Gian-Franco Kasper

Who is Gian-Franco Kasper?

Gian-Franco Kasper is a Swiss ski official who has been president of the International Ski Federation since 1998. Kasper also serves as a member both of the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

He earned his degrees in journalism, philosophy, and psychology from the University of Zurich in 1966. After his university studies, he worked as an editor for the Courier de St-Moritz.

Kasper then went into the tourism industry in 1974, establishing a Swiss tourism office in Montreal, Canada. The following year, he became Secretary-General of the FIS by then-President Marc Hodler, a position he served until Hodler's retirement in 1998. Kasper succeeded Hodler as FIS President, a position he has held since.

Kasper received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the National Sports Academy of Bulgaria in Sofia on 14 December 2007. He was also named an honorary citizen of Cavalese, Italy in January 2009 during the 2008-09 Tour de Ski.