FIND Update on Governance and Financial Reforms

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Executive Management of FIND

We are aware of the Swissinfo article published on 28 August and we are making the following statement to give a comprehensive update on governance and financial reforms that have taken place in FIND and to set the record straight.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, FIND increased its visibility and funding. However, as the organization dealt with a combination of both growth and increased remote working, new Board Directors who joined the organization in 2023 were faced with a series of institutional challenges.

Some of these challenges were captured in a May 2023 pulse survey through a self- assessment, provided by an external organization, commissioned prior to the new Board Chair joining FIND. The Board Chair, who had assumed office at the end of March 2023, and went through several months of onboarding, held her first in-person Board meeting where she assumed voting rights on 21 June 2023. The self-assessment had highlighted issues around governance, an oversized Executive Management Team, and in addition, a DEI survey conducted by FIND in 2023, brought to light incidents of racism, harassment and burnout by the previous Executive Management Team, some of which had been investigated but then covered up and not elevated to the Board.

When appointed in 2023, the Board Chair inherited an organization that was on a dangerous financial footing (like many organizations), having received a fast increase and then decline in funding. This included the discovery of contracts with numerous consultants spread around the world with dubious arrangements, employment contracts not subjected to Swiss law as required, and weak HR and contractual processes, tolerated or initiated by former management. This all led to a situation that required an urgent restructuring and swift action. As a result, the Board has worked tirelessly and against all odds to rebuild FIND in Geneva and globally, to keep it solvent and functioning and its mission intact.

The Chair’s leadership has been a decisive factor in guiding FIND through this turbulent period. The Board recognized the need for a period of stabilisation for the organisation and in 2025 voted unanimously for the Chair to serve another term in office, which was subsequently accepted.

However, the sustained attacks on FIND and an overly lengthy governance process has caused damage to the organization.

In July 2024, following a routine partner risk assessment (PRA) report, the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the governance of FIND. It is notable that the PRA process was deliberately concealed from the Board by the former acting CEO, Board members were not consulted at all – and its content relied heavily on  a small group of now former colleagues that have been working continuously to discredit FIND using a series of financial, governance and personal smears to donors, partners and now the media.

The governance review was scheduled to be completed by September 2024 but due to delays at SDC did not commence until November 2024. FIND was initially advised that the review would be concluded by mid-December 2024- it eventually concluded in February 2025. FIND still awaits the finalized governance review and SDC steadfastly refused to share interim results with FIND for months, contrary to the original Terms of Reference. An error-ridden draft review was only shared in June, and notwithstanding the errors and biased reliance on the same small group of people, the report did not substantiate any of the damaging allegations made.

This delay by SDC is damaging to the organization’s ability to reset with some donors and partners and focus on its mandate to drive innovation and access to diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries. This has also forced FIND to reduce its staff and programme capacity, ultimately impacting the development of much needed diagnostic protocols including for ongoing disease outbreaks.

Among several next steps as the Board moves to close this chapter, we await the final report of the SDC governance review. This extended process of review has left FIND open to anonymous one-sided attacks and speculation, as relayed through the recent SwissInfo piece published 28 August, which presents an unbalanced and misleading picture of FIND. Key problems with the Swissinfo article include:

• The article leans on a series of unnamed “sources close to the foundation” that wrongfully suggest the organization was close to collapse – whereas in fact most of the damage sustained by FIND has been the drumbeat of attacks it has faced combined with the abnormal length of the governance review.
• The Board Chair – a black woman – is given a derogatory pseudonym in the Swissinfo piece and is falsely presented as the root of all problems. The review was completed in 2022 before the Board Chair even joined the organization and reflected major discontent with the then Executive Management Team. The article does not account for this and the litany of false claims and unfounded accusations only reaffirm how disingenuous its portrayal is.
• While the article notes that previous FIND colleagues have launched legal retribution, it omits the fact that none have been successful to date. FIND will continue defend those claims that have no factual or legal basis.
• Regarding the emails sent using FIND systems targeting the Board Chair: Swissinfo portrays the target of the racist hate mails as the perpetrator and the senders as victims. In fact, the emails violate Swiss law, were legally available to the board as FIND property, and are currently under the review of a Swiss prosecutor. Interim legal costs have already been awarded to the Board Chair. The article omits all these facts.

