Chuki Obiyo is an executive who sits at the intersection of law, business, and relationships. As Chief Business Development Officer at Vedder, he helps transform legal excellence into lasting client partnerships by aligning the firm’s talent with the real-world needs of companies, founders, and decision-makers navigating complex challenges.
At his core, Chuki helps people see possibilities. He has a sharp instinct for identifying where value can be created—whether that means inspiring lawyers to connect with clients or helping clients identify the right lawyers. He doesn’t just open doors; he helps people walk through them with determination, clarity, and confidence.
What sets Chuki apart is his ability to translate across worlds. He speaks the language of lawyers, executives, entrepreneurs, and investors, and he understands how trust is built in each. He has held commercial leadership positions at CEB-Gartner, LinkedIn Corporation, Wolters Kluwer, and Morae Global.
Chuki’s work is fueled by relationships, but grounded in execution. As a speaker for students, Chuki brings structure to ambition, turning ideas into actionable plans and conversations into outcomes. His mission is for students to choose determination over devastation.
Ultimately, Chuki helps people win by helping them align: aligning expertise with opportunity, intention with action, and relationships with purpose. His impact is felt not just in revenue or growth metrics, but in the strength of the networks he builds and the confidence people gain from knowing they have the right partner at the table.
Chuki earned his college degree from the University of Texas in Austin and his law degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.