President Hinder Announces Resignation 18/06/2018

Following the adoption of his Annual Report
by the 2018 General Meeting on 17 June 2018 in Lausanne, Switzerland, WDSF President Lukas Hinder announced his resignation from office after a transitionary period of five months. His successor will be First Vice-President Shawn Tay, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer by the WDSF Presidium in its meeting of 18 June 2018.

The General Meeting unanimously agreed to the motion presented by the Presidium to make Lukas Hinder Honorary Life President after the official handover of the WDSF Presidency to First Vice-President Tay, scheduled for 17 November 2018 during the WDSF World Championship Standard in Vienna, Austria.

Reading out a statement to the delegates and observers at the General Meeting, Hinder thanked his colleagues on the Presidium for reaffirming their commitment to the first participation of DanceSport in the Youth Olympic Games. He also acknowledged the continued support of the Presidium allowing him to hold elected office on the Executive Committee of the International World Games Association.

Commenting on his decision, Lukas Hinder said:

I decided to take this step to bring all parties closer together in how they interpret dance as sport.  During the weekend, I had cordial meetings with my Presidium colleagues who understood and accepted my decision. This also included a very satisfactory reconciliation and agreement with our 1st Vice-President, Shawn Tay.
Thank you to the many people in our community who expressed their appreciation for my work with the WDSF Presidium over more than 20 years. I am thankful that I was allowed to serve WDSF as President during an important time and I am committed to ensure a smooth transition period, which will also include the administrative level as decided by the Presidium.
I am very pleased to advise that the Presidium has reconfirmed that WDSF’s participation in the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games is supported unreservedly and that the WDSF Presidium will approve of my future candidacy for any office in the International World Games Association.I am fully supporting the transition process that has been established between all of us. As per the wish of our next President, Shawn Tay, I will assist the Presidium and in particular my successor in their relation with other organisations in international sports as best as I can and as long as I can.

The Presidium has also agreed unanimously that the existing employment contracts with the valuable staff currently working at the WDSF office in Lausanne will be honoured. And it has appointed the 1st Vice-President to the office of CEO of the WDSF effective Monday 18 June 2018, with the added provision that the CEO shall report to the full Presidium, not the President or the Managing Committee.  Under this arrangement, documents under the authority of the President shall be signed by the CEO and Lukas Hinder until the date of his resignation following the successful 2018 Youth Olympic Games, after the WDSF Presidium Meeting on 15 – 16 November 2018 at an official handover ceremony during the 2018 WDSF World Standard Championship in Vienna, Austria, on 17 November 2018. At that time, the WDSF 1st Vice-President shall assume the office of WDSF President according to Article 16(2) of the Statutes   Under our Statutes the next quadrennial presidential elections are scheduled for 2021, but Mr. Tay immediately made a commitment to stand for election at the 2019 WDSF AGM to ask WDSF´s Members to confirm his mandate to 2021.