IOC’s Director of Finance & Administration Thierry Sprunger Steps Down

International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Director of Finance and Administration, Thierry Sprunger, is stepping down to pursue “new challenges”, after a 17-year tenure serving the organisation.

Commenting on his decision, Sprunger said: “Working at the IOC has been a privilege and an honour. I had the pleasure of working under President Juan Antonio Samaranch for seven years, with a further 10 years under President Rogge.

“I am particularly fortunate that my years in the Olympic Movement coincided with a period of sustained growth – a remarkable achievement, especially given recent global economic events. My role as a Director has changed a great deal during my tenure, and is now very disconnected from the operational role I most enjoy. This is why, after much consideration,

“I have decided to leave the organisation in order to focus directly on the projects closest to my heart in the area of sports development and supporting future host cities of multi-sports events in their efforts to reduce their costs.”

IOC President Jacques Rogge added: “Thierry has been an integral and key member of the leadership team here at the IOC and we wish him every success in his future. Over nearly two decades of service, he has made a huge contribution both to the IOC and to the Olympic Movement in general – his skills and talent have helped us to modernise and transform the administration.”

Sprunger’s almost two-decade term spanned 10 Olympic Games (five Summer and five Winter), and, during this time, he was responsible for guiding Organising Committees for the Olympic Games through the financing of the Games. Sprunger also oversaw the annual general meetings of the IOC (the IOC Sessions) in Prague, Singapore, Guatemala City, Copenhagen and Durban, at which Olympic hosts Vancouver 2010, London 2012, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 were elected.