[30:44] Meet Distinguished Toastmaster Aletta Rochat, the 2025–2026 Toastmasters International President from Cape Town, South Africa. Aletta is an inner life skills wisdom partner and certified coach, an accomplished author and global speaker who has delivered training in 21 countries. She also coaches TEDx speakers to craft messages that leave a lasting impact. In August 2025, she made history as the first International President from Africa and only the tenth woman in 100 years to lead Toastmasters International.
On today’s episode, President Rochat shares her remarkable Toastmasters journey—from discovering her “helium hand” that compels her to volunteer, to rising through club, district, and global leadership roles.
She reflects on the power of validation as a leadership tool and reveals practical strategies for making leadership easier, including the simple habit of sending voice-note thank-yous to team members.
She also discusses:
How her nomadic childhood taught her communication as a survival skill
The bold presence she brought to the world championship stage to celebrate African culture
The one-on-one coaching moment that sparked her professional career
Her post-pandemic vision for growth, including seizing local opportunities to start new clubs
Read President Rochat's profile: "Meet Aletta Rochat, DTM, 2025–2026 International President: South African speech coach makes history," by Paul Sterman in the September 2025 issue of the Toastmaster magazine.
Photo Credit: KOA Photography
