The Olympic Federation of Ireland President, Sarah Keane, has admitted that she has been approached by FAI bosses' to become the next CEO of the organisation.
Keane, who has been in charge of the country's Olympians and is also the CEO of Swim Ireland, oversaw Ireland's most successful medal haul of seven and is tipped to replace the already-departed Jonathan Hill. Keane was approached for the role in 2020, but Hill ended up being appointed instead.
At the moment, FAI Interim CEO David Courell holds the role until the FAI finds a new full-time replacement for Hill.
Keane has confirmed the recent approach but admitted that no decision has been made about the move.
"Yes, I've been approached, which is all I'll say," said Keane. "I haven't made any decisions about anything.
"My focus has been on the OFI chair. I find that people say to me, 'What are you going to do next time?' and I'm like, 'Okay, I have a day job, I have kids, and I'm sitting on the European and World Aquatics central board.'"
Dublin , