OASW Names Ajirioghene Evi as New CEO
The Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Ajirioghene Evi, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW, as the Association’s next Chief Executive Officer.
Ajirioghene (Ah Jiri Or Ganeh) is a transformative leader with nearly two decades of experience driving systemic change, equity, and cross-cultural leadership across public, private, and community sectors. Her expertise, passion, and leadership have been a powerful force in reshaping systems, advocating for equity, and driving meaningful social change across sectors.
Ajirioghene's career began in child welfare, where she developed culturally responsive approaches to address the needs of survivors and perpetrators of domestic and intimate partner violence. With the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS), Ajirioghene became a driving force behind the One Vision One Voice (OVOV) mandate, leading the charge in addressing disparities affecting Black, Indigenous, and racialized children and families in the child welfare system.
As the inaugural Executive Director of Kind Minds Family Wellness (KMFW) – a recognized leader in trauma-informed care and the recipient of the 2023 Agency of Excellence award by United Way-Waterloo Region Communities – Ajirioghene led the organization through a period of unprecedented growth.
Her consulting work spans over a decade, where she has provided high-impact services in areas such as dismantling systemic racism, cross-cultural leadership, stakeholder engagement, and change management. Ajirioghene’s academic contributions include lecturing, mentoring future leaders at Wilfrid Laurier University, and advancing trauma-informed research at Western University.
Among her many accolades, Ajirioghene has been honored as the 2024 Distinguished Alumni of Renison University College, and one of Canada's Top 200 Black Women to Watch in 2022. Ajirioghene holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Development Studies and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Master of Social Work from Western University.
After an extensive search, OASW’s Board of Directors unanimously selected Ajirioghene to take on the important role of guiding OASW into its next level of achievement as the voice of the social work profession in Ontario.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to welcome Ajirioghene as OASW’s new CEO,” said Evelyn Weger, OASW President.
“Ajirioghene has a demonstrated history of exemplary service and leadership, bringing a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to drive our continued work to advance the Association and strengthen the profession.”
Ajirioghene looks forward to assuming her role starting September 23, 2024.
“My drive and interest in taking on this next exciting challenge stems from my commitment to empowering social workers to meet the increasing complexities of their work,” said Ajirioghene.
“From my early clinical work to my efforts to advocate for systemic change, I understand the critical importance of equipping social workers with the learning, tools and best practices they need to thrive. I look forward to working together to drive meaningful, lasting change for the profession and the communities we serve.”