Urs Lehmann, first CEO in the history of the FIS: a momentous step in the governance of winter sport

Urs Lehmann, until now president of Swiss-Ski, has been appointed as the first CEO in the history of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), a unprecedented position that marks a turning point in the governance of the organization. With this appointment, the Swiss leader consolidates his transition from national ski leader to key figure on the international stage, backed by a solid track record in sports, academia, and business.

Linked to skiing since his youth, Lehmann was crowned world downhill champion in Morioka in 1993 and competed in the World Cup until 1997, gaining valuable experience among the elite. His academic background is equally impressive: Doctor of Economics from the University of Zurich (2009), he complemented his studies at the University of St. Gallen and the prestigious INSEAD, which opened the doors to the general management of the pharmaceutical company Similasan, a position he held between 2009 and 2024 before becoming chairman of its board of directors.

At the same time, he never lost touch with the sport that shaped his life. He joined the Swiss-Ski Presidium in 2006 and became its president two years later. Under his leadership, the federation experienced remarkable structural, sporting, and economic growth. Since he became president in 2008, Swiss Ski’s budget has quadrupled to nearly 100 million Swiss francs per season. Since 2024, he has shared the presidency with Peter Barandun, strengthening the organization’s management and stability. This combination of business acumen, international experience, and deep knowledge of skiing makes him uniquely qualified to lead the FIS at a key moment in its evolution.

Motivations and expectations for the appointment

The arrival of Urs Lehmann as executive director of the FIS marks an unprecedented milestone: it is the first time that the federation has appointed a CEO, a move that reflects the desire to give the organization a more professional, agile, and strategic management structure. The objective is clear: to strengthen decision-making capacity, optimize processes, and respond more quickly to the challenges posed by the evolution of snow sports and the snow industry.

Lehmann has stated his intention to act as a “bridge builder,” promoting smoother and more effective collaboration between all levels of the federation: from the presidency, headed by Johan Eliasch, and the general secretariat, led by Michel Vion, to the internal teams and member federations around the world. This approach seeks not only to bring the skiing family closer together, but also to project an image of unity and shared vision.

The new CEO will officially take up his duties at the end of the Technical Committee Autumn Meetings, scheduled for September 23-27, a strategic moment that will allow him to begin his term in direct contact with the federation’s main technical and sports committees.

Expected impact and responsibilities left in Switzerland

The appointment of Urs Lehmann as CEO of the FIS comes at a decisive moment for international skiing and snowboarding. His profile, which combines business acumen, experience in high-level competition, and a solid track record in federation management, heralds a new era of modernization for the federation. His leadership is expected to drive greater professionalization in governance, improve transparency, and accelerate key projects such as content digitization, calendar optimization, and the recruitment of new audiences and sponsors.

At the same time, Switzerland is facing a change of cycle at Swiss-Ski. After more than fifteen years as president, Lehmann leaves behind a stronger federation with solid structures and high-level sporting results. During the transition period, he will continue to share the presidency with Peter Barandun until the Presidium meeting scheduled for mid-September, when the new leadership will be permanently decided.

The change also affects other important positions: Lehmann will step down as president of the Organizing Committee for the 2027 World Championships in Crans-Montana and as co-president of the association responsible for promoting Switzerland’s bid for the 2038 Winter Olympics. These departures present Switzerland with the challenge of maintaining the international profile that Lehmann has successfully consolidated, while opening the door to new leaders to continue the work he has done.

A structural change with global implications

The appointment of Urs Lehmann as the first CEO in the history of the FIS is not just a personal or institutional move: it is a paradigm shift in the way ski and snowboard governance is understood worldwide.

Until now, the executive management of the federation relied mainly on the president and the secretary general.

, with a more traditional and collegial leadership structure. The creation of a general management position, filled by a hybrid profile—a former elite athlete, high-level academic, and business manager—points to an unprecedented level of professionalism in the sport.

This new model could lead to faster and more efficient decisions, which is key in an international calendar that requires constant coordination between more than 130 national federations, broadcasters, sponsors, and event organizers. Lehmann will have to balance sporting, commercial, and geopolitical interests, especially in a context where alpine skiing remains the king of sports, but where snowboarding, freeskiing, and other emerging disciplines are demanding greater prominence and resources.

Comparison with other sports federations

The FIS’s decision to appoint a CEO did not come out of nowhere: it responds to a trend that has been growing in international sports over the last two decades, where federations have opted for executive structures closer to the corporate model to become more efficient and adaptable.

In soccer, for example, FIFA introduced a Secretary General position in 2016 with duties very similar to those of a CEO. This position, currently held by Fatma Samoura until her departure in 2023, took over day-to-day management and strategic coordination, freeing the president to focus on political decisions and institutional representation. Among her achievements are the streamlining of bidding processes and the implementation of new competition formats such as the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. Another clear example can be found in athletics, where World Athletics operates with a CEO who oversees key areas such as operations, marketing, and institutional relations. This structure has enabled the International Athletics Federation, for example, to redesign the Diamond League circuit and introduce innovations in television broadcasting and digital interaction with fans, and in rugby with World Rugby, which has a CEO with real executive power, capable of implementing global projects without going through complex voting processes. Under this model, the federation has managed to expand into new markets—with the addition of emerging countries to the international calendar—and consolidate competitions such as the Rugby World Cup Sevens, which is attracting the attention of the general public.

