Jährlich wird beim JCI Weltkongress ein neuer Vorsitzender (JCI Präsident) gewählt.
Es ist die einzige Position bei JCI die obwohl gewählt auch entlohnt wird. Da man davon ausgehen kann, daß der Vorsitzenden mindestens 200 Tage im Jahr auf Reisen ist um die einzelnen JCI Nationen zu besuchen kann dieser keiner geregelten Arbeit nachgehen um muß entsprechend einen Ausgleich von JCI erhalten.
Als Vorsitzender von JCI obliegt ihm auch die Führung des Weltkongresses und der dort stattfindenden Vollversammlung der Mitgliedsverbänden.
Die JCI Satzung bezeichnet seine Aufgaben wie folgt: “The President shall serve as chief executive officer of the organization. He shall preside at all meetings of General Assembly, Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He shall supervise the preparation of the annual Plan of Action for the following year, shall direct the overall operations of the organization and shall travel on its behalf. He shall report to General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. The President may delegate the chairmanship of any meeting to another officer designated by him, subject to the approval of that meeting.”
Liste an JCI Präsidenten
| 2017 | Dawn Hetzel | United States |
| 2016 | Paschal Dike | Nigeria |
| 2015 | Ismail Haznedar | Turkey |
| 2014 | Shine Bhaskaran | India |
| 2013 | Chiara Milani | Italy |
| 2012 | Bertolt Daems | Netherlands |
| 2011 | Kentaro Harada | Japanan |
| 2010 | Roland Kwemain | Cameroon |
| 2009 | Jun Sup Shin | Korea |
| 2008 | Graham Hanlon | Ireland |
| 2007 | Scott Greenlee | United States |
| 2006 | Lars Hajslund | Denmark |
| 2005 | Kevin Cullinane | Ireland |
| 2004 | Fernando Sanchez-Arias | Venezuela |
| 2003 | Bruce Rector | United States |
| 2002 | Salvatore Battle | Catalonia |
| 2001 | Georges A. Bouverat | Switzerland |
| 2000 | Karyn Bisdee | New Zealand |
| 1999 | Youk Suk Choi | Korea |
| 1998 | Petri Niskanen | Finland |
| 1997 | Crispin Dy | Philippines |
| 1996 | Thomas Clear III | United States |
| 1995 | David Hide Oji | Japan |
| 1994 | Arnaud Godère | Mauritius |
| 1993 | Robby Dawkins | United States |
| 1992 | Albert Hiribarrondo | France |
| 1991 | Reginald Schaumans | Belgium |
| 1990 | Jorge Suncar Morales | Dominican Republic |
| 1989 | Isfahani Sameen | Sri Lanka |
| 1988 | Jennifer Yu | Hong Kong |
| 1987 | Phil Berry | United States |
| 1986 | Mohammed Moncef Barouni | Tunisia |
| 1985 | Victor C. Luciano | Philippines |
| 1984 | Joe Murphy | Ireland |
| 1983 | Kjell Peterson | Sweden |
| 1982 | Barry Kennedy | United States |
| 1981 | Gary Nagao | Japan |
| 1980 | Patricio Izurieta | Ecuador |
| 1979 | Kumar Gera | India |
| 1978 | Carl Peterson | Guam (JCI Pacific) |
| 1977 | Ronald G. S. Au | United States |
| 1976 | Feliciano Belmonte | Philippines |
| 1975 | Jean Claude Féraud | France |
| 1974 | A. Jay Smith | United States |
| 1973 | L. A. Roy Banarsee | Jamaica (JCI West Indies) |
| 1972 | Royce R. Pepin | Australia |
| 1971 | Graham Sinclair | New Zealand |
| 1970 | Hiroshi Maeda | Japan |
| 1969 | Thomas E. Gates | United States |
| 1968 | Philippe Abravanel | Switzerland |
| 1967 | Clifford E. Myatt | Puerto Rico |
| 1966 | Edward A. Merdes | United States |
| 1965 | John D. Rundle | Australia |
| 1964 | Conrad O’Brien | Trinidad and Tobago (JCI West Indies) |
| 1963 | Eric H. Stevenson | Scotland |
| 1962 | Leslie M. Perrott | Australia |
| 1961 | Peter Frankel | Brazil |
| 1960 | Milton Zapata | Puerto Rico |
| 1959 | Maurice C. Sexton | New Zealand |
| 1958 | Alberto Philippe Morales | Mexico |
| 1957 | Ira D. Kaye | United States |
| 1956 | Arnaldo De Oliveira Sales | Hong Kong |
| 1955 | Peter B. Watts | New Zealand |
| 1954 | Douglas L. Hoge | United States |
| 1952/53 | Roberto Villanueva | Philippines |
| 1951/52 | Philip T. R. Pugsley | Canada |
| 1950/51 | Ramon V. del Rosario | Philippines |
| 1949/50 | Théo Staar | Belgium |
| 1948/49 | Victor Boucas | Brazil |
| 1947/48 | C. Taylor Cole | United States |
| 1946/47 | Erasmo A. Chambonnet | Panama |
| 1945/46 | Raul Garcia Vidal | Mexico |