While there has undoubtably been damage done to FIND, the organization as of mid-2025 has stabilized and is now unified, and forward-looking. Key indicators of this positive trajectory include:

• Revitalized Management and Staff Morale:With a new CEO and reconstituted leadership team in place, there is a refreshed sense of purpose within FIND. Many of the individuals who contributed to the previous toxic environment are no longer with the organization. This has opened the door for new talent and for existing dedicated staff to step up. Internal feedback from staff surveys and meetings suggests that morale is improving, especially in offices that were directly engaged by the Board Chair during the crisis (e.g. India and Indonesia). Staff report a clearer vision from leadership and greater confidence that issues will be heard and addressed. Importantly, the culture is gradually shifting toward one of openness and mutual respect, aligning with FIND’s values.
• Restored Donor Confidence and Partnerships:The transparency and accountability measures put in place have been positively received by FIND’s donors and partners over the last several months, particularly at the Diagnostics Days at the World Health Assembly and G20. In addition, major funders have in part or fully lifted funding holds that were instituted amid the uncertainty, as they gain assurance from audit results and the new leadership structure. The Board Chair and the new CEO have actively engaged in high-level dialogues with governments, multilateral agencies, and philanthropic partners to update them on FIND’s progress. We are pleased to note that not only have prior donors reaffirmed their support, but FIND’s credible handling of the crisis has attracted interest from new funding sources. The organization’s reputation is on the mend; stakeholders see that FIND did not collapse under scrutiny – rather, it used the opportunity to profoundly strengthen its foundations.
• Financial and Strategic Reorientation:In light of both the crisis and the general post-pandemic funding landscape, FIND undertook a strategic reorientation. The organization performed a thorough and collective review to “right-size” operations, ensuring that our budget, workforce, and strategic goals are aligned. This has included streamlining certain processes, eliminating inefficiencies, and focusing on core strategic priorities where FIND can have the greatest impact. As a result, FIND is now on a more sustainable financial footing, and is a leaner, more effective operational model to weather future challenges.
• Legacy of Resilience and Good Governance:The FIND Board of Directors includes leaders from all around the world, and they are more engaged and active than ever, with clearer delineation of oversight responsibilities. The management understands that accountability is the norm and that the Board will uphold the highest standards. Systems are in place now to prevent the recurrence of past mistakes – for instance, any future allegations of misconduct will be handled with independent oversight from the start, financial transactions and contracts undergo stricter compliance checks, and employees have safe channels to report issues early. In essence, FIND has emerged from this trial by fire stronger, wiser, and more resilient. This renewed strength is the platform on which future successes will be built.

In closing, FIND acknowledges the intense public and stakeholder scrutiny we have undergone. We believe we have emerged accountable and transparent, with our integrity intact. The Board Chair’s leadership has been a decisive factor in guiding FIND through this turbulent period. We look forward to moving ahead, stronger and united, to a future of greater health impact worldwide.

We extend our thanks to our partners, donors, and team members who stood by the organization and to those who constructively challenged us to be better – your voices helped drive improvement. To the communities and countries, we serve: you remain at the heart of FIND’s work. With a revitalized organization, we are better positioned than ever to innovate and deliver diagnostics that save lives.

The transformation in FIND, just like other global agencies, has been painful at times but FIND and the Board remain committed to exemplary governance and to delivering on our life-saving mandate to drive forward innovation and access to lifesaving diagnostics.

We look forward to the SDC publishing the report, FIND has nothing to hide, and we will keep moving ahead, stronger and united, to a future of greater health impact worldwide.