MSIF welcomes newly elected board members

This month MSIF held its annual Hybrid Global Networking Meetings, bringing together 78 participants from 27 countries, both in person in London and online. It was a productive and inspiring week, filled with opportunities to collaborate and share insights from MS organisations worldwide.

Throughout the week, we discussed a wide range of topics, including MS diagnosis, the integration of artificial intelligence in the movement’s work, and the future direction of our organisational development work. The sessions reflected MSIF’s strategic aims and provided valuable learnings to guide our collective efforts toward a world free of MS.

A time of transition and gratitude

These meetings also marked a time of change for MSIF, as we welcomed new members to our Board of Trustees and elected a new Chair, Mario Battaglia, and Vice-Chair, Ana Torredemer. In his opening remarks, Mario said:

I have been a volunteer in the multiple sclerosis movement for 50 years. I got involved through a friend who had multiple sclerosis, though he is no longer with us. His name wasn’t Martin Luther King, but every Sunday, he would call me and say, ‘I have a dream. One day, multiple sclerosis will be defeated. Is there any news?’

Even today, I believe this remains the core purpose of the movement: to place the word ‘end’ next to ‘multiple sclerosis’ all over the world. For this reason, I am honoured to have been elected President of the MS International Federation (MSIF).

At the same time, we expressed our heartfelt thanks to those stepping down from governance roles, whose dedication has been pivotal to the MSIF movement:

• Mai Sharawy, outgoing Chair and President of the Board
• Daniel Larouche, Chair of the Nominating Committee
• Cyndi Zagieboylo, Viresh Oberoi, Guillaume Courault, Nick Moberly, Johana Bauer, and Kim Phillips, on the Board of Trustees.

Over the years they have all made major contributions to bring us closer to our shared goals, and we are incredibly grateful for their leadership and service.

Welcoming new Board members

MSIF was delighted to welcome the new members of our board: Hemant Nerurkar, Jan van Amstel, Jean-Frédéric de Leusse, Magd Zakaria, and Rami Ayach. The full list of both re-elected and new board members, along with their biographies, are available here.

Looking Forward

It was a busy and inspiring week at MSIF’s annual global meeting, full of meaningful discussions and powerful networking. The international gathering has shown the strength of the MSIF global movement and reaffirmed our commitment to making progress together.

We would like to thank everyone who joined us, both in London and online. With fresh leadership and a clear focus on the future, we are more determined than ever to continue our journey towards a world without MS.