Mayor Stresses Importance of International Sports Leadership for Next Stage of Bid

With 100 days to go before the IOC determines which of the seven 2014 Winter Games Applicant Cities become Candidate Cities, Salzburg 2014 has made a decisive leadership change, recruiting FIFA World Cup Executive Fedor Radmann to replace Anton Schutti as CEO of the bid.

At a press conference in Salzburg today, Mayor Heinz Schaden, Chairman of the Salzburg 2014 Supervisory Board, formally introduced the new CEO to city leadership as “a heavyweight of international sport and the right man to lead the bid campaign through the next stage and on to victory.”

“As we look to enter the next critical stage of the bid,” said Schaden, “to the Candidate City stage, we recognized, that we had to strengthen the executive team with strong credentials in the critical realm of international relations. Fedor Radmann gives us that strength.”

Radmann, who is a 30 year veteran of international sports management and marketing, expressed his confidence in the Salzburg bid and his enthusiasm for serving his home region, “I believe that Salzburg’s compact concept, existing venues and infrastructure and low-organisational risk give us a very good chance to win the right to host the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The team is experienced and strong and deeply committed to serving and strengthening the Olympic Movement. I am glad, they have put their trust in me.”

“This was an emotional decision from my perspective,” Radmann said, “I grew up in Berchtesgadener Land, went to school in Salzburg and still live in the venue community of Schoenau am Koenigssee, where the sliding events will take place, if we’re successful. I know about the meaning of these Games for our region and I want to help make this dream come true.”

Radmann was selected as the new CEO of Salzburg 2014 after an intensive international search following the resignation of former CEO Anton Schutti, who decided just after the Torino Games to return to his role Executive Director of the Austrian Sports Foundation in Vienna.

The search was led by Dr. Wolfgang Gmachl, Director of the Chamber of Commerce Chapter Salzburg (WKS).  “Radmann adds a measure of international sports expertise that truly enhances our bid,” said Gmachl.  “His network is global and his success speaks for itself.”

Radmann, who is taking over management of the bid immediately but will start work full time after the FIFA World Cup concludes in Germany in July, arrives with a ringing endorsement from 2006 World Cup Chief Franz Beckenbauer, who said, “Whilst we need Fedor to continue to play a key role until the end of the World Cup, he is a brilliant multi-tasker and I know, he will be more than capable of balancing his time in the next few months. I’m delighted, that he’s been appointed Salzburg’s CEO.  Fedor is a great choice to make Salzburg´s dream of hosting the Winter Games in 2014 come true.“