Before devoting his life to TSF, Jean-François Cazenave had already created two humanitarian associations. He deployed to Iraq (Kurdistan) in 1991 during the first Gulf War, then to Croatia later that year. He subsequently carried out more than 50 missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1996 and in Albania between 1997 and 1998.
Following a career as a senior civil servant, he created TSF in 1998 with Monique Lanne-Petit. As President, Cazenave has guided the evolution of TSF in becoming a professional Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), particularly on the aspects of representation, partnership and financing. These obligations have not prevented him from staying close to TSF’s beneficiaries.
Cazenave led TSF's emergency actions in more than 70 countries around the world, benefiting almost 1000 international NGOs, relief teams, UN agencies, and millions of affected people.
In April 2010, Jean-François Cazenave was elevated to the rank of Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
