The team of the International World Games Association has received reinforcement. Guillaume Felli has started working on "taking The World Games to the next level," as he says himself. The 39-year-old Swiss is employed by the IWGA from 1st February 2022 as Head of Projects.
He is based at the IWGA headquarters in Lausanne, and will work closely with General Manager Chantal Boehi and Head of Games Services Sebastian Garvens. Before joining The World Games, Guillaume Felli worked for five years for the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) as Secretary General. He made a notable contribution in bringing the discipline Breaking into the programme of the Olympic Games.
IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow welcomed the new member of staff on his first day of work, and spoke about the new team member and well-known expert in the world of sport:
"We are glad that we could convince a man with great administrative experience, strategic thinking and team spirit to work for our event and our 39 member federations. The importance of The World Games has increased in recent years. This also means that new and larger projects are coming our way. Accordingly, we have been looking for support to meet these demands. In Guillaume Felli we have found the man we need to take the next step."
About his move to the IWGA, the former alpine ski racer says:
"The WDSF is a member of The World Games family. From there, I knew the IWGA. I was also at The World Games 2017 in Wroclaw myself and experienced the importance of the event, especially for the athletes. The Games are a crucial platform for them to gain the recognition they deserve. After five years for the Dance Sport Federation, I was looking for a new challenge. To be able to work for what I consider the second most important multi-sport event in the world is also for me the next step in my professional development."
Firstly he wants to get to grips with his new role. "It’s my goal to get to know the team and take the temperature that exists in the IWGA. In any case, I want to help make The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, USA a great success. I'm going to see where and how I can help to make this happen." One project has already been assigned: Guillaume Felli will lead the evaluation of the competitions during the Games in Birmingham, Alabama.
Guillaume Felli was born in a small alpine town near Lausanne. He studied hotel management in the city, before working for an American company in the sports travel and hospitality sector for ten years. After that - back in his native Lausanne - he landed a top role with WDSF. Speaking of other interests, he says "I love dogs. I took in a street dog from Turkey that had been rescued by a pet-care organization. His name is Panda and I enjoy him keeping me on my toes."
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association, organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The 11th edition of The World Games will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 7-17 July 2022. 3,600 athletes from 34 sports and over 100 countries will take part in The World Games.