Omar Arouna

Mr. Arouna is the former Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the United States, Mexico, and the former Representative of the country to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States. 

Ambassador Arouna is currently the President for Global Public Affairs and Engagement at Gunster Strategies Worldwide. The firm stands out for its specialized expertise in directing high-stakes public affairs campaigns and leveraging a blend of traditional and digital strategies to shape public opinion and influence policy outcomes.

Ambassador Arouna is the founder of US-Africa Cybersecurity Group a cybersecurity management consultancy and the CEO of Global Specialty LLC a global business development consulting firm driven by providing advisory and operational services to organizations and their business communities seeking market entry and establishing business operations in Africa.

Ambassador Arouna also co-founded The Center for Cyber Diplomacy and Leadership (CCDL)a public utility organization centered around enhancing cybersecurity understanding and practices among African leaders. The CCDL seeks to educate and empower these leaders, providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools to effectively address cyber threats and integrate cybersecurity into their national security strategies.

Ambassador Arouna serves as the President of the Advisory Board of the Pan-African Institute of Municipal Development (PIMD). PIMD support sustainable municipal governance in African countries through capacity building, leadership development, technical assistance, and knowledge transfer. He is the board chair for Believe in Africa (BIA), a diaspora-led initiative focusing on African solutions to African problems, aimed at economic empowerment, policy education, and fostering global partnerships to enhance Africa's position worldwide, especially by empowering women and youth and a board member of the Advocacy Foundation for Human Rights. The Advocacy Foundation for Human Rights is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on fighting human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and public corruption, especially in Africa. With expertise in government affairs, the foundation seeks to hold accountable those involved in corruption, violence, and human rights abuses, investigating financial crimes, and advocating for justice and accountability through measures like prosecution and sanctions.

Ambassador Arouna is a Commander of the National Order of Benin and has earned an MBA in Cybersecurity from The George Washington University. He is bilingual in French and English.