Approaching to end of 2016, which has seen the 20th Anniversary of FIM Europe, we’ve asked the Secretary General Alessandro Sambuco for an analysis of General Secreteriat, which has its headquarters at Rome, in Italy. Starting from the past, that is from the very beginning of his presence in FIM Europe – which at the times, still was called UEM.
“It was the year 1999, when the Secretary General of the Italian Motorcycle Federation (where I was working since 1982), Mr. Vincenzo Mazzi, asked my professional support for the opening of the UEM Executive Secretariat in Rome”, recalls Alessandro Sambuco.
“Together with others, we have therefore created a group of friends, offering their free time to set up what now has become the FIM Europe General Secretariat. This beginning was based mainly on volunteer work, due to the poor financial means at disposal.
“The ability of Vincenzo Mazzi allowed to gather around him a group of people, helping him and catching any useful opportunity, even with so few resources, to launch the services for the Federations affiliated to the UEM, which were 40 at those times, as well as to organize the Continental Sporting Activities.
“The flywheel had started moving”.
What has changed now?
“After 17 years much has changed. The progressive increase of the economical means, also thanks to the good mechanism started with great efforts in the first years, made possible to have now a FIM Europe General Secretariat representing a sample of efficiency, even considering its small dimension, both in terms of structures and human resources at disposal.
“The pioneering phase started in 1999 has been progressively replaced by a new phase, based on the constant research to move with the times, about management techniques, human resources, organization of the offices, safety on the workplace, as well as the best possible use of IT.
“A particular attention has been addressed to the Knowledge Management, in order to preserve the heritage of knowledge, experiences and activities carried out, that must remain at disposal also of the next generations leading FIM Europe.
“But to be modern, technology-friendly and professional has never prevented us to remain open and to establish “human” relationships with our stakeholders, which only the passion for this work and for motorcycling can allow.
“We really love to work for riders, with riders, being riders”.
On top Alessandro Sambuco during an official meeting and, above, with his wife during the FIM Europe Club event in Stockholm, last September
What about the future?
“I am satisfied of how the General Secretariat in Rome has settled but, as it must be, I am constantly researching for a further development and improvement of the internal procedures, of the external communication, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness.
“Within the FIM Family it is emerging a possible change in the organizational structure that, probably, will foresee the integration of the CONU Administrations inside the FIM structure.
“It is a process that I believe natural conceptually and addressed to the effectiveness of the whole organization. We will see how this project will go ahead and, in the meantime, we have to prepare ourselves to this eventuality, continuing what we are doing since time: a progressive harmonization of our procedures with the ones of the FIM Administration. This is already happening with the interaction and cooperation of the staff of the respective Departments. In fact, several joint meetings have already been held in Mies.
“The concept of FIM Family should not be abstract, but a concrete reality from which everybody will benefit, starting from the Staff itself, the Management, the FMNs and all stakeholders of the world motorcycling activities”, concudes Alessandro Sambuco.
From the left: Steve Aeschlimann, John Pineo, Ignacio Verneda, Jacqui Monteiro, Alessandro Sambuco, Shah Yahya and Ramon Carreira in a recent Meeting of the FIM CONU Secretaries General
