The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has appointed Sabrina Zeender as its secretary general on a full-time basis.
Zeender had been serving as interim secretary general since Ingmar De Vos last month stepped down from the role in order to take up the position as president of the governing body.
Zeender, a Swiss national, is a long-serving member of the FEI, having first joined the organisation in 1991. She left the governing body briefly in 1995 to work on her family’s business in the US, but returned to the organisation in 1998.
She has held a number of senior positions during her time with the FEI including her most recent role as director of governance and executive affairs, a role in which she served from 2011 up to her appointment as interim secretary general last month.
De Vos said: “(Sabrina) is the first woman to hold this key management position in the FEI and the fact that we have been able to fill such an important position in-house clearly demonstrates that the FEI has grown into a professional organisation with a highly qualified team. Sabrina’s deep understanding of the FEI rules and regulations, of which she has a long experience, and her knowledge of equestrian sport will be invaluable in her new role and I would like to thank the FEI Bureau for their full support for this appointment. I am confident that Sabrina will do an outstanding job as the new FEI secretary general.”
Speaking about her appointment, Zeender added: “I have been with the FEI for a long time and have seen it grow and develop. I am very aware of the potential this great organisation has and am thrilled to play a part in its future.”
