French Alps 2030, the organizing body behind the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in that region, has appointed experienced sports and media executive Cyril Linette as its chief executive.
Reporting to French Alps 2030 president Edgar Grospiron, Linette will oversee the games’ organization from an operational, legal, and financial perspective.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Linette has had a long career in sport, having joined French pay-TV giant Canal Plus in 1996 as a journalist (after two years in the same role at Eurosport). He became deputy head editor in 2006 and soccer editor in 2007. He then took up the position of director of sports in 2008, replacing the outgoing Alexandre Bompard.
In 2015 he departed to take up the director general role at iconic French publication L’Equipe, which he exited in 2018, after which he had spells at French horse racing’s Pari Mutuel Urbain industry body, the press group TEMA, and French soccer’s LFP governing body.
Most recently, in 2022, Linette founded the Fellow Company media consultancy which operates across media and sport, aiding in communications, strategy management, and coaching.
The 2030 Winter Olympics – which have a budget of €2 billion ($2.1 billion) – will be held, across Nice and the French Alps, between February 1 and 17. Specifically, the event will involve the regions of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataSpeaking on the appointment, Grospiron has said: “Cyril Linette is an innovative, constructive, and forward-thinking leader. He brings a clear vision for value creation, budget management, team performance, and content distribution.
“Today, the Games are as much a sporting event as a huge platform for emotionally powerful content. Cyril has the ability to think in terms of content, form, and practical application all at once.
Grospiron, a former skiing Olympic champion, was himself named president of French Alps 2030 in February after his only serious rival for the post – Martin Fourcade, removed himself from contention earlier that month.
France was conditionally awarded hosting rights to those games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last July, although it took until October for the necessary financial guarantees to be provided by the French government. This came after political upheaval in that country during the middle months of 2024.
July also saw Salt Lake City in the US awarded hosting rights to the 2034 Winter Games.
