Working with the Charity Commission to enhance safeguarding
March 27, 2026
By Zak Yuson
Tanya Pérez Echeverría, CISV International’s Secretary General, steps down this month after five and a half years leading the organisation.
Tanya joined CISV at one of the most challenging moments in its history. Programmes had been cancelled for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisational knowledge had been lost, resources were stretched, and the future was uncertain. Together with staff, volunteers, Members and leaders across CISV, Tanya led the organisation through the financial and organisational challenges the pandemic brought. They rebuilt momentum, restarted programmes, and brought young people back to the life-changing experiences at the heart of CISV. It was a collective achievement, and it is the one Tanya is proudest of.
Under her leadership, CISV grew stronger as an organisation. It expanded its capacity, improved support for its regions, built a more international staff team, and strengthened its governance, safeguarding and approach to risk. Tanya is quick to credit the staff team and volunteers, who worked tirelessly above and beyond what was expected of them through years of limited resources. Their willingness to support one another, step beyond strict job descriptions when needed, and do whatever the organisation required reflected a remarkable combination of trust, accountability, and commitment to CISV’s mission.
She also helped bring CISV and its Junior Branch closer together. When she joined, the Junior Branch saw itself as separate from CISV. Today, Junior Branch voices are represented at Board level and involved across the organisation. “JB is the present and the future of CISV,” Tanya says, “and I leave with hope thanks to that.”
Tanya’s connection to CISV is personal as well as professional: all three of her children have taken part in CISV programmes.
“I leave knowing that CISV has what it needs to move forward,” she says.
Thank you, Tanya, for five and a half years of dedicated leadership, resilience, and service. Your commitment helped CISV navigate challenging periods in our history while strengthening our ability to deliver its mission for future generations of young people.
“I leave knowing that CISV has what it needs to move forward”