In this context, the FIS is now aligning itself with federations that have committed to professionalizing their management. However, it is doing so with one notable difference: Urs Lehmann is not an executive from outside the sport, but a world downhill champion and former president of a top-level national federation. This background gives him technical legitimacy and a deep understanding of the skiing ecosystem that is rarely seen in other appointments, where the CEO profile tends to come from the corporate world with no direct experience in high-level competition.

Immediate strategic challenges

The arrival of someone like Urs Lehmann could mark a turning point. His business experience and knowledge of sports marketing are not just embellishments on his resume: they could be the catalyst for optimizing the management of audiovisual rights, one of the federation’s main sources of income, and for redefining the way skiing and snowboarding are presented to the world. Today, audiences demand more dynamic broadcasts, content tailored to digital platforms, and narratives that appeal to a young generation that consumes sports in a fragmented way and on multiple devices.

However, Lehmann will take up his new position in a context where the FIS has been the subject of internal and external criticism. In December 2024, leading figures such as Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt, along with other Olympic medalists, board members, and various national federations, sent a letter to President Johan Eliasch questioning the lack of transparency in rejecting the offer from CVC Capital Partners. This proposal, valued at around €400 million for 20% of the commercial rights to several disciplines, was presented as an opportunity to modernize the commercial structure, increase prize money, and enhance the athletes’ brand. According to the signatories, the decision to reject it was made without the debate and open evaluation that a change of this magnitude required.

The discontent of some sectors regarding the lack of influence of athletes in decision-making has not gone unnoticed either. The case of Dexter Paine, former vice president of the FIS Council, is illustrative: an advocate for the inclusion of Paralympic disciplines and economic improvements for athletes, he proposed that the FIS directly manage prize money payments and make it easier for athletes to use their media content. His loss of office was interpreted by many as a setback for reforms aimed at transparency, equality, and autonomy for competitors.

Beyond these tensions, Lehmann arrives with the responsibility of addressing structural challenges that cannot wait and that will shape the future of international skiing and snowboarding. The first, and perhaps most urgent, is rethinking the competitive calendar in light of the growing impact of climate change. In recent winters, we have seen iconic events such as Zermatt–Cervinia and Lake Louise canceled or relocated due to lack of snow or temperatures too high to guarantee the safety of the racers. Adjusting dates, diversifying venues, and committing to sustainable solutions are debates that are already on the table and require a medium- and long-term plan.

Another key challenge will be to reduce the competitive gap between countries. It is not the same to prepare a national team with generous budgets, access to modern training facilities, the best ski brands and an international technical staff, as it is to do so from federations with limited resources and access to ski resorts that only operate a few months a year and focus on their business model, ignoring the hardships suffered by national federations. There is nothing worse in sport than the total dominance of one country or club in a sporting discipline. In cross-country skiing, for example, it is well known within the sector that the “cross-country skiing” product is worth much less today than it was ten years ago, due to the dominance of Norway.

For the circuit to be truly global, the FIS must promote technical cooperation programs, redistribute resources, and facilitate more FIS events and Continental Cups in emerging regions. There are markets with enormous commercial potential, such as Asia (China, South Korea, and Japan), Latin America, and New Zealand. But it is not enough to simply take competitions to new venues:

National federations need to create and promote local heroes, figures capable of inspiring fans and attracting media and sponsors.

A skier or snowboarder who achieves international prominence can generate a multiplier effect, motivating new generations, promoting grassroots programs, acting as an attraction that will draw new participants to ski resorts, and consolidating public interest in countries where the sport is still finding its place. History shows that a single charismatic champion can transform the popularity of skiing in an entire nation, as happened in Norway with Aksel Lund Svindal or in the United States with Lindsey Vonn.

Finally, the real integration of sustainability and social responsibility criteria cannot remain mere slogans. At Iloveski, we have seen how social and environmental pressure on competitions is growing:

Reducing the carbon footprint of travel, efficient water management for snowmaking, respect for biodiversity in alpine areas, and commitment to the local communities that host the events.

A 21st-century FIS must lead by example, setting clear and measurable standards that not only respond to institutional demands but also to the expectations of fans and sponsors.

For the international skiing community—and especially for ski federations and resorts—Lehmann’s appointment opens a window of opportunity. Not only is he a manager with corporate credentials, but he is also a man who has experienced top-level competition firsthand and understands the complex dynamics of promoting and managing the sport. If he can channel this knowledge into a more inclusive, innovative FIS that is better adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, he could lay the foundations for a new era for international skiing and snowboarding.