Rotary International President Representative, Past RI Director PDG A.S Venkatesh

An engineering graduate from the prestigious IIT, Madras, Rtn. Venkatesh did his post-graduation in Business Administration from IIM, Ahmedabad. Entered the business of civil construction at the age of 23 and is currently heading an organization employing over 1400 people.

A member of Rotary club of Chennai Mambalam, he was its president in 2001-02, and the youngest District Governor of RI Dist 3230 in 2007-08. He was Rotary coordinator for the period 2010-2013 for Zone 5 covering South India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives.

He has been a trainer for all DGEs at International Assembly at San Diego for 2 years as well as a trainer for all Coordinators from around the world at Chicago for three years (2014-2017). He has addressed over 50 PETS and several district assemblies and conferences besides being a president’s representative at six conferences both in India and overseas He is a Level III Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation with a personal contribution of over USD 50,000 and all his family members are Paul Harris Fellows.

Rtn. Venkatesh has attended over ten international conventions. He was joint secretary and national executive committee member, Rotary India Literacy mission. He was also chair for South Asian Reception at Montreal Convention and at Seoul Convention. He represented D3230 in Council on Legislation COL 2016. He has been elected Rotary International Director for the period 2021-2023. He is a keen Bridge player and loves travelling. He is married to Vinita, also an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad. The couple have two daughters.

Jennifer lives in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

Jennifer has practiced as a lawyer since 1981 and since retiring has focused on providing facilitation and dispute resolution services to private and government organizations. She also provides training and coaching for organizations including Resolution Institute, Sydney Graduate School of Management, UTS, Chambers of Commerce, small to medium businesses, and voluntary organizations.

Jennifer is involved in several not-for-profit organisations and charities. She is the Chair of Varuna, the National Writers’ House, and is on the board of Sustainable Cambodia. Together with her husband, Ian, Jennifer has led teams of project volunteers to Pursat in Cambodia, and a Vocational Training Team to Mongolia upskilling judges and social workers in family mediation and conflict management skills.

A member of the Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains, Jennifer served as Governor in 2007-08. She has been an International Assembly Training Leader and Seminar Trainer and is currently the International Assembly Moderator for RIPE Jennifer Jones She has recently been appointed by PRPN Gordon McInally as the chair for the 2024 International Convention in Singapore. Jennifer has been a member of the Hamburg Convention Committee, RI Election Review committee, and the RI Leadership Development and Training Committee. She is currently a vice chair of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign Committee, a member of the RI Constitution and By-law committee, and a Technical Coordinator for the Environment AOF. Jennifer has been awarded the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. She and Ian are major donors, and bequest society members.

Ravishankar Dakoju (born 6 June 1953) is an Indian philanthropist and real estate investor.

• During 2018–19 he was the president of Rotary Bangalore Orchards,Rotary International. In 2018, he became the first Indian national to announce the single largest community development fund from India to Rotary Foundation at INR 100 Crores (USD 14.7 million). It is the second single largest contribution to The Rotary Foundation after the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• He is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Bangalore. He is also the founder and managing director of Hara Housing and Land Development Company, a real estate development company based in Bangalore, India.

• Ravishankar was born in Bangalore in 1953 to Kamesh Dakoju and Indira Kamesh as the sixth among seven children. He is a BA Graduate and has a Diploma in Business Administration & Marketing Management. Ravishankar is married to Paola Ravishankar. They have two daughters, Ektaa and Samta.

Malaysia’s first astrophysicist who played an instrumental role in sending Malaysia’s first astronaut to space and creating public awareness and understanding of astronomy

Malaysia’s first astrophysicist, Professor Emerita Tan Sri' Dato’ Seri Dr. Mazlan Othman is an accomplished scientist with several national and international awards under her belt. Celebrated for putting Malaysia’s first astronaut to space, her illustrious career in space science saw her in leadership roles that included Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) from 1999 to 2002 and 2007 to 2013 and founding Director-General of ANGKASA, Malaysia’s National Space Agency, from 2002 to 2007.

Dr Mazlan studied at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand where she obtained a Ph.D in Astrophysics and became the first woman to be awarded a doctorate in nearly 120 years since the university’s founding. She returned to Malaysia in 1981 to teach at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, where she pioneered an academic programme on astrophysics and was appointed Professor of Astrophysics in 1994.

She was seconded to the Prime Minister’s Department in 1990 to set up the National Planetarium, where she became its first Director-General and led the design and manufacture of Malaysia’s first remote-sensing satellite, TiungSAT-1, which was launched in 2000. Upon her return to Malaysia from her first stint as director for UNOOSA, she set up ANGKASA and established the National Space Centre, founded the Langkawi National Observatory and helped place the world’s first remote-sensing satellite in the near-Equatorial orbit. She spearheaded the Angkasawan Programme in 2007, launching the first Malaysian astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, to the International Space Station before returning to serve as Director of UNOOSA that same year.

Dr Mazlan is currently director of the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), a role she assumed in 2017.

Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, a respected veteran in the electronics industry, spent most of his career at Intel and Dell. He’s currently the president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), representing companies in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector. Established during the pandemic, MSIA now comprises 236 members, representing parent companies from 18 countries.

Recognised for driving industry growth, Wong champions Malaysia as a primary destination for E&E investment. He played a pivotal role in shaping strategies for the 12th Malaysia National Plan and New Industrial Master Plan and is a member of Pemudah, a private sector task force aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s business environment and global competitiveness. Currently, his focus is on Academy in Industry, an initiative aimed at encouraging school leavers to join the E&E sector through tailored skill training programs, nurturing a new generation of manufacturing technicians.

Dr. Yogi Chellappan recently joined Think City’s Climate Resilience Team in Penang, bringing extensive expertise in project management and leadership. Having managed impactful projects across Africa at WorldFish, she has worked extensively in food security, sustainability, climate change, and gender and social inclusion.

Now, she is leveraging her global expertise to drive localised climate solutions that empower communities in Malaysia. Beyond her work in climate adaptation, Dr. Chellappan’s background in managing creative initiatives in performing and visual arts highlights her ability to integrate diverse perspectives into problem-solving. Holding a Ph.D. from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in human capital and management, she is dedicated to promoting equity and sustainability through a multidisciplinary and global approach.