Chris Davies

Chris Davies

2025-26 President’s Representative

It was very early morning, and I was in a taxi on my way to the Ministry of Health in Addis Ababa, wondering if this was really a good idea. Only time would tell.

This moment was one of many opportunities Rotary has given me since I joined my club in 2007. After a career as a solution designer with Accenture, I moved to Market Harborough and returned to teaching in a local secondary school. As a teacher, I quickly saw how Rotary works alongside schools to enhance education through its youth programmes.

I became District Governor in 2017/18 and later had the privilege of working in Learning and Development at both regional and international levels.

But how did this connect with that taxi ride in Addis Ababa? As an Area Governor with 13 clubs, I wanted a project that could unite them. I didn’t understand the Rotary Foundation well at the time, so I explored a Global Grant opportunity. That journey led me to palliative care in Ethiopia.

Five years later, it proved to be a very good idea. With the support of many people, the Ethiopian Minister of Health decreed that no hospital could be registered without a palliative care unit.

I now work with the Foundation team as a Regional Coordinator and look forward to representing the President of Rotary International at your conference. Please come and chat with me — who knows what opportunity may be next in your district.