By Ian Salek
That’s Rowan McClean’s prescription for what makes a good Rotarian. But, the credo perfectly sums up the man himself in his Rotary life and prior career.
Rowan is a Member and Past President of the Rotary Club of North Balwyn, is currently District 9800 Club Service Chair and a previous RAWCS Chair and International Service Chair. His CV is as long as your arm, but it has unmistakably influenced his Rotary work today.
Initially a Trinity Grammar student, Rowan later undertook an MBA as a mature-age student at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He spent 15 years living and working outside Australia, in the fields of business development, international planning and marketing. He guided new businesses in Papua New Guinea; was an Australian Trade Commissioner in Indonesia; commenced a management consulting practice in Jakarta; conducted executive search assignments in Japan; and, helped service industry development through the UN in Pakistan, Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
Rowan has consulted widely to government and the private sector in Australia and abroad. On one assignment he managed an electronics manufacturing company. He is a Certified Management Consultant and a past President of the Institute of Management Consultants in Victoria.
That career experience has led to his Rotary International involvement.
During his UN work in Vietnam, Rowan met a Masters graduate with Vietrade and her husband, an orthopaedic surgeon, both of whom were from Minh Hac in Phu Tho Province. After visiting there, Rowan identified needs with community leaders. He has since introduced Rotary North Balwyn, Bacchus Marsh, Balwyn, Brighton and recently Glenferrie to poor communities in Phu Tho Province and they now provide equipment and furniture for schools and clinics. Minh Hac now has clean water, sustainable projects in agriculture and animal husbandry and emerging small businesses.
Rowan believes it is critical for Rotary’s survival to promote its achievements aggressively to the public.
His funniest recent Rotary moment was seeing a photograph of 10-year old Vietnamese boy, Tran, being fitted with a Geelong Football Club jumper by Scott Pepin (Bacchus Marsh Rotary), although the face of his colleague, Imre Lele after trying a smoke pipe in Minh Hac came a close second.
A full radio Interview with Rowan McClean will be played on the Rotary Radio Show on 94.1FM 3WBC. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and Website for upcoming dates.