the assembly also selects, for a term of four years, one individual to act as president of the icrc. the president is both a member of the assembly and the leader of the icrc, and has always been included on the council since its formation. the president automatically becomes a member of both the council and the assembly, but does not necessarily come from within the icrc. there is a strong faction within the assembly that wants to reach outside the organization to select a president from swiss government or professional circles (such as banking or medicine). in fact, the four most recent presidents were all previously officials for the swiss government. the president's influence and role are not well-defined, and change depending upon the times and each president's personal style.