Mats Årjes nominated by Swedish Ski Association as candidate for FIS President

At the beginning of June, the International Ski Federation (FIS) will elect a new President to succeed Gian-Franco Kasper. The Swedish Ski Association would like to see its Honorary President, Mats Årjes, elected to the position and has therefore nominated him for the upcoming election.

– “I am honoured to have the opportunity to stand for this prestigious position at such an important time for our sport. Ski and snowboard sport has been my passion all my life and I am dedicated to ensuring it reaches its full potential,” said Mr. Mats Årjes.

For the last ten years, Mr. Årjes has been a member of the FIS Council, where he today is Vice President. He is also FIS Treasurer and Acting Chairman of FIS Marketing AG. Mr. Årjes has vast experience of national ski and snowboard sport since he was President of the Swedish Ski Association in 2008–2018 and Secretary General in 1998–2002. He was also Chief Executive and Board Member of SkiStar, one of the world’s leading snow-tourism, ski and snowboard resort businesses, which is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange. Since 2018, Mr. Årjes has served as President of the Swedish Olympic Committee.

“I have had the privilege of serving our beloved sport at every level, which has given me the experience and understanding of the challenges and strengths of our sport, both on a national and international level, which I regard as an important asset for the position as FIS President," said Mr. Årjes.

At the same time, Mr. Årjes emphasised the importance of sensitivity and co-operation.

“Although I have a lot of experience that I would bring to the FIS Presidency, I also understand that I do not have all the answers. The future success of FIS will not be achieved by the President alone, it will require the input and contributions of the National Ski Associations. The short term priority is of course to ensure that our sport recovers from COVID-19,” Mr. Årjes said.

The Swedish Ski Association regards Mr. Årjes to be the right candidate to lead FIS as President.

 – “We believe that you need experience as a President of a National Association to undertake the mission as President for our International Federation. We also believe that the experience that Mr. Årjes has from the FIS Council and his interest in development, ensures that he will lead FIS into the future in a good way. Beyond that, Mr. Årjes has important experience, both personally and through his work within the business world and within sports, which will be of great importance. We, at Swedish ski and snowboard sport, can only see advantages,” said Ms. Karin Mattson.