Payne now becomes director of global broadcast and media rights.
The move is just one of a number of significant changes within the IOC, following the recommendations of the audits launched by president Jacques Rogge following his election last year.
Under Rogge's presidency, all operational business functions of the IOC administration, together with those of the Olympic Museum and the IOC-owned or partly owned companies, i.e. Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS), Olympic Games Knowledge Services (OGKS) and Meridian Management, will report to full-time director general Urs Lacotte.
In addition, Lacotte, who took up his post on November 3, will manage the IOC directors, including those recently appointed, namely Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli, sports director Kelly Fairweather, information management director Philippe Blanchard and Olympic Museum director Francis Gabet.
Payne’s new position was created, says the IOC ‘in response to the growing importance and complexity of broadcast rights’.
Meridian Management, now 100 percent owned by the IOC following a takeover earlier this year, will run the IOC’s marketing operations, including the TOP programme.
Said Rogge: “The audits clearly demonstrated that the IOC administration needed a new organisational structure. Putting this structure in place will provide the necessary framework for the administration to go on to develop its operations in line with the direction of the IOC executive board."
