Edgar Grospiron has won his case. Finally. The executive board of the Organizing Committee for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games approved the appointment of Cyril Linette as Director General of the OCOG this Thursday. This marks the end of a long saga, which has already tested Edgar Grospiron's nerves and patience. Two months after taking office, the OCOG president now has his right-hand man, which should help accelerate the structuring of the Committee.
The rebound of a candidate rejected by French football
The process dragged on, as Edgar Grospiron wasn't convinced by any of the four candidates selected by the Games' stakeholders, out of a hundred or so candidates. He therefore pursued the lead of Jean-François Vilotte, director general of the French Football Federation. Without success. Cyril Linette's name was finally revealed by the newspaper L'Equipe at the end of March, but everyone had to agree. "The discussions took place and they were constructive. The extra week allowed for the exchanges that were missing.", explains Grospiron while this appointment was initially expected on April 7.
A journalist by training, the 54-year-old headed the sports department at Canal+ (2008-2015), then served as CEO of the L'Equipe group (2015-2018) and then of PMU (2018-2021). He ran for president of the Professional Football League in 2024, promising to review the way French football operates, but failed to gain the support he had hoped for against incumbent Vincent Labrune in the September election. However, this campaign demonstrated his willingness to initiate reforms, to reflect on trade policies and the economic model of French football. He also expressed his desire to promote it and ensure its long-term relevance. These are key words that resonate with his mission to serve the French Alps 2030.
“Thinking about the content, the form, and the field”
The CNOSF welcomes this appointment in a press release, recalling the CV of the new OCOG Director General, " a recognized business leader and sports and media expert ", with skills in management, operational management and budget management, and a " in-depth knowledge of marketing, media and digital " Edgar Grospiron also justified this choice: "Cyril Linette is an innovative, structuring, and reforming leader. He brings a clear vision of value creation, budget management, team performance, and content distribution. The Games today are as much a sporting event as they are a huge content platform with strong emotional power. Cyril has this ability to think about content, form, and the field simultaneously."
This appointment embodies " the pragmatism and ambition of OCOG " in the words of the CNOSF: " With this appointment, the OCOG affirms its desire to build a strong governance structure, based on a balanced alliance between strategic vision and operational efficiency. Leading the project is Edgar Grospiron, President of OCOG, who embodies the Olympic and Paralympic ambitions and embodies the inspiring dimension of the project. Alongside him, Cyril Linette, Managing Director, will implement the operational strategy with rigor and agility. "After weeks of discussions and negotiations, it's time for action, with two priorities: continuing to build the OCOG organizational chart and moving forward with the site map, which is due in two months.
