ISAF recruiting for Chief Executive Officer

by Sail-World.com on 6 Feb 2015 ISAF are now recruiting for a Chief Executive Officer, who will replace Jerome Pels who resigned in October after 17 years with ISAF, the last six of those as CEO.

We note the long list of criteria for the potential office holder, the very last of which is?? did you guess it? - Knowledge of sailing will be a distinct advantage.

As this is a very important appointment for the entire sailing community, we do hope and pray that the successful applicant does have knowledge of sailing and ideally of ISAF and its politics.

Anyway here is the full detail.


Job description and details below

Company	International Sailing Federation	Job Type	Full Time
Location	Southampton, United Kingdom	Job Reference	DJ1645
Salary	Competitive with comprehensive benefits package	Closing Date	23/02/2015
Industry	Global Events, Rights Holders

ISAF is the world governing body for the sport of sailing with Member National Authorities in more than 139 countries, a number which is constantly growing as new countries join ISAF.

The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee as the governing authority for sailing at the Olympics and Paralympics.
ISAF is responsible for:

the promotion of sailing in all its forms throughout the world, including windsurf, kite, dinghy, offshore, disabled etc
managing sailing at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
developing the Racing Rules of Sailing and regulations for all sailing competitions
the training of all race officials
the development of the sport around the world
representing the sailors in all matters concerning the sport; and development of the ISAF Sailing World Cup and other brands within the sailing community.

The principal members of ISAF are:

‘Member National Authorities’ (MNAs) - the 139 national governing bodies responsible for sailing around the world
‘Class Associations’ - Over 110 Class Associations are members of ISAF. They oversee the management and availability of all types of racing boats, encourage local and global participation in the sport and, in conjunction with our clubs, organise sailing events including World and Continental Championships
ISAF also has Affiliate Continental Federations, and maintains strong relations with key stakeholders in the industry and among event organisers.

The Role
Working closely with the President, Executive Committee and Council, the CEO will provide strategic leadership to ISAF and its staff and ensure the provision of a timely, first class service to the ISAF membership to ensure the needs of its members are treated as paramount.

Key Responsibilities

To be a dynamic and inspirational leader with the ability to engage and develop lasting, positive relationships with the extended ISAF family
To act as a champion for ISAF and the sport of sailing and seek opportunities to expand and promote the role of ISAF, including the growth and promotion of the sport and the brand of ISAF in all parts of the world
To support ISAF Members in their initiatives to grow and promote the sport
To lead and define the commercial strategy for ISAF, in particular in identifying new opportunities in addition to the core relationship with the IOC
To grow the ISAF Sailing World Cup as a brand and event, in addition to existing and new ISAF event properties
To improve ISAF’s visibility and value in the wider sailing community and to identify and engage with new and existing potential partners and sponsors
To help grow the sport worldwide, developing continental qualification via a clearly structured framework
To more clearly define and simplify the racing calendar
To provide leadership to ensure the goals and priorities of ISAF are met and reach the agreed key performance indicators, ensuring that an appropriate financial strategy is in place to facilitate this
To develop a strong organisation, ensuring the right people are in the right positions
To be responsible for carrying out annual performance assessment and career development reviews of ISAF staff, to ensure that they are able to realise their potential
To maintain and develop ISAF’s relationships with all external stakeholders (ASOIF, SportAccord, IOC etc) including members, sponsors, editors of publications et al.
To help articulate a clearer career opportunity for those entering the sport
To be responsible to the Executive Committee for the finances of ISAF, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources.

The above list of duties is indicative rather than exhaustive. The CEO will be expected to carry out all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential:
The successful candidate will possess the following attributes:

A proven ability to thrive in a complex multi-stakeholder environment
A strategic thinker and implementer
Politically adept
Commercially and financially astute
A clear understanding of the breadth of the sport and its events, coupled with a pragmatic approach to the balance of elite vs participation
A strong and inspirational manager and team leader, instilling a high performance culture across the entire organisation
A communicator and influencer with genuinely global impact and reach
A consensus builder with the courage of their convictions
A track record of promoting and commercialising sport
Integrity and vision, allied to affinity and passion for the sport of sailing
Calm but firm in terms of communication style and general demeanour
Fluent in English. Any additional language would be advantageous
Knowledge of sailing will be a distinct advantage.

Contact person: David James, Managing Partner - Executive Search
Phone: 0207 092 6950
Email: Original job posting here