Arrey Obenson: President and CEO
St. Louis, MO – Arrey Obenson has been recruited as President and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, the region’s hub for immigrant services and community engagement. Most recently, Obenson served as Co-founder and CEO of Transformunity, a firm that assists organizations in addressing complex challenges through strategy development, movement building, advocacy, and strategic events.
Prior to founding Transformunity, Obenson was Secretary General of Junior Chamber International (JCI), a global network of 150,000 young active citizens in more than 100 countries that empowers young people to create positive change in their communities. During his tenure, Obenson was the chief administrative officer leading the implementation of the organization’s overall strategy and supervising a team in accomplishing the mission of the organization across the world. For 17 years, he led Junior Chamber International at various levels, including as Director for Africa and the Middle East, Executive Director, and Deputy Secretary General.
Obenson is a barrister of law, a member of the Cameroon Bar Association, and an inspiring speaker who has engaged audiences in nearly 100 countries. He moved to the U.S. in 2002 for a position at JCI and became a US citizen in 2009. He is the author of the recently published book, “Bridging the Opportunity Gap.”
The International Institute of St. Louis has provided resettlement and integration services for nearly every new immigrant population in the St. Louis region since 1919. Annually, more than 6,000 immigrants and refugees learn English, find jobs, become resettled and start businesses with its help. The International Institute builds a strong, more global St. Louis by promoting the value of immigrants and multicultural inclusion.
