The Finnish Olympic Committee is taking the next step towards a new future as a strong advocate for sport and a builder of respect. The Committee’s Board has appointed Master of Science in Economics Riku Tapio as its new Chief Executive Officer. He brings with him strong expertise from within the world of sport and a clear determination to raise the standard and appreciation of Finnish sport in society.
Riku Tapio has long worked in sport. He has previously held leadership positions with the basketball club Kataja Basket and the football club FC KTP, served as Secretary General of the Finnish Workers’ Sports Federation, and currently acts as Executive Director of the Finnish Floorball Federation. Tapio will take up his duties on 27 October 2025.
– The role of the Olympic Committee is to be a unifying force and a pathfinder for the sporting community, enabling the success of the entire community. I will do my utmost to ensure that Finnish sport succeeds, nurtures better people, strengthens society, and is seen as a respected and influential actor. I firmly believe in cooperation, expertise and bold renewal. Work for sport must be taken seriously, but not solemnly, says the new CEO Riku Tapio.
A wide and highly qualified group of sports management professionals applied for the position of CEO of the Olympic Committee. The selection emphasised strategic vision, the ability to build cooperation and the passion to take Finnish sport forward.
– It is excellent that from within sport we found a strong and renewal-oriented leader who represents a new generation of leadership and can boldly drive forward both the strategic objectives of Finnish sport and the priorities of the Olympic Committee. The pool of applicants was of very high quality, but Riku Tapio stood out with his youthful energy and his deep commitment to clarifying the significance of sport, says Olympic Committee Chair Petteri Kilpinen.
The appointment of the new CEO coincides well with the development work of the joint strategy for Finnish sport initiated by the Olympic Committee. During this process, the Committee’s new strategic priorities for the coming years will also be defined. The strategy work with the member organisations and partners is underway and will be completed on schedule in time for the Olympic Committee’s autumn meeting.