Greeted by EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi at the Association’s Head Office in Rome, Dr. Jan Lehmann began work as European Olympic Committees CEO.

Jan Lehmann was appointed after a rigorous selection procedure handled by Deloitte and that saw as many as 1.840 applications, which Deloitte reduced to a shortlist of 10 and that were subsequently interviewed by the EOC leadership, who chose Jan Lehmann from Germany.

The need to appoint a CEO was driven by how the job of managing the EOC has dramatically increased in its complexity and related workload, first and foremost for the implementation of the Association’s roadmap for the future, Strategic Agenda 2030, and all that derives from it, and the way its sports events have greatly developed. The growing dimension of the EOC, of its activities, of its sports events, as well as the importance of relations and the economic significance of its commitments thus became determining factors that led to the need to open the doors to the contribution of persons of a high professional standing.

The final choice fell upon Jan Lehmann due to his profound understanding of European sport.

He started his professional career at McKinsey. He then worked in leading positions for the sports marketing agency Infront, the German Football League (DFL), Nielsen Sports and as a board member of the Bundesliga club Mainz 05. His professional focus was on the development and implementation of commercial strategies and the further development and professionalisation of the respective organisations.

First and foremost, he will need to ensure the EOC continues to adhere to the highest standards of professional management, financial responsibility and ethical conduct, with particular reference to the IOC Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance within the Olympic Movement.

EOC President Spyros Capralos said: “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Jan Lehmann as our new CEO. He brings a wealth of experience in the European sports industry and commercial expertise, and his appointment will strengthen the EOC’s governance structures in line with Strategic Agenda 2030. It is an exciting time for sport on our continent with the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on the horizon, and I am delighted to work with Dr. Lehmann to ensure Europe remains at the heart of global sport.”

Jan Lehmann said: “I am excited to join the EOC team. Especially these days, when the world is increasingly polarised and divided, the unifying role of sport and the Olympic idea in particular is more important than ever. These values have always been important to me, as has the idea of a united Europe. I am therefore looking forward to making a contribution to the future of Olympic sport and its commercial development in Europe in my new role.”

Jan Lehmann will be responsible for overseeing all daily operations and business activities to align with the EOC’s strategic mission, ensuring compliance with the principles of good governance while at the same time inspiring and leading a professional team to foster employee engagement and cultivate a high-performance team culture. This will all be with particular reference to the implementation of the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030.