Our team

François GRUNEWALD is a renowned humanitarian expert. An agricultural engineer with a PhD in Management Sciences, François has been working on crisis management and humanitarian action issues for over 40 years. After holding several positions at the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, he founded and led Groupe URD (Urgence Réhabilitation Développement), an institute specialising in crisis management. In this capacity, he has also served as an expert for UNICEF and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has regularly travelled throughout the former USSR (Chechnya, Abkhazia, Ossetia, Nagorno Karabakh) since the early 1990s and has led 12 missions in Ukraine since 2020. The author of numerous articles and books, he also teaches at several universities in France and abroad. François was a member of the High Council for International Cooperation and chaired its Crisis Commission. He was also a member of the CNCDH, the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights.

Since February 2022, he has led numerous missions in Ukraine on behalf of the Zakarpattia Medical Aid Committee, SAFE, Dignitas Ukraine and Electricians Without Borders. He lectures at the University of Kharkiv, teaching two modules on humanitarian aid and the ecological consequences of war. The author of numerous books and articles on humanitarian action, he is currently writing a book on Ukraine, Ukraine: Resistance, Solidarity, Hope (Ed. L’Harmattan, to be published in early 2026).

Former General Delegate of the Medical Aid Committee, then journalist, he has been involved in humanitarian work again since 2022. He has long-standing ties with Ukraine. He helped found our Ukrainian partner, the Zakarpattia Medical Aid Committee, in 2000. With the SAFE association, he has sent more than 360 semi-trailers to Ukraine since the start of the large-scale war and has been involved in managing several humanitarian projects: sending emergency aid, psychosocial programmes, supporting Dignitas mobile clinics, etc. He joined the re-founding of the Comité d’Aide Médicale to provide more effective support to Ukraine.

A marketing specialist, she oversees the search for donations in kind and partners. She is also involved in helping children in France. She is supported by four volunteers, Irène, Valérie, Rémi and Bruno, who help with the search for donations in kind and sponsorship.

Stéphane is an international risk specialist, historian and reserve officer. He has been working since 2022 to raise funds to support Ukraine. The mobilisation of his community has enabled the shipment of around twenty 4×4 vehicles and ambulances, four field hospitals, two fire engines and two bulldozers… And some Hénaff pâté!

Benjamin is the designer of the Ukraine Medical Aid Committee’s website. Thanks to his services, we are able to develop our site and improve our communication across all media. His involvement with the Medical Aid Committee began at the start of the project, bringing his graphic and design skills to the entire association.

Specialist in digital marketing and social media. After nine years at Publicis as director of SEO/Analytics, he now works in tourism and helps young people in difficulty find employment.

Caroline has a degree in business management and international trade. As a business strategy and communications consultant and trainer, she has been supporting Ukraine since 2014. She helps run networks and organises fundraisers and events in eastern France. Together with her partner Alistair, they also carry out missions in Ukraine when a vehicle needs to be delivered!

As a pharmacist in Paris, Anne guarantees the quality of the medical products we send.

In Ukraine, at the headquarters of the Zakarpattia Medical Aid Committee, two doctors work for the Zakarpattia Medical Aid Committee on project management and order preparation. Dignitas also employs a pharmacist to prepare kits for mobile clinics.