The renewal of our Governing Board

13/09/2023

This summer saw the renewal of Groupe URD’s Governing Board. Having been President for six years (2017-2023), Monique Cardot became an Administrator in July 2023. She has been succeeded by Charlotte Dufour and Peggy Pascal who have taken up an innovative joint presidency. And, after thirty years in different positions within Groupe URD, which he co-founded with Claire Pirotte and Bernard Husson in 1993, François Grünewald has left his position as an employee to become an Honorary President while continuing his activity in the aid sector as an independent consultant.

The General Assembly of July 2023 led to a major renewal of the Governing Board. The first major change was that Monique Cardot became an Administrator having been President for six years. She invested a great deal of time and energy from 2017 to 2023 and accompanied the changes within the association with interest, insight and humanity. Despite having stepped down, she wants to keep a foot in the Governing Board and will continue to be present to listen to the team, particularly via her involvement in the internal shared governance process.

After 30 years in different roles in Groupe URD, which he co-founded with Claire Pirotte and Bernard Husson in 1993, François Grünewald is handing over the reins to the team while remaining Honorary President and continuing to work in the aid sector. As Monique Cardot wrote in our 2022 Annual Report : “The time has come to pay tribute to his ‘immeasurable’ investment and the powerful impetus he created.”

A new page has been turned with the joint presidency of Charlotte Dufour and Peggy Pascal, both former Groupe URD employees. Charlotte worked for Groupe URD from 2002 to 2005, notably on the first ‘Quality COMPASS’ and the ‘Participation Handbook for humanitarian field workers’, while Peggy was a Groupe URD member of staff from 2002 to 2008, notably in charge of the Afghanistan office for five years. They respectively joined the Governing Board in as an Administrator in 2009 and as Secretary in 2020 before becoming joint Presidents in 2023.

Charlotte and Peggy will promote Groupe URD’s raison d’être which is to help aid actors to adopt new practices to deal with today’s crises and the major upheavals to come. Throughout their mandate, they will aim to consolidate the association, via the activities of the team and the shared governance system. And they will aim to consolidate the economic model and the medium- to long-term strategy, so that “Groupe URD’s research, analysis, innovation and transmission can continue to influence, shape and transform the aid sector today and tomorrow”.