by his personal five Ps: professionalism, principle, performance, position and privacy.
“Our industry requires a lot of due diligence because most of the time, we come into contact with very delicate information. We are also expected to stick to schedule and the principles that guide our operations,” he indicated.
Ageing gracefully
Although Mr Morrison is 75 today, he could easily pass for someone in his early 60s or even late 50s. He is full of energy and gleefully goes about his normal duties.
According to him, it has taken years of discipline to be able to keep fit all these years.
“Aside from my five Ps, I also have five Ws which regulate my everyday life. I drink a lot of water, I walk every day, I don’t worry too much, I don’t drink whisky and I don’t chase women,” he mentioned.
He believes these principles, coupled with the grace of God, have kept him going all this while.
Though he personally has no special plans to mark the day, he is sure his wife, who is a ‘great schemer’, definitely has something up her sleeves.
“She has pulled a lot of surprises on me in the past, but I fall for them every time because of how good she is at doing such things,” he remarked.
Legacy
Mr Morrison, who is passionate about education, says he is working on setting up a foundation to support less-privileged children in the society and also establish a training school in audit and accountancy.
For Morrison & Associates, he hopes in the years ahead, they will be able to compete with the top firms worldwide; an achievement he believes will come to pass if they stay focused on their vision and believe in God for His guidance.
Messages from partners and staff
His staff and partners describe him as a good leader who is “rare to find, has strong work ethics, very professional, full of integrity and a strong believer in the word of God”.
“I will describe him as a man who cares for people irrespective of their background.
A few years after joining the firm, I fell sick and had to be home for two years. During that period, he constantly checked on me and my family, supported us financially, kept me on salary and eventually accepted me back into the firm when I was fully recovered. For that, I am forever grateful,” one of his staff members told The Mirror.
Another added that he hoped he would continue to age gracefully and expand the firm, not just in size, but in its clientele base.
Career and work experience
After completing Winneba Secondary School and Achimota School in 1964 and 1966, respectively, Mr Morrison moved to Norwich City College in England to prepare for the first four parts of his accountancy papers, then to West Bromwich College of Commerce and Technology, also in England for the final part.
He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA-UK), an Associate of Chartered Accountants (ACA-NIG), a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA-GH) and a Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Taxation (FGIT).
His wide experience in accountancy, audit and other areas have taken him to different parts of the world.
Between 1974 and 1978, he worked in the United Kingdom as Senior Auditor at Neville Russell & Co/EJH Clarke & Co. and also as an assistant to the Financial Director of Notting Hill House Trust, responsible for the computation and compilation of housing bridging loans, the preparation of Trust Annual Budgets, financial statements and project evaluations.
He joined KPMG in December 1978 and was admitted into Partnership in January 1984. As a Partner, he was responsible to shareholders for the Statutory Audits of their companies and has consistently demonstrated an excellent ability in providing accounting, management and financial advice to top management and directors of various companies and institutions.
He has worked with banks, manufacturing industries, oil companies and multinational commercial firms, as well as non-profit organisations.
He has served on the boards of many reputable organisations, including the Graphic Communications Group Limited, the Freezones Board and Standard Chartered Bank.
Family and leisure
Mr Morrison is married to Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, the Member of Parliament for Agona West Constituency. They are blessed with seven children; Daniel, Gladys, Esther, Herbertha, Herbert Jnr, Hubert and Hectoria.
Despite his tight schedule, he makes time for his family and is an active member of the Immanuel Methodist Church, Regimanuel Estate, Spintex Road.
“My older children are not in Ghana but I make time to visit each of them to catch up with what they are up to. For the younger ones, they are always around me when I am home,” he stated.
He loves to sing and read the Bible when he is free.
