Geert Cami appointed Vice-President of the Board at Friends of Europe and the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation

Geert Cami has been appointed Vice-President of the Board at Friends of Europe and the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation, stepping down as Secretary General as of 29 October.

Geert is handing over day-to-day operations fully to Ulrike Sapiro, Managing Director of both organisations. As a consequence of this governance change, the position of Secretary General will cease to exist. In his new role, Geert will continue to support the overall strategic development of the organisations. His role at the Africa-Europe Foundation remains unchanged.

Isabelle Durant, President of Friends of Europe and member of the Governing Board of the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation, commented:

“Since his co-founding of Friends of Europe in 1999, Geert has been the initiator and driving force behind Friends of Europe and the various other sister organisations and special initiatives launched ever since. His vision and entrepreneurial spirit have allowed us to occupy a solid place in the policy landscape, enjoy an excellent reputation and benefit from an incredibly varied network.

“We owe much of the secret of this success to Geert: his tireless energy, a healthy dose of boldness, perseverance and discipline. I have seen this first-hand ever since I joined the Board. I am grateful for his relentless efforts, often behind the scenes, and for his patience in accepting several delays to his long-planned handover of day-to-day responsibilities.”

Ulrike Sapiro, Managing Director of the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation and Friends of Europe, added:

“I am honoured to take over from Geert, whose leadership has shaped Friends of Europe into the organisation it is today. I have learned a great deal from working with him thus far and am grateful for his generosity during this transition. My aim is to build on that solid foundation, keep the values that have served us so well and lead our organisations into their next chapter. I look forward to continuing the collaboration at a more strategic level.”

Geert Cami concluded:

“I am proud of our journey together with our teams thus far, grateful for the support of all colleagues, partners and friends along the way, and I have full trust in Ulrike’s capabilities to take our organisations to the next level. I hope to be able to find some time now to do some writing, but I will also continue working with my fellow Board members, as well as with Ulrike and her teams, on the activation of our network in support of our European democratic project: more agile and forceful, at the service of its citizens and able to resist pressures from various sides in these volatile times.”