The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today appointed Kit McConnell as its new Sports Director.

Mr McConnell currently holds the position of Head of the Rugby World Cup and RWC Tournament Director at the International Rugby Board (IRB). In his 10 years with the IRB, he has assisted with the delivery of three very successful Rugby World Cups on and off the field. His responsibilities ranged from the management of the RWC Board, stakeholder relations and RWC event delivery to the management of the RWC tender processes and the development and implementation of all RWC-related strategies, including the redevelopment of the event-delivery, commercial and financial models.

Mr McConnell is no stranger to the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement. From 2000 to 2002, he was the IOC’s Manager of Sport Operations, where he was responsible for the coordination of sport planning with Organising Committees and relations with International Federations. Before that, he coordinated the planning of all sports, including relations with each respective International Federation for the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee.

Mr McConnell brings great expertise to the IOC in the area of planning, managing and delivering major sporting events and has strong ties to the International Federations. He will succeed Christophe Dubi, who will take on the role of Olympic Games Executive Director next year.

A national from Australia and New Zealand, Mr McConnell, 40, will take up his post in early 2014.