Earlier this month, at the 18th European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT) congress (2–4 September, Marseille, France), the society introduced its new leadership following elections for the 2026–2028 term—including Christian Taschner (University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany) as president, Luca Valvassori (San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Milan, Italy) as general secretary, and Jan Gralla (University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland) as treasurer.
These results were presented during the ESMINT congress’ general assembly on 2 September, together with the newly elected standing committee chairs for 2026–2029.
ESMINT notes in its announcement of these updates that this new leadership brings together experienced members of the ESMINT community who have contributed to the society and its activities across different roles in recent years.
New president Taschner—who previously served as ESMINT general secretary, and has been closely involved in the society’s leadership and strategic development for some time—succeeds 2024–2026 ESMINT president Anne-Christine Januel (Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France).
Having served as 2024–2026 ESMINT treasurer, Valvassori has also been closely involved in the society’s governance and activities over the past two years, and—as general secretary—will now continue to work alongside Taschner and other executive board members to support the coordination and further development of the society’s activities.
Additionally, Gralla joins the executive board as the newly elected ESMINT treasurer for the 2026–2028 term, having previously served as chair of the society’s internal affairs committee. As treasurer, he will be responsible for overseeing ESMINT’s financial affairs as well as supporting the executive board in the sustainable development of the society and its activities.
At ESMINT 2026, the society’s general assembly also approved the appointment of Michael Walker as executive director of ESMINT—an appointment that was first announced in May 2026. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Walker is working alongside the elected officers within the executive board—Taschner, Valvassori and Gralla—and overseeing the operational management and further development of the society.
The newly elected standing committee chairs for the 2026–2029 term will contribute to ESMINT’s work across its four key clusters: education, research, network and outreach. More information on these leadership updates can be found online here.
