Wandsworth Rotaractor Elected to Lead Rotaract in Europe
Member of the Rotaract Club of Wandsworth in London, Elise Nassif, has been elected to lead the European Rotaract Information Centre as President for the 2026-27 Rotary Year.
Elise Nassif
Rotaract Europe or ‘ERIC’ is the official Multi-District Information Organisation for Rotaract in Europe and is the European equivalent of Rotaract Great Britain and Ireland. It has a membership of over 25,000 Rotaractors from some 40 countries with members in the UK and Ireland being represented by Rotaract GBI’s Experience Director and Country Representative.
Elise has been involved in Rotaract for nearly a decade, with experience spanning club, district, and international levels across multiple countries. She is a Rotary Peace Fellow at the Rotary Peace Centre and is pursuing an MA in International Relations and Security Studies at the University of Bradford.
Following her election, Elise shared;
“As I prepare to serve as President of Rotaract Europe, I am filled with gratitude and pride to be part of this inspiring community.
Our journey is built on strong foundations laid by the dedication and hard work of previous leaders, whose commitment has shared the network we are today. I am honoured to build upon their legacy.
Rotaract stands on shared values, a common vision, and above all trust: trust in what we do, in who we serve, and in one another. Thank you for placing your trust in me to lead this journey.
This leadership will be a collective one, carried out hand in hand with our Board and Country Representatives. Together, we will strengthen our impact and continue to grow as one united network.
I look forward to an amazing year with you all.”
Elise has been working with ERIC for the past four years, including in the roles of Vice President Assistant, Belong Committee Lead and Social Officer. She has connected with Rotaractors across Europe at events in Milano (Italy), Stockholm (Sweden), Luxembourg City (Luxembourg), Prague (Czechia), Belgrade (Serbia), Skopje (North Macedonia) and Utrecht (Netherlands) as well as joining other Rotaract/Rotary events in Cyprus, Portugal, Jordan, Lebanon, Dubai and Rotaract GBI’s very own conference in Nottingham last year.
Rotaract GBI recommended Elsie for the role of President in which it was highlighted “how she clearly commanded a room at attention and effectively conveyed complex concepts with clarity and poise”.
GBI Group Photo at REM Skopje, Saturday 4th October 2025 - From left to right: Mark Strong, Danny Brown, Elise Nassif, Lex Okagbue, Ilayda Guzel, Joaquim Freitas.
The election for the President of ERIC took place during the Rotaract European Meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on Saturday 31st January with Country Representatives voting from a pool of four candidates.
Other candidates for the role where Adara Cheles, current ERIC Vice-President and member of the Rotaract Club of Triumph (Romania), Marcello Andria from the Rotaract Club of Cagliari Golfo degli Angeli (Italy), and Pedro Summavielle from the Rotaract Club of Universidade do Porto (Portugal).
As incoming President, Elise has set out a focus on strengthening Rotaract Europe both internally and externally. Internally, she aims to make ERIC an even more practical and engaging platform for Country Representatives by encouraging cross-country collaboration, introducing more interactive and skills-focused meetings, and expanding the use of data to better measure and communicate Rotaract’s social impact across Europe. Externally, she plans to increase ERIC’s visibility and credibility through stronger partnerships with other Multi-District Information Organisations and closer collaboration with Rotary International. As a Rotary Peace Fellow, she also emphasises peace as a unifying framework that connects Rotaract Europe’s work across all Areas of Focus, ensuring impact is both meaningful and measurable.
Members of the ERIC Board at REM Skopje, Saturday 4th October 2025 - From left to right: Antonio De Cataldo, Katharina Weingärtner, Liliya Teslenko, Alexie Klie Tojal de Almeida, Elise Nassif, Kristina Zejak, Benno Bielmeier, Matteo Facchetti
ERIC plays a key role in connecting Rotaractors across Europe, supporting collaboration between countries, sharing best practice, and providing a platform for leadership development, international service partnerships, and communication between Rotaract and Rotary structures. Rotaract GBI’s links with ERIC helps members broaden their perspectives, build global connections, and contribute to solutions that address challenges on a worldwide scale.
Speaking about election, Lex Okagbue, the Rotaract GBI Experience Director and Country Representative for the UK and Ireland said;
“Rotaract Great Britain and Ireland is delighted to congratulate Elise on her election as the next President of ERIC. We were proud to give Elise our full support, recognising her long-standing commitment to the Rotaract movement, her experience as ERIC’s Social Service Officer, and her deep dedication to peacebuilding as a Rotary Peace Fellow.
Active since 2016, Elise has consistently demonstrated the leadership, empathy, and professionalism that reflect the very best of Rotary and Rotaract. Her vision for unity, service, and stronger European collaboration resonated strongly with GBI, and we are confident she will lead ERIC with integrity and purpose.
We are incredibly proud of her achievement and look forward to supporting her in this new chapter.”
The next Rotaract European Convention takes place in Opatija, Croatia, between Wednesday 29th April and Sunday 3rd May 2026.