Bach Holds IOC EB Meeting; Heiberg Keeps Marketing Brief

(ATR) Around the Rings has learned that Thomas Bach has already chaired his first Executive Board meeting as IOC president.

A snap meeting of EB members was convened in Brussels on Oct. 7 on the occasion of the Belgian Olympic Committee’s celebration of Jacques Rogge’s work as IOC president during the past 12 years.

According to one IOC member, the meeting was a "pleasant informal chat amongst friends."

ATR has learned that Bach updated the IOC’s ruling body on his first days in the job, including his trip to ancient Olympia in Greece for the lighting of the Sochi Olympic flame.

He talked about his upcoming activities and what he was planning to do ahead of the first official EB meeting under his presidency in December.

Bach said he was going to speak to as many people as possible in the Olympic Movement and would have a clearer idea of his strategy by the time of the EB meeting.

Bach will set out the key priorities from his manifesto pledges in December.

With the Sochi Games looming, front of mind for Bach will be ensuring the success of the first Russian Winter Olympics.

Changes to the Olympic sports program are expected to among the top items on his to-do list in the coming months.

Heiberg Stays on as IOC Marketing Chair

Gerhard Heiberg tells Around the Rings he has agreed to stay on as the IOC’s marketing commission chief through the Sochi Olympics.

Heiberg announced in his report to the IOC Session in Buenos Aires last month that he would step down at the end of the year. The 74-year-old said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

But the Norwegian IOC member told ATR Monday that IOC president Thomas Bach had asked him to keep the reins of the marketing department until the end of the 2014 Games.

"I agreed with the new president to remain as chairman [of the marketing commission] until and including the Sochi Games," he said.

Heiberg said his new departure date would give Bach "enough time to think about and look for a successor."

Asked if he would be involved in the succession process, Heiberg added, "It is entirely up to the new president to find the right person.

"He knows everybody in the IOC very well. I am sure he will find the right person."

Heiberg will be asked to calm the nerves of some IOC TOP sponsors who have recently expressed worries about the impact of Russia’s anti-gay law on the Sochi Olympics.

Commenting on the IOC’s quest to secure new TOP sponsors for the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle, he said the ambition was still to sign up one or two top-tier sponsors before the Sochi Olympics.

In recent months, ATR has learned that GlaxoSmithKline, the U.K.-based pharmaceutical company, and Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo are in talks to join the TOP sponsor program.

"We are still in talks [with a number of companies]," he said. "It takes time. Let’s hope that it can be done. It would be wonderful if we could get one more before Sochi."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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