European Athletics Vice President Jean Gracia has been appointed in the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer/General Secretary of the IAAF.
Gracia will support the day-to-day operations of the IAAF HQ in Monaco.
'I am very happy to take on this challenge given to me by IAAF President Sebastian Coe in the interest of athletics,' said Gracia. 'And I will continue to carry out my duties as Vice President of European Athletics as well.'
European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen said, “We are very happy to be able to provide help to the IAAF, and it is difficult to find a better person than Jean Gracia to take up this temporary position.
“He has great experience over many years in his various roles at the French Athletics Federation, including the 12 years he spent as General Director.
“We understand that he will be very busy in the coming months, so we must be realistic in our demands on his time as one of the Vice Presidents of European Athletics.
“We look forward to welcoming back Jean, most probably after the Rio Olympics.”
Immediately upon becoming the IAAF President at the beginning of September 2015, Sebastian Coe began a comprehensive review of the organisational structure of the IAAF.
This process will be concluded with the appointment of a new CEO/General Secretary. A shortlist of international candidates is being drawn-up and it is hoped that the IAAF will be in a position to make an appointment by the middle of the year.