The article presents the text of an address given by the president of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons (IAES) at the 47th World Congress of Surgery, 2017 in Basel, Switzerland. Topics of the speech include the establishment of the International Surgical Society in 1902, the formation of the IAES in 1979, and the Peer Support Program of the Association. The role of endocrine surgeons is also discussed.