ExitUS (exituspodcast.com) is the podcast for the new American Dream — moving abroad to escape the dystopian America of 2025 and beyond.
Today's episode features expat-in-chief Doris Speer, President of the Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO). The Association of Americans Resident Overseas is a nonprofit based in Paris, serving and advocating on the interests of American expats around the world.
Their website is aaro.org, where you can learn more and join as a member (even if you're just an aspiring expat, still based in the US!).
ABOUT AARO – Association of Americans Resident Overseas
The Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), founded in 1973 and headquartered in Paris, is a global, non-partisan non-profit association with members in over 40 countries. AARO builds awareness in the U.S. of the issues affecting Americans overseas and the inequities regarding their rights, and seeks fair treatment by the U.S. government for Americans abroad. AARO also informs its members of the issues affecting them and of their rights and responsibilities as American citizens.
As part of its advocacy work, AARO actively educates Congress, the media and the public on such vital topics as taxation, absentee voting, citizenship, representation, Social Security and Medicare. As a service to its members, it also gives them access to a reasonably priced health insurance plan.
Through its international outreach and information sharing platform, AARO helps to give a voice to Americans living abroad, whose role as “unofficial ambassadors’ of their country is often overlooked. It provides its members updates on key issues, alerts on the need to take action, and access to a network of experts.
Through its lobbying efforts in Washington, including participation in the annual Overseas Americans Week on Capitol Hill, AARO strives to ensure that Congress takes into account the contributions, needs and issues of Americans abroad. AARO also works closely with other international organizations to achieve common goals.
BIO:
DORIS SPEER, born near Detroit, Michigan, has been working in France since 2004. Doris was with the Alstom Group for 17 years, culminating as Deputy General Counsel, Business Transactions, responsible for the Group's worldwide mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. She started her career in New York at Shearman & Sterling, representing clients in M&A and corporate finance. Doris is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law and earned an Executive MBA from HEC in Paris. She currently does legal consulting and teaches M&A and international contracts for private clients and the Association Française des Juristes d’Entreprise (AFJE). Doris has sat on the Boards of the AFJE and the Department MSO, Paris Dauphine. Prior to the law, Doris was a professional percussionist; she continues to be active in the arts through jazz piano and tap dance. Doris commenced her AARO involvement with AARO’s Advocacy and Social Security/ Medicare Committees and the health insurance program. Doris has been President of AARO since January 2022.
