Golden 25 -- IOC Marketer, Sports Feds Chief, #23, 24

Gerhard Heiberg, Chairman, IOC Marketing Commission #23

Gerhard Heiberg, chairman of the IOC Marketing Commission, celebrated the signing of two new TOP sponsors in 2010.

Will 2011 bring a new deal in the automotive category?

While the worldwide sponsorship program is now stocked with members through 2016 and 2020, Heiberg has to work on renewals for four sponsorships which end in London: McDonald’s, GE, Acer and Omega.

Along with the marketing program, Heiberg is a member of the six-member TV Rights and New Media Commission and the Executive Board. His EB term is over on 2011.

A down-to-earth executive from an oil industry background, Heiberg’s link to the Olympics was forged as the president of the Lillehammer Games where he was named to the IOC.

Heiberg is also a member of the AIBA Ethics Committee, instrumental in helping the boxing federation overcome its woes – and now keeping an eye on the future of the federation.

2010 Ranking - 15

Hein Verbruggen, President, SportAccord #24

With little over a year until London 2012, Hein Verbruggen will be looking to make the SportAccord Convention in the British capital the best yet this April.

Likely to be the most reported annual gathering of the Olympic Movement in the convention's nine-year history, he's putting together a strong line-up of conference speakers.

Verbruggen will also be pushing to ensure plenty of publicity for issues affecting SportAccord, the re-named General Association of International Sports Federations.

He is juggling a few projects at the moment. After the inaugural 2010 Combat Games in Beijing, member federations have expressed interest in staging other multisport events including artistic and mind Games. The location of the next Combat Games should be known soon. The first edition of SportAccord's Mind Games takes place in 2011, while a Beach Games is planned for 2012.

2010 Ranking – 14

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Written by Ed Hula.