Welcome President Ivan

The Club are delighted to welcome President Ivan McMinn for the 2016/17 Rotary Year.

Ivan, Head of Business Acquisition, Danske Bank, has been 34 years with the bank having most recently been Head of Corporate Banking (2013 - 2015), Head of Finance Centres (2011 - 2013) and Head of Corporate Acquisition (2007 - 2011). Married with 2 children his is an exceptional story as in 2011, aged 49, he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Only 2 years later following surgery (Whipples Procedure) and Chemotherapy he ran the London Marathon in 2013 and again in 2014, raising £202,000 to date for Cancer Charities and other good causes. His sporting interests include Cricket, Golf, Running, Triathlons and Swimming. He is also a Board member of the CBI, Northern Ireland Science Park Connect, Cancer Focus, Visit Belfast, Presbyterian Children's Society and Chairman of the Civil Service North of Ireland Cricket Club.

He says: "The Rotary Club of Belfast was founded in 1911 and has been serving members and supporting deserving causes ever since through organising international, local and social projects with an emphasis on making a difference to the lives of the people we set out to help and to improve their chances of contributing positively to their society. During the last year alone we supported: PolioPlus, ShelterBox, Mitchell House School, Children in Hospital, YouthAction NI, Harmony Community Trust, SOS NI, Salvation Army, Aquabox and the Crumlin Children's Hospital's Parents Accommodation Unit Appeal.

In recent years the Club has attracted an ever increasing number of younger members and in his 2016/17 year as President this will continue to be the case with a wide ranging and varied programme ensuring the enjoyment of all our members.

Service has been the cornerstone of Rotary since its earliest days, and has been its main purpose ever since. It has been a powerful force for doing good across the world, most notably through Rotary's fight to eradicate polio which is now closer than ever with so far this year only 18 cases of polio having been reported in the two remaining countries where polio is still endemic - Pakistan and Afghanistan. The world stands on the brink of an historic milestone and Rotary is focusing on the final push to eradicate this disease to ensure a polio-free world."