Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux took office as the president of the Cojop for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in the French Alps, following an executive board meeting held in Lyon on Thursday, October 29. The appointment places the former president of the Medef at the head of the organizing committee three and a half years before the competition begins, succeeding Edgar Grospiron, who stepped down on September 10 after a governance crisis. It took seven weeks after the departure of Edgar Grospiron to determine his successor at the helm of the 2030 Winter Games organizing committee.

Executive Board Vote in Lyon Confirms New Leadership

The executive board, which gathers representatives from the state, host regions, and the national Olympic and Paralympic committees, met in Lyon to finalize the decision during an extraordinary general assembly held at the committee’s headquarters in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon. Marina Ferrari, the French sports minister, stated that Roux de Bézieux possesses the necessary profile to steer the operational phase of the project, citing his humility and dedication to the event, noting that he showed a very strong commitment to the success of the project and a lot of humility, and adding, What convinced me very much in his candidacy is his love of the Games. The organizing committee released a statement highlighting his listening skills, dialogue experience, and extensive knowledge of both the economic and sports sectors as vital assets for delivering responsible Games. Supporters noted that he shares a fashionable profile alongside Giovanni Malago, president of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, and Casey Wasserman, boss of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

Roux de Bézieux brings a business background to the role, having led the Mouvement des entreprises de France from 2018 to 2023 and headed the Unédic organization. In April, he took on the leadership of the Cojop’s remuneration committee following the departure of Bertrand Méheut. The 64-year-old business leader also participates in amateur cycling and triathlon.

Governance Turmoil and Leadership Changes Preceding the Appointment

Following an interim period managed by general director Vincent Roberti, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux took charge of a sprawling event. Among the early challenges faced by the project was the withdrawal of Nice, by the voice of its new mayor Éric Ciotti, which required adjustments to the venue map. Pierre-Olivier Beckers, head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission, described the foundations of the project as solid during a three-day inspection in September, despite the administrative turbulence.

Several figures were discussed as potential candidates for the presidency before the board settled on Roux de Bézieux.

Operational Roadmap and Venue Distribution Across the Alps

Roux de Bézieux will officially start his duties on Monday, initiating a schedule aimed at visiting local stakeholders across the host regions, as he stated, Presiding over Alps 2030 is an honor, because above all it is a commitment to make sport and France shine, as a team.

The venue plan distributes events across multiple alpine hubs. Ice sports, including ice hockey, curling, figure skating, and short-track speed skating, are assigned to Lyon, while long-track speed skating will take place in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The Haute-Savoie cluster will host Nordic disciplines, with biathlon events in Le Grand-Bornand and cross-country skiing in La Clusaz. Alpine skiing and ski jumping are set for the Savoie cluster in Courchevel and Val d’Isère, and the Briançonnais cluster will stage freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and ski mountaineering in Serre-Chevalier and Montgenèvre.