The former head of PMU has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Organizing Committee for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. A decision made following a board meeting in Lyon.
Cyril Linette was appointed on Thursday as the Chief Executive Officer of the Organizing Committee for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. The board convened in Lyon to finalize this decision. The 54-year-old will join Edgar Grospiron, who has been the committee’s president since February.
This appointment ends several weeks of discussions. Edgar Grospiron had announced his choice at the beginning of March, after dismissing the other candidates. However, the process slowed down. The members of the “Club of Five,” which includes the PACA and AURA regions, the Olympic and Paralympic committees, and the Ministry of Sports, wanted to meet Linette before approving his candidacy. On April 7, the decision was postponed. It was then scheduled for last Monday in Marseille, during the launch of Solideo. But to avoid overshadowing that event, the appointment was delayed again.
On Thursday, the path was clear. The committee officially announced Cyril Linette’s appointment, making him the chief operational officer of the 2030 Olympics. “This will really get the machine going,” a source close to the project recently noted. Recruitment of the management teams is now possible. “Time is of the essence,” highlighted an official involved in the organization.
Diverse Career and Political Resurgence
Cyril Linette is no stranger to the sports and media landscape. Born in the Ardennes, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and ESJ Lille, he began his career at Radio France Outremer and later at Eurosport. In 1996, he joined Canal+, where he remained for nearly twenty years, leading the sports department in 2008. There, he developed several formats and left his mark on the channel.
In 2015, he joined the L’Équipe group. He revamped the newspaper’s layout and overhauled the TV channel. These were bold choices that sparked numerous reactions. Three years later, he left the group after implementing a restructuring plan.
In 2018, Linette took charge of PMU, refocusing activity on horse racing bets. His term ended in 2021 after disagreements with management. He then founded a consulting firm and took the leadership of Groupe Verlaine, a company specializing in photovoltaics.
In the fall of 2024, he attempted a comeback in the football world. He ran for the presidency of the LFP against Vincent Labrune. After being decisively defeated, he resigned from the board. “I am very disappointed with the result. I had hoped to win and expected a closer outcome,” he declared at the time.
The choice of Cyril Linette by Edgar Grospiron marks a new phase for the 2030 Winter Olympics. The committee can now build around its CEO. With five years to go, the first organizational projects are set to commence.