Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Jerome Fontana is the new Head of the ICRC delegation in Cairo. Since joining the ICRC in 1998, Mr Fontana has worked in thirteen different countries (Rwanda, India, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, China, Palestine, Bangladesh, Nepal, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Switzerland). Initially he worked as a protection delegate and then as a program coordinator before receiving higher responsibilities in the management of all ICRC operations and security in various countries. Mr Fontana is experienced in supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and national authorities diverse humanitarian fields, including on migration topics and the promotion of international humanitarian law in their respective countries.

In this conversation we explore Jerome’s background and how he has navigated his own mental well-being. We begin with his origins as detention delegate in Kamembe Rwanda and examine Jerome’s appointments around detention, security & protection, and communication & how they have fashioned him as a leader within the organisation. We also explore the importance of situational awareness through horizon scanning, security reports and the contemporary economic markers of stability.

Please enjoy this fascinating conversation with a guest that has seen the depths of human suffering, the heights of humanitarian care and a spectrum of war torn stories throughout his life.