French Alps 2030 Organizing Committee Names Michel Cadot Interim CEO

The executive board of the Organizing Committee for the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games, known as COJOP, has appointed Michel Cadot as its interim CEO, a month after previous Chief Executive Cyril Linette resigned from the role following a dispute with President Edgar Grospiron.

Cadot, who was an interministerial delegate for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games, as well as serving in the civil service and as a police prefect, will be tasked with supporting the Committee’s mission to deliver and prepare for the Games and “guaranteeing the stability and progress of strategic issues,” while a permanent, experienced replacement for Linette is sought over the coming months.

In its latest board meeting, the COJOP also announced the renewal of some of its board members, the completion of its compensation committee and the upcoming appointment of auditors.

It follows a tricky period for the organization after Linette’s departure in February, as he stated that he was unable to work with Grospiron any longer due to undisclosed “irreparable differences.” In a video link, Grospiron, a former Olympic champion in freestyle skiing at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, refused to disclose the nature of the disagreements by saying that they were covered by a “confidentiality clause.”

Prior to that, the COJOP had already seen the departures of Remuneration Committee Chairman Bertrand Meheut, Director of Operations Anne Murac and Communications Chief Arthur Richter some months earlier.
That news was announced just days after the Closing Ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Verona, Italy, and before Grospiron was scheduled to appear before a French Senate Committee to discuss the leadership crisis.

Cadot’s appointment comes following a review of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games programs, in which the board committed to implementing a “more robust and efficient operational structure than under the previous management.” This will involve working more closely with athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic movements and “mobilizing” the host regions with local structures as opposed to a more centralized approach.

Preparation for French Alps 2030

French Alps 2030 will be the 26th edition of the Olympic Winter Games and the fourth to be hosted in France, after Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.

Taking place from February 1–17, 2030, the Games will be spread across four key clusters of France in Nice, Haute-Savoie, Savoie and Briançon. In addition, the speed skating events are likely to take place in either Turin, Italy, or in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, due to the organizing committee’s focus on utilizing legacy venues for sustainability purposes.

Click here to read more on what to expect from the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games, including locations, confirmed sports, potential sports, participating sports and an an early look ahead to Utah 2034.