Following a very successful edition of the IF Forum at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, the SportAccord Executive Committee met to take key decisions on the organisation’s future, including the appointment of Kelly Fairweather as SportAccord’s new Managing Director. Plans for the SportAccord Convention 2026 in Baku were also reviewed.
Welcoming Mr Fairweather to the SportAccord team, President Ugur Erdener said: “SportAccord is delighted to have appointed Kelly Fairweather as Managing Director. Kelly brings decades of experience in working with our key stakeholders – the International Federations that are responsible for deciding the directions of their sports. With Kelly, the Executive Committee is very confident that we have appointed someone who has an excellent understanding of our stakeholders. He has trusted relationships with them and we believe he has the ability to effectively lead the SportAccord executive team in the delivery of exceptional events.”
SportAccord Managing Director Kelly Fairweather said: “Throughout my career, whether at the IOC or leading IFs, there has been one constant: the SportAccord Convention and IF Forums have remained great places to learn with and from colleagues, to share our stories of best practice and chart a course for the future. After the time I have spent at this latest edition of the IF Forum, I am more convinced than ever by the potential the SportAccord platform has. I am very much looking forward to working with the SportAccord Executive Committee, the IFs and the SportAccord team, to help take these important meeting places for IFs, host cities, commercial partners and the whole business of sport to new heights.”
The SportAccord President also put on record the organisation’s gratitude to Chief of Staff Nathalie Clerc for her work in securing Baku’s hosting of the SportAccord Convention 2026 while also leading the delivery of a very successful edition of the IF Forum. Held from 27-29 October, the IF Forum brought together more than 500 sports leaders, academics, thought leaders and partners in a structured discussion around the New Global Reality in Sport: IFs in a world that refuses to stand still.
Looking ahead, the Executive Committee heard an update on preparations for the SportAccord Convention 2026 in Baku. Progress is being made quickly by SportAccord and the Baku-based organisers in key areas, from hotel accommodation, themes of interest to participants, partnership offers, delegate packages and exhibition layout.
