2021 Elections: President Candidate Statement

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Grisold, FAAN

Dear Member Societies and delegates,

I would like to apply for the position of the President of the WFN.

Having served as the Secretary General of the WFN for the past eight years, I have gathered knowledge on all areas of current and previous activity. I designed and organized several initiatives, and, made substantial contributions to WFN’s growth as a globally operating organization. Based on countless conversations with representatives and insights I have gained , I am convinced that my agenda for the presidency meets the needs of the WFN and its membership. My proposed agenda revolves around three key goals:

The first is to intensify the collaboration of all WFN members across countries and regions. Neurological diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the globe and neurologists are at the forefront to solve the great challenges of our time. As our members bring in distinct strengths and competencies, we can jointly advance the treatment of illnesses and our patients’ well-being. A cornerstone of my presidency will be to strengthen collaboration with WHO, the global neurology network and scientific societies to successfully advance our initiatives.

My second goal is to increase the impact of the WFN. As per our mission, we strive to enhance high quality neurology and brain health worldwide. Our focus is to make neurology accessible in all parts of the world and for all patients in need. To this end, I see high quality education as the backbone, as it empowers regions to consolidate, advance and adapt their education and treatment strategies. Among other activities, I intend to drive the development of training centers and department visits integrating emerging opportunities of virtual education. I am confident we can increase our impact by training and empowering aspiring neurologists. My plan is to design a global training charter to establish standardized neurology training, and establish fellowship, advocacy and leadership programs.

My third goal is to ensure coherence and continuity. The WFN has launched several successful initiatives targeting all aspects of brain health. One prominent example is World Brain Day, which has significantly helped raise public awareness about neurological diseases. We are fortunate to launch new initiatives and programs — but can only make a sustainable impact where there is continuity and coherence across projects. One way to increase coherence and continuity is to smoothen transitions between administrations. I envision the immediate Past President and President Elect serving in overlapping periods to ensure an efficient, transparent handover.

Importantly also, I will endeavor to balance the gender distribution in leadership roles and give patients a voice in WFN.

I am applying for the presidency of the WFN because I see many promising opportunities that we can achieve together over the next four years. At the heart of my agenda is the will to ‘strengthen the strengths’ of our organizations and further improve outreach and impact of our programs for neurology and neurological patients.

It would be my sincere pleasure to work with you on these programs in the next 4 years.