ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT K.R. RAVINDRAN TO KARIFEST: "WE NEED MORE SIR EMEKA OFFOR IN ROTARY".

 
Rotary International as an organization is known for humanitarian services globally and for this reason and more, the organization is known the world over as one of the most organized institutions of the world.

As part of its mode of operation, Rotary International installs a new president yearly who takes on this Rotary business squarely to visit different nations internationally to bring succor to people.

The publisher KARIFEST INTERNATIONAL, KARIFEST DUCHESS ONYEKAAH had a brief chat with the current serving Rotary International President, K.R. RAVINDRAN (RAVI) when HE visited Nigeria. 

In this interview, he talked about Family, Business and Rotary.

Excerpts.

KARIFEST:  How has been your service year as RI president

RAVI: My year as President has been busy. We set ourselves clear goals and I believe we are hitting those goals. My job is to ensure that the organization is moving in the right direction; that we are moving according to the strategic plans we have laid out. At the end of the day if we accomplish that I can leave the organization a little bit better than I found it, I would be satisfied.

KARIFEST:  Each country you visited what message or messages do you always carry along

RAVI: My message is always the same. Appreciate what Rotarians are doing in that country. Talk to them about the perceived weakness and encourage them to continue the path they are going on.

KARIFEST: When you joined Rotary did you ever dream of becoming the RI President

RAVI:  No! I did not even know there was something called the RI President! You don’t go in search of jobs. It comes to you if you are committed and you are a performer.

KARIFEST:  I see a lot of energy in your posts on twitter, what drives that energy

RAVI: My Tweets are a way of keeping the organization involved with my activities. I want them to see Rotary through my eyes. I want to share the joys of Rotary with them.

KARIFEST:  What is Rotary's greatest challenge as an organization

RAVI: The greatest challenge is engaging the next generation of leaders to join organizations such as Rotary.   Time is precious for all of us and with the fast paced world today, it can be difficult to garner the attention of the young, and upcoming leaders:  And, it can be even more difficult to communicate the value of membership in Rotary.    At our core, we provide two key values to our members:  First, an opportunity to connect with like-minded leaders and second through those connections we provide a tremendous opportunity to impact the world and serve those in need.  The opportunity to both connect and serve is attractive to every generation of business and professional leaders.   Connecting early in one’s career can be valuable for both networking and being mentored.  As time passes the connections grow and friendship, fellowship and tremendous mutual respect can develop

KARIFEST:  How would you describe your visit to Nigeria

RAVI: I was impressed by the enthusiasm and passion Rotarians showed. But I expected nothing else. I had a most enlightening visit to the Polio center. These are good people we have there and the technology and knowledge they bring to bear is impressive. Tunji provides excellent leadership. I enjoyed the time I spent with Sir Emeka Offer though I was disappointed that the meeting with President Buhari was cancelled. All three of your DGs Big Mike, Otumba, and Pearl are doing a wonderful job. I am very proud of them. 

KARIFEST: Sir Emeka Offor has done so much for Rotary and we need more people like him in Rotary, how can this be achieved

RAVI:  First, get Sir Emeka into Rotary! He acts as a Rotarian. He should actively become one. Then have him and others of his stature invite more of their friends and companions and associates into our organization.

KARIFEST:  What are your greatest challenges as RI President

RAVI:  Being able to convey in a nice manner the impossibility of me being able to accept every invitation

KARIFEST:  What is the legacy you wish to leave behind, once you retire from the position of President Rotary International

RAVI:  I do not plan to leave a legacy behind or build statues of myself, but leave the organisation a little better than I found it and moving further down the path we have chartered in our strategic plan for the organisation.

If we want to achieve something big, we won’t do it by going at it alone, by focusing only on what we can achieve. To make a name for myself, I must focus on our goal, and on building the relationships, connections and partnerships needed to get to that goal.

 When I complete my term, I will be happy to return to everyday life with my family and business, as just another ordinary citizen, doing my part for home and country.

KARIFEST:  You have received several merit awards and highly recognised by your country, do you think it would have been so without your role in Rotary

RAVI:  I have received awards for my Rotary work and I have received independently awards for my role in my industry and country, which have nothing to do with Rotary. I have also turned down a few awards for various reasons. Awards do not drive me. Nor do I go in search of them.

KARIFEST:  In your view, how important are professionalism and ethics for contemporary businesses

RAVI:   Ethics and professionalism have always been critical for the long term success of any business.  It is even more important in today’s world.  In the short term you can turn a nice profit by cutting corners and by shady ethical practices.  However, unethical and poor business practices eventually catch up to you, are revealed and your business eventually fails.  That is why Rotary has continued to emphasize as one of its core values integrity.    We remind ourselves daily of the importance to tell the truth, be fair to all, operate in a way that is beneficial to everyone and always try to build goodwill and friendship.  Keeping these goals in mind will assure that your business remains ethical in its conduct and operates in a highly professional manner. Long term success will follow.

KARIFEST: You have urged fellow Rotarians to strive to be ‘a gift to the world’ – how would this apply, in the context of business 

RAVI:  From the moment we are born, we receive gifts. The first gift is life itself. We receive gifts of love, caring and nurturing from our families; of education, health, and every talent and ability that we learn and acquire. As we move through life, parents, friends, spouses and children, livelihoods and material wealth are all gifts to us. The very business we run is a gift.

And I ask myself and I ask you, what do we do in return?

Will we come to the end of our lives and realise that we have wasted our gifts, achieving nothing that will outlive us? Or will we look back and know that when we pass from this world, the good that we have done will remain?

 Through business, with colleagues, along with workforces and other stakeholders, we have an opportunity to leverage our resources, and leave a mark on the world and in the community in which we operate. They should all have benefitted because we existed, as an individual and as a company.

 In the balance sheet of life, we cannot leave Earth with more liabilities than assets! 

KARIFEST:  How well do you balance family life and work

RAVI:  In the order of priority it has always been Family, Business and Rotary in that order. I started my business after I joined Rotary and when my children were toddlers. I have built a reasonable sized business and am part of a united family strong on ethics and correct behavior. So, I guess I have not done too badly in the way I have balanced three important aspects of my life.

KARIFEST INTERNATIONAL.

Follow us on Twitter @KARIFEST1

Share this

Karifest Duchess