Turkey's Ismail Haznedar Begins Term as President of 200,000 Member JCI
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) January 20, 2015 -- For the first time in its 100-year history, St. Louis-based Junior Chamber International (JCI) will be led by a young Turkish businessman, whose goal is to continue driving the 200,000-member organization’s influence and sustainable impact worldwide.
Ismail Haznedar, 38, of Istanbul, previously served as JCI Executive Vice President for Europe. He was elected international JCI President at the 2014 JCI World Congress in Leipzig, Germany, in November, and took office on January 1, 2015.
Haznedar, a partner in a Turkish investment and business development company, has been active in JCI Turkey since 2005. He has served as JCI Turkey’s National President, Vice President, Secretary General, and UN Affairs Commissioner for Europe. He succeeds 2014 JCI President Shine Bhaskaran, of Kerala, India, whose one-year term ended on Dec. 31, 2014.
JCI, whose world headquarters is in Chesterfield in suburban St. Louis, is a global non-profit organization of young, active citizens, ages 18 to 40, who develop the skills, knowledge, leadership and understanding to make informed decisions, and take local action to solve the challenges that affect their communities and the world.
“JCI is as relevant, contemporary and needed today as it was the day the movement was founded by Henry “Hy” Giessenbier Jr. in St. Louis in 1915,” Haznedar said. “Our JCI members have played a key role in helping people to lead better, healthier and safer lives, and we will continue to create a sustainable impact to make our world a better place.”
JCI also has announced that Arrey Obenson, of St. Louis, the organization’s Deputy Secretary General, has been named Acting Secretary General, replacing Dennis Cunanan, of the Philippines, who recently resigned for personal reasons.
Obenson, a native of Cameroon, has been managing the day-to-day global affairs of JCI since being appointed Deputy Secretary General in January 2013. He oversees a team of executives and staffers at JCI’s world headquarters, and coordinates with JCI’s state and regional offices worldwide.
JCI, which has Local Organizations in more than 5,000 communities worldwide, was founded by Giessenbier, who had a passion for positive change and solving local civic problems. Since its’ founding, the JCI movement has spread to more than 100 countries worldwide.
Tom Pagano, Mostrata Media, for JCI, 314-602-7549, [email protected]
Share this article