From Shell attendant to business owner: The encounter that changed the life of Young Dee Group CEO Desmond Darko

A chance encounter at a Shell filling station set Desmond Darko, now the CEO of Young Dee Group, on a path he had never imagined for himself — owning a filling station. Mr Darko, now owner of three fuel stations, said a conversation with Kevin Okyere, Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Group, helped him recognise his potential and consider venturing into business independently.

Until then, he had been content working at Shell, with no immediate plans to establish his own filling station. Speaking on Joy FM’s Personality Profile with Lexis Bill on Thursday, October 29, Mr Darko recounted how Mr Okyere approached him after he had served him at the Airport Shell station. “He asked me, ‘Don’t you think that you have what it takes to own a filling station by yourself?’” he recalled.

Mr Darko said the question caught him by surprise, as business ownership was not something he had seriously considered at the time. “He said, ‘Yes, I think you can own one. So, whenever you need help, just let me know,’” he recounted. The brief exchange, he said, stayed with him and eventually changed how he viewed his future. From employee to entrepreneur Mr Darko said Mr Okyere’s confidence in him encouraged him to begin exploring the possibility of running his own filling station.

He started working on the registration of his company and approached Shell to express interest in taking over a station whenever one became available. He said his experience working at Airport Shell had helped him develop the skills and reputation needed to pursue the opportunity. His responsibilities had also extended beyond a single station. According to him, Shell had deployed him to about three or four other stations to help revive their operations.

That experience, he said, gave the company an opportunity to observe his capabilities and strengthened his confidence in pursuing his own venture. Mr Darko said he had not initially recognised business ownership as a realistic ambition until Mr Okyere drew his attention to the possibility. ‘He was my destiny changer’ Reflecting on the encounter, Mr Darko described Mr Okyere as someone who helped him recognise abilities he had not fully appreciated.

“He was actually my destiny changer or something,” he said. He said the businessman had been someone he did not previously know, yet he offered encouragement and made himself available to help when needed. For Mr Darko, the encounter illustrated how a few words of confidence from another person could prompt someone to reconsider their ambitions and take steps towards a different future.

He credited Mr Okyere with helping him identify his potential at a time when he was focused on his work rather than building a business of his own.