2024 Paris Games: Thobois named CEO of future Organizing Committee

Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Etienne Thobois as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Organizing Committee to be launched early in 2018 as the transition period of the bid committee was ready to come to a conclusion.

"The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Committee has confirmed the appointment of Etienne Thobois as CEO of the Organising Committee, following an open and transparent recruitment process," read a statement.

As CEO of the bid committee, Thobois played a key role in helping Paris become host city of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We are delighted with the appointment of Etienne Thobois to the role of CEO. Etienne stood out among a field of very high-caliber applicants. His leadership and experience was crucial to our victory in Lima and will prove invaluable over the next seven years as we work together to build our exciting project for the 2024 Games," commented the Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet.

A former French badminton champion and Olympic athlete, Thobois had previous experience in organizing some big sporting events. He was the Finance Director of the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, CEO of Rugby World Cup 2007 in France, founder of Keneo sports consultancy, former IOC expert on venues and finance and technical expert for Tokyo 2020.

The recruitment process began in November and was overseen by an independent firm. A shortlist of four candidates was selected for decision from a total of 61 applications.

Thobois was chosen by Tony Estanguet, widely considered as future President of the Organizing Committee, following a discussion with members of a committee that included French IOC Member Guy Drut, representatives from the city, the government, the region Ile-de-France, the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee.

"In three months we have laid the foundations and designed the framework for 2024. It is on this basis that we can now move forward to develop an ambitious project that benefits the Olympic Movement, the people of France and the entire country," added Estanguet.

--IANS

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