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
Barry Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida, and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System and continues as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.
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
Ron Burton retired as president of the University of Oklahoma Foundation Inc. in 2007. He is a member of the Cleveland County, Oklahoma, and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice in Oklahoma and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a founder and past president of the Norman Public School Foundation and founder and past board member of the Norman Community Foundation.
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General secretary
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
John Hewko has served as Rotary International’s general secretary 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 $13 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."
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 Buenos Aires, New Delhi, Parramatta (Sydney), 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.