WFNS President Servadei - Coordinator of Committee Activities

I would like to say at the outset that it has been an honor and privilege working with Dr Franco Servadei who has been a true and genuine leader for the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies over the past 4 years. I started working with Franco many years ago as part of the wonderful community of International Neurotrauma. He has been a strong voice and advocate for improving the diagnosis, care and management of patients with brain and spinal cord injuries as well as all neurosurgical patients throughout his career. I first met him when he hosted the International Neurotraumatology/ICRAN meeting in Rimini, Italy in the late 1990’s. As a young investigator interested in pediatric neurotrauma, and presenting at my first international meeting, I was personally welcomed by him and made to feel immediately a part of this amazing community of neurotrauma and neurosurgery. Throughout the years, I always enjoyed hearing his lectures, the conversations around the controversies within the scientific community, his passion for the work going on not only in Europe but throughout the world, but most importantly wanting to continue to improve how we do things, how we teach others, and how we collaborate amongst ourselves within our niches in Neurosurgery but as part of the global Neurosurgery community.

The two of us have had the opportunity to work together on a number of different projects during these years and I always enjoyed our time together over coffee or over dinner and wine in the different cities throughout the world. I valued our friendship and our collegiality, times that I truly looked forward to over the years as our paths crossed at different meetings and conferences. I was then truly honored to be asked by him to help him during his WFNS Presidency to serve as the Coordinator of Committee Activities, succeeding Miguel Arraez. It has been a wonderful experience being part of his Presidency and legacy to help steer the WFNS in a sustainable direction for the future, hopefully building on my predecessor’s work building the role of the WFNS and its Committees in Global Neurosurgery. It has been enjoyable to see the positive changes that have been made and that will serve the organization going forward in the future.

In closing, Dr Franco Servadei, has been a genuine leader for the WFNS in that he truly sought to develop consensus with consideration of all of the sides of the arguments for helping to develop a new path for the WFNS for its future and for his leadership of our organization in Global Neurosurgery and Global Surgery. It has been wonderful to work with him during his years as President as Franco has been an example and inspiration to all of us of calm leadership during a time of change for our organization as well as during a time of worldwide crisis with the COVID 19 pandemic. The WFNS is forever indebted to him for the great leadership he provided us during these difficult times. I again so much appreciate having had the opportunity to learn from him, for his friendship and look forward also to the future.

On behalf of the WFNS Committees - and personally humbly submitted,
P. David Adelson, MD