The former Olympic moguls champion brought to the table his career as a motivational speaker and his prior involvement in Annecy’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics—a bid that had ended in a crushing failure and a decisive defeat against the South Korean city of Pyeongchang. That earlier steering body had suffered from a slow start, local power struggles, and the departure of key figures—most notably Grospiron’s own resignation as CEO in late 2010.
In this context, the choice of Grospiron a was highly questionable one—as I noted last March—because, aside from professional experience that offered nothing relevant to the complex logistical undertaking of Games spread across the entire French Alps, he lacked the exceptional and wide-ranging experience required for such a challenging mission.
Grospiron was the quintessential individualist, not the team player needed for the Olympic job. Furthermore, he did nothing to quell significant internal turmoil, particularly the persistent friction between the State, the host regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and PACA), and the committee regarding budget decisions and the final map of event venues.
Regarding internal management, the organization saw a succession of staff departures and operational delays, as well as the commissioning of an audit into the workplace climate within COJOP. Among other issues, parliamentarians and the CNOSF publicly questioned the committee’s management and transparency, precipitating a crisis of confidence.
Faced with all this and the risk of a deadlock less than four years before the Games, the COJOP executive board met yesterday to approve a major governance restructuring, effectively pushing the former Olympic champion out.
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