Nora Kronig becomes the new Director of the Swiss Red Cross
Published: Friday, Jan 26th 2024, 12:00
Updated At: Friday, Jan 26th 2024, 12:00
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Nora Kronig Romero is to become the new Director of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC). The Head of the International Affairs Division at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is expected to take up her new post on May 1, as the SRC announced on Friday. Kronig Romero's election comes at a turbulent time with numerous departures and resignations at the aid organization.
The Red Cross Council is convinced that Nora Kronig Romero, "with her experience in managing complex projects in a federal environment and her experience on the international stage", has the best qualifications as Director of the SRC, the organization added.
In her current role at the FOPH, Kronig Romero was responsible for health cooperation with neighbouring countries, the EU and international organizations, in particular the World Health Organization (WHO). During the coronavirus pandemic, Nora Kronig Romero was also responsible for national vaccine procurement and distribution as co-head of the Covid-19 Vaccination Task Force.
"I am delighted and honored that I will soon be able to continue my work in the service of the Swiss Red Cross for the benefit of people's health and humanitarian Switzerland," said Kronig Romero, according to a statement from the FOPH.
An expert on the cultural diversity of Switzerland
The management of the SRC office includes coordination with the Red Cross organizations - namely the 24 Red Cross cantonal associations, four Red Cross rescue organizations and two Red Cross institutions. It also coordinates the SRC's relations and activities with partners and authorities at national and international level.
Romero, now 43, grew up in Geneva as the child of Swiss-German parents. She therefore knows the cultural diversity of Switzerland from personal experience, according to the SRC. Kronig Romero studied economics in St. Gallen and trained as a diplomat. She then held various positions in the Federal Administration in Switzerland and abroad. Kronig Romero has been working for the FOPH since 2017.
"I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Nora Kronig as the new Director of the SRC. With her extensive experience in a federal environment and also in the international arena, she is the ideal person for this role," said Thomas Zeltner, President of the SRC, according to the press release issued on Friday.
Lots of unrest at the SRC recently
Kronig Romero's predecessor, Markus Mader, was dismissed in December 2022. As a result, four members of the Red Cross Council also resigned. Since then, there has been unrest at the aid organization. Observers spoke of an internal power struggle.
An external investigation report into the circumstances surrounding Mader's departure had identified failings on the part of the Red Cross Council. According to the report, the conflict with the then director was based on a structural problem: as in other, decentrally structured organizations, tensions had repeatedly arisen - particularly between some of the cantonal associations and the head office, which is expected to be headed by Kronig Romero as the new director from May.
At the same time, the authors of the report criticized the President of the Red Cross Council, former Zurich CVP National Councillor Schmid-Federer. In particular, they criticized the fact that the SRC's governing body had not received a written proposal with detailed reasons for Mader's dismissal.
At the beginning of June 2023, Schmid-Federer then announced her resignation with immediate effect "for health reasons". Her successor was former FOPH Director Thomas Zeltner. At the time, it was said that the now 76-year-old Zeltner would hold the position on an interim basis for one year - and that his involvement would be the transition to a long-term solution.
According to the SRC at the time, the internal crisis had hardly any financial consequences. There had been no decline in the willingness of private individuals to donate. Only institutional donors had requested more discussions.
©Keystone/SDA
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