Crisis governance: what I learned from chairing a collapsing Presidium

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title: "Crisis governance: what I learned from chairing a collapsing Presidium" date: "2026-03" kicker: "Governance" summary: "Tighter financial oversight, sustained member relationships across four continents, and conflict-zone diplomacy under scrutiny. Twelve months, one 100-year-old federation, no shortcuts." status: "Published" readTime: "8 min"

In May 2023 I was elected Vice President of IFM-SEI, a 100-year-old international federation, at the end of an Extraordinary Congress called because the organisation was in serious instability. The Secretary General had been removed. Multiple Presidium members had resigned. There had been no statutory congress for seven years. Member organisations on four continents — Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America — were waiting to see if anything was coming.

Transparency is cheaper than secrecy

The first lesson: in a crisis, transparency is cheaper than secrecy. Every hidden decision becomes a rumour, and every rumour costs trust you cannot afford to lose. The team opened the books — literally. Tighter financial oversight, published reporting to the membership, plain explanations of where the money had gone and where it was going. The shock was real, but the alternative was worse: a federation that died because its leadership was too embarrassed to tell the truth.

Keep what runs running

The second lesson: keep what runs running. When an organisation has gone dormant the temptation is to redesign everything first. That is a trap. The work was sustaining what existed — keeping member relationships warm across four continents while the structures around them were being repaired. A 100-year network that lives is worth more than a perfect blueprint that does not.

Cross-border diplomacy is operational, not ceremonial

The third lesson: cross-border diplomacy is operational, not ceremonial. Dialogue with organisations in conflict-affected areas through the Willy Brandt Centre Jerusalem meant showing up consistently with partners who had real reasons to distrust each other. The only currency that works there is consistency — showing up, following through, never promising what you cannot deliver.

What was left behind

I stepped out of the term at 23 with the federation stable, governance documentation in place, and member coordination systems carrying 500+ contacts forward. I would not recommend the experience, but I would recommend the lessons.

The operational record

• Chaired monthly Presidium meetings through restructuring
• Held political and legal responsibility for decisions on finances, staffing, governance, and cross-border compliance
• Sustained member relationships across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America
• Conflict-zone diplomacy via the Willy Brandt Centre Jerusalem
• Contributed to tighter financial oversight during the economic crisis
• Governance documentation that supported coordination of 500+ members across countries