What next after Rotary International president-elect De Camargo resigns?

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Even before serving a single day in his new role, Mario Cesar Martins de Camargo has announced he will not serve as the president of Rotary International.

The Brazilian Rotarian was due to begin his 2025-2026 term at the helm of the organisation this July.

In his June 8 letter to departing Rotary International president Stephanie A. Urchick, De Camargo cited "personal reasons and business obligations" as the reason for his shock resignation.

The organization said that in a later communication, De Camargo — a member of the Rotary Club of Santo Andre, Sao Paulo in Brazil — said he would continue to be an active Rotary member and to serve his community.

De Camargo has been a Rotary member since 1980.

He was selected to succeed Urchick by the Nominating Committee for President in August 2023.

"We greatly appreciate Mario's 45 years of leadership and service to our organization and the tremendous pride his nomination created among Brazilian Rotary members," Urchick said in a letter to Rotary members. 

"I am certain that Mario will leverage his experience and will continue to contribute to the growth of Rotary in Brazil and around the world. 

"I want to thank Mario and Denise for their hard work and dedication to Rotary over the past 20 months. We wish Mario well."

Following De Camargo's decision, the Rotary International Board of Directors will meet to determine the process to select a new 2025-26 Rotary president.

With over 46,000 member clubs worldwide and over 1.4 million individual members — including in Uganda — Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. 

Its mission, according to its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders".

Rotary International is a non-political and non-religious organization.