The Rotary Club of Mt Eliza is delighted to welcome John Anderson as our newest member.
John brings a fascinating life story, a wealth of professional experience and, most importantly, a strong commitment to volunteering and community service.
From Pakistan to Australia
John’s early life was anything but conventional.
Although proudly Scottish by background, John spent much of his childhood in Pakistan, where his family was based. He attended boarding school in Scotland for seven years before deciding that he had had enough of boarding school life.
His family later returned to Scotland for a period before making the move to Australia, where John’s father’s family was based.
It was in Australia that John began his professional career, joining the banking industry. He spent 17 years working in banking before deciding it was time for a change.
From banking to business
After many years in the corporate world, John decided he wanted to take a different path and establish his own business.
He initially ventured into business with a partner, an experience that did not quite go according to plan. Undeterred, John started again and established a recruitment agency, specialising in recruitment for the banking sector.
The agency continues to operate today.
While John's professional career has been varied, it has been his involvement in volunteering and community service that has become an increasingly important part of his life.
A commitment to volunteering
Since around 2011, John has devoted significant time to volunteering, with his community involvement taking two particular paths.
The first has been through his passion for sport and his contribution to the development of the game at a state level.
The second has focused on supporting individuals experiencing disability or disadvantage.
These experiences have given John a strong understanding of the difference that committed volunteers and community organisations can make in people's lives.
More recently, John has become involved in Rugby Works, a charity that he is helping to develop. The organisation uses rugby as a vehicle to create opportunities, build connections and make a positive difference in the lives of those it supports.
It is this commitment to using his time, experience and skills to help others that makes John's decision to join Rotary such a natural fit.
Becoming a Rotarian
At his induction, John was formally welcomed into the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza and reminded that membership brings both the benefits of fellowship and the opportunity to contribute to something much larger than an individual club.
Rotary connects more than one million members around the world, with clubs working together and independently to address issues including peace and conflict prevention, disease prevention, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child health, education, economic and community development, and environmental protection.
For John, joining Rotary provides another opportunity to contribute to the community, meet people who share similar values and put his experience to work in ways that can create a lasting impact.
At 65, and after 37 years of marriage and raising three children, John has already packed a great deal into his life. His journey has taken him from Pakistan and Scotland to Australia, from banking and business to volunteering and community service.
We are now very pleased that the next chapter includes Rotary.
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Mt Eliza, John. We look forward to getting to know you, learning from your experience and working alongside you to make a difference in our community and beyond.
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