Business leader Roux de Bézieux to head 2030 Winter Games organising committee

The announcement followed an extraordinary general meeting at the committee's headquarters in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon in south-eastern France.

Roux de Bézieux, 64, takes over from the former Olympic champion Edgar Grospiron, who resigned on 10 September.

He was the head of the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) between July 2018 and July 2023 and since stepping down from the role has pursued his own business interests. 

In April, he became chairman of the committee advising the 2030 organising committee on pay and staffing costs. He will take up his new post on 2 November.

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“His recognised ability to engage in dialogue and listen, and his knowledge of local communities as well as the business and sporting worlds, are all essential assets for delivering ambitious and responsible Games,” the 2030 organising committee said.

A keen cyclist and triathlete, Roux de Bézieux represented the business community as a member of the board of directors of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

“Presiding over Alpes 2030 is an honour," he said. “It's the job of a lifetime. I'm taking this on with great enthusiasm. Personally, I experienced the two Olympic fortnights of Paris 2024 as a magical time. I would like to be able to give our fellow citizens that experience again in 2030.”

Rows and departures

Roux de Bézieux's predecessor Grospiron won his gold medal in 1992 in Albertville, south-eastern France, in the mogul event. 

He took up the role at the head of the organising committee in February 2025, after former Olympic biathlete Martin Fourcade withdrew his leadership bid.

Fourcade fell out with local politicians over the location of the organising committee's headquarters, preferring a base in Grenoble, Chamonix, Albertville or Aix-les-Bains rather than Lyon.

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Grospiron in turn left the role following rows over his management style and the departures of several top officials.

In February, the committee's chief executive Cyril Linette resigned citing irreconcilable differences with Grospiron. Linette's exit was preceded by the departures of Anne Murac, director of operations, communications director Arthur Richer and Bertrand Méheut, who chaired the remuneration committee before Roux de Bézieux.

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, French athletes won eight golds, in a haul of 23 medals. Quentin Fillon Maillet returned from Italy as France's most decorated Olympian in history, having taken his medal total to nine. 

(with newswires)