(ATR) - Barbara Cassani, a former executive with British Airways, is likely to be announced this week as the chairman of London's bid for the 2012 Olympics.
Cassani, 42, is apparently the choice of the screening committee which has reviewed applicants for the post, which will pay about $333,000 a year.
While a successful and admired businesswoman in London, Cassani is also an American, a point which may lead to some second-guessing in the U.K. Nonetheless, she enjoys the support of London mayor Ken Livingstone and culture minister Tessa Jowell, with whom she met last week. Approval from the British Olympic Association is expected to come today.
Cassani, born in Boston, moved to London in 1986 with her British husband and began work with BA soon after in a series of marketing positions. They have two children.
She left the airline business a year ago when Go was acquired by Easy Jet. Her payout from the deal is reported to have been in the range of $15 million.
Cassani was one of four candidates interviewed last week for the bid chairmanship, a field which was left with only two candidates who really wanted the job, Cassani and Kevin Roberts, a Brit living in the U.S. where he is chief executive of ad firm Saatchi & Saatchi.
Cherie Blair, wife of the Prime Minister, was dropped as a candidate for the chairmanship by the search committee, but she is expected to play a role as an ambassador for the bid.
The initial field in the race for the 2012 Olympics will be set on July 15, the deadline for applications at the International Olympic Committee. Along with London, the contest should include New York, Madrid, Leipzig, Havana, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul and a city from Brazil, either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paolo. The election is July 6, 2005.
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