Urs Lehmann has been CEO of the FIS for 100 days and is full of drive. In an interview with Keystone-SDA, the long-standing Swiss-Ski President explains his plans and visions for the world federation.
09.01.2026, 05:00
09.01.2026, 06:59
SDA
After the once almost chronically unsuccessful Swiss Ski Federation, Lehmann also wants to revamp the FIS, which is stuck in outdated structures, "as quickly as possible". The federation must "take the driver's seat", says the 56-year-old from Aargau, who works closely with Johan Eliasch. He was clearly defeated by the Swedish-British billionaire in the battle for the FIS presidency in 2021.
Urs Lehmann, did you perhaps take a wrong turn on your way from Aargau to Oberhofen in Bern after joining the FIS?
You mean to the headquarters of Swiss-Ski? No, not at all. The GPS reliably guides me to Oberhofen. Only in Thun did I once take the wrong exit at one of what felt like 700 traffic circles.
So you made the transition from "eternal" Swiss-Ski President to FIS CEO seamlessly?
What do you mean seamlessly? It was a conscious and positively associated decision, but ultimately a bigger change than initially thought. I was with Swiss-Ski for 19 years, 17 of them as President. You have to imagine it like a long marriage, everything is well-rehearsed and runs smoothly. That can be both positive and negative. I realize that the change has given me additional energy. I'm looking forward to the new.
You left a safe haven and your personal comfort zone with Swiss-Ski in order to further develop skiing worldwide, as was said when you announced your move. Is the task comparable to what you found at Swiss-Ski almost two decades ago?
Yes, back then there was absolutely no unity, sometimes the divisions were even at odds and didn't talk to each other. Nevertheless, there were people who weren't just happy that I was starting to clean things up. The financial situation was also bad. At Swiss-Ski, there was a lot to build up at the time. My inspiration is now to achieve something similar at international level.
You have been CEO of the FIS for just under 100 days. What is your analysis of the world federation?
We are undergoing a transformation process that was initiated by the President (Johan Eliasch - ed.). There are a lot of exciting and innovative projects, some of which are difficult, of course. But they exist in every company.
Can you go into more detail on some of the topics?
One interesting project in this transformation process is FIS-TV. We don't want to compete with existing providers such as SRG and ORF, but rather complement them. We want to cover as many of our competitions and locations around the world as possible and generally increase our reach. The digital transformation is also an exciting topic.
And what next?
... We are looking for new ways of marketing, for example. The individual products, if I may call the ten FIS disciplines that, are also always a topic: from alpine skiing to Nordic skiing to freestyle. There are also important dossiers such as safety in alpine ski racing. Important steps have been taken in all of these areas. The task now is to develop this further - either conceptually or, in some cases, in terms of implementation. I find it extremely exciting to be involved in such a phase. A lot has been achieved and now it's time for implementation.
But that won't be easy with the existing structures.
Basically, the FIS made far too little progress in an earlier phase and under the previous president until 2021. There was no reformation and the organization remained in its old positions for far too long. The standstill lasted for several years. As a result, Johan Eliasch was elected as an outsider (in summer 2021 - ed.) because it was said: 'Something has to happen now'. But the FIS has historically grown structures that sometimes make it difficult to move forward. It can even become encrusted.
You say it yourself: A dynamic federation looks different to the FIS. Is that your biggest challenge?
Unfortunately, if you don't want something to come about, you have a topic discussed in one of the countless FIS committees or in a working group. This almost guarantees that it will never be implemented. The fact that we can't move fast enough on important topics is a challenge.
Do you have an example?
The safety of athletes. After a fatal training accident (involving the Italian Matteo Franzoso in Chile in the fall - ed.), discussions were held in Sölden in the FIS department for athlete health. The measures that should be taken were roughly clear, and some could be worked out by spring. But with the structure we have in the FIS, everything then goes to the relevant committees. It will then take up to two more years to get through.
That's a long time...
"...very much. We can't wait almost three years before we can change anything in terms of safety - or in other areas either. How do we want to develop skiing further? But of course: I also have my ideas in this area. Together with Johan, I will try to push these ideas through the existing structures."
You're talking about the next congress in Serbia, aren't you?
Exactly. We have a clear plan. But although many people are calling for change, there will be resistance. It's a well-known phenomenon: as soon as people are affected by change, they suddenly don't want it anymore. But the system must give us the chance to become more efficient, faster and more agile. The changes that everyone has been demanding must now be allowed to happen. That is simply a must. One of my missions is to ensure that the leadership of the FIS is trusted and that the FIS is in the driver's seat and not a passenger.
What do you want to tackle as quickly as possible?
That has to be alpine skiing. The figures show that alpine is the discipline that generates the most added value. Freestyle is the youngest child, but perhaps the one with the greatest potential. Anyone who takes an entrepreneurial, economic and strategic approach must first take their "rock star" - in our case, alpine skiing - to the next level.
What does that mean?
We don't want fewer races per season, we want more. All those who demand that there should be fewer races are not looking at the big picture. In ski racing, people train for eight months, but only race for four months. My vision - and I'm not just talking about the Alpine sector - is that we become more global. The growth market is definitely not in Europe, but in Asia and the USA.
But China, for example, has no alpine tradition.
That's why we have to think about whether we want to push freestyle, snowboarding and women's ski jumping in China instead of alpine. They are much further ahead in this area and already have top athletes and even stars. You need events and top stars. Then you can tell a story.
Back to the alpine sector: can you tell us more about your plans?
We need to develop the World Cup calendar further. We need to extend the season. On the one hand, the World Cup final should be moved back a week, and on the other, the first part of the season should be condensed. There shouldn't be a gap of two race-free weeks after Sölden. We also need to distribute the races in the various disciplines more cleverly than this season, for example.
What do you mean by that?
The first women's speed race this winter was only in mid-December and after seven technical races. That's simply too late. We need to maintain a balance and start with speed earlier.
A longer season would also give sponsors more visibility.
That is a very important point. It's not enough for a sport to be exciting if that's only the case for four months. Ideally, we should be able to tell stories all year round. And at the FIS we have good conditions for this. Without having the solution yet, I ask myself: what do we do with the southern hemisphere?
Are you thinking of Alpine World Cup races in Argentina and New Zealand?
Why not? Many nations are already training in these countries in the summer anyway. So if Argentina or other countries have the financial means to organize a World Cup slalom in their country, then we should seriously consider it.
Should every race have the same value for you in the future and would you like the athletes to compete in as many World Cup races as possible?
These are two central elements of the vision for the future. The goal for the women and men is around 45 to 50 races per season if there is no major event. In seasons with World Championships or Olympic Games, it would be slightly less. We have to get away from the idea that everyone should race every race. So far, however, the calendar has been set up for this.
When should the future begin for you?
The 2027/2028 season would be ideal. The World Cup final will then be held a little later for the first time, and there won't be a major event in February. That gives room for something new.
But your vision goes much further.
From 2030, we should think big and possibly even disruptive.
What do you mean by that?
For example, just one global points system. We currently have separate points systems for the World Cup and the five continental cups. And we haven't even talked about the basic system - the FIS points.
That's seven different systems...
In my opinion, this is not sustainable, it needs to be standardized. Due to the current system, for example, there is zero incentive for certain athletes to race in the southern hemisphere, even though many of the world's best skiers train there in the summer and fall anyway on the slopes next to the races. We need to start thinking differently and we need a standardized points system. Other sports such as tennis have a system that works worldwide and across all levels. We look at sports like that. In an ideal world, we will also be able to move to a standardized system in four years' time.
Not just talking about alpine skiing...
The Four Hills Tournament is clearly also very important. It's a top product. And from next season, there will probably also be a women's Four Hills Tournament. A milestone!
In cross-country skiing, the Tour de Ski also used to be very important.
It was the crown jewel of cross-country skiing. The countries were almost fighting over who was allowed to host events. Now, however, the Tour de Ski needs to be revitalized. The interest in this product - and therefore its value - must be significantly increased again.
Finally, a question about your relationship with Johan Eliasch. How do you work with him on a day-to-day basis?
The collaboration works well. We have a lot of contact and often speak on the phone several times a day. We've made a good start, but it's only been around 100 days. We'll see what we've achieved in six months or a year. There are some exciting months ahead. But there is one thing I would like to emphasize...
...yes?
It's always about the cause and the further development of the sport - and not about the people. We all serve the sport. That must be our mission.
