Luxembourg, 3 July 2026 – Representatives of the IRU – International Raiffeisen Union gathered in Luxembourg for the XVIth General Meeting, hosted by Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg. Members from Europe, Asia and Latin America participated both in person and virtually, demonstrating the global reach of the IRU and the strength of the international Raiffeisen network.
The General Meeting marked an important milestone for the organisation. Alongside the statutory agenda, members reviewed the activities of recent years, discussed future priorities and elected the IRU leadership for the next term. The successful hybrid format enabled broad participation and active engagement from member organisations across the world.
New IRU Leadership Elected
The General Meeting elected the following officers:
- President: Guy Hoffmann (Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg)
- Vice President: Jan Holthaus (DGRV – German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation)
- Treasurer: Christian Hofer (Raiffeisen Switzerland)
- Secretary General: Andreas Kappes
The following members were elected to the IRU Board of Directors:
- Dr. Nandini Azad (ICNW, India)
- Heinz Alfred Bartel (FECOPROD, Paraguay)
- Dr. Subrahmanyam Bhima (NAFSCOB, India)
- Adem Darımla (Tarım Kredi Cooperatives, Türkiye)
- Franky Depickere (Cera, Belgium)
- Rudi Kleijwegt (Rabobank, Netherlands)
- Koh Young-chul (NACUFOK, Republic of Korea)
- Johannes Rehulka (Austrian Raiffeisen Association)
- Elenita Roque (ACCU, Thailand)
- Dileep Sanghani (IFFCO, India)
- Paulina Schwarz (Raiffeisenverband Südtirol, Italy)
The newly elected Board reflects the diversity, international expertise and cooperative spirit of the global Raiffeisen movement.
International Exchange on Membership and Cooperative Identity
The XVIth General Meeting was preceded by the International Raiffeisen Seminar, which brought together representatives from IRU member organisations to exchange experiences and discuss current developments within the global cooperative movement.
This year’s thematic focus on “Membership & Member Engagement” featured contributions from ACCU (Thailand), Cera (Belgium), ICNW (India), NAFSCOB (India), Rabobank (Netherlands) and Raiffeisen Switzerland. Participants shared practical experiences on creating member value, strengthening participation and ensuring that cooperatives remain relevant for future generations. Despite different national contexts, one message became clear: many of today’s cooperative challenges are shared—and so are many of the solutions.
Reflecting on the discussions, Prof. Dr. Hans Groeneveld concluded:
“Membership is not a static concept. It must continuously create value for members while strengthening the cooperative identity.”
Opening the seminar, IRU President Guy Hoffmann highlighted why international exchange is one of the organisation’s greatest strengths:
“Our strength as an international Raiffeisen family lies in learning from one another. Different countries, different experiences – but the same cooperative values unite us.”
Strengthening Cooperative Learning Worldwide
Another important focus of the meeting was the continued development of the IRU’s international learning portfolio.
Participants received a first introduction to the new Raiffeisen Starter, the IRU’s introductory learning programme designed to make the Raiffeisen idea accessible to new generations of cooperators worldwide. In addition, the Raiffeisen Ambassador Advanced programme was officially launched. The new training initiative was introduced together with an impulse input by Prof. Dr. Hans Groeneveld on the dimensions of cooperative identity, followed by interactive demonstrations that allowed participants to experience the programme first-hand.
Together, the Raiffeisen Starter, Raiffeisen Ambassador and Raiffeisen Ambassador Advanced programmes form a comprehensive international learning pathway that promotes cooperative knowledge, leadership development, peer learning and the exchange of best practices across the global Raiffeisen network.
We express our sincere gratitude to Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg for hosting both the International Raiffeisen Seminar and the XVIth General Meeting.
Special thanks go to Françoise Lunkwig, Fanny Schlesser and the entire Banque Raiffeisen team for their outstanding hospitality, excellent organisation and warm welcome. Their dedication created the perfect environment for two inspiring days of professional exchange, cooperative dialogue and international friendship.
The IRU also extends its appreciation to all speakers, participants and supporters whose commitment contributed to the success of the event.
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