Our Leaders
Our leaders at Rotary exemplify all of the qualities that make our members extraordinary: integrity, expertise, and a commitment to service.
Rotary is led by a diverse international team of top executives. Whether developing Rotary policy, providing financial support, managing a global staff, or advancing Rotary’s strategic plan, each member of the team is dedicated to helping our members connect and take action to create sustainable change.
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President
Rotary’s president presides over the Board of Directors and is elected to a one-year term.
Meet our president
Holger Knaack is the CEO of Knaack KG, a real estate company. He was previously a partner and general manager of Knaack Enterprises, a 125-year-old family business.He is a founding member of the Civic Foundation of the City of Ratzeburg and served as president of the Golf-Club Gut Grambek. Knaack is also the founder and chair of the Karl Adam Foundation.
Read the president's biography.
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Trustee chair
The trustee chair is elected by the Board of Trustees and leads The Rotary Foundation for one year.
Meet our trustee chair
K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran is a third-generation Rotarian, joining Rotary at age 21. As RI president in 2015-16, he introduced the Rotary Global Rewards program and led a delegation of about 9,000 Rotarians to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square.
Ravindran is the CEO and founder of a publicly listed company engaged in the print and packaging industry with worldwide clientele. His company, Printcare PLC, is a winner of national and international awards of excellence.
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General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer
Rotary’s general secretary and executive team oversee a staff of more than 800, who serve Rotary members from our world headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and seven international offices. The general secretary is a member of the Rotary International Board of Directors and The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees..
Meet our General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer
John Hewko has served as Rotary International’s general secretary and chief executive officer since 2011. A charter member of the Rotary Club of Kyiv, Ukraine, Hewko lives out Rotary’s mission, whether inside or outside the office. He’s immunized children against polio in India, represented Rotary at the World Economic Forum, and bicycled 104 miles (167 km) with Rotary members in Arizona, USA, to help raise over $50 million for polio eradication. "It’s an honor to go the extra mile in serving this great organization. I see Rotary as the original social network formed to exchange ideas and resources so we can transform lives. We’re a bold NGO that believed it could end a disease, and we’ve stuck to the cause for over three decades. That thought inspires me every morning.".
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See the Rotary International Committees and Rotary Foundation Committees.
Executive staff
The executive staff manages operations, including member services and programs, finance, technology, development, communications, strategy, and legal services, at our world headquarters in Evanston and offices in New Delhi, Parramatta (Sydney), Pune, São Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo, and Zurich.
Read biographies of the executive staff
Meet our senior management team
Meet our international offices management team
Directors
The Board of Directors establishes Rotary International’s policies and provides guidance that helps our clubs thrive. Clubs elect the directors every year at Rotary’s international convention, and each director serves for two years.
Board of Directors meeting dates
Trustees
The Board of Trustees manages the business of The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of our organization. The Rotary International president-elect nominates the trustees, and the Board of Directors elects them to four-year terms.
Regional leaders
Regional Rotary Foundation coordinators, Rotary coordinators, Rotary public image coordinators, and endowment/major gifts advisers connect Rotary members with the resources and assistance they need to succeed. Regional leaders are appointed by the Rotary International president-elect or Rotary Foundation trustee chair-elect.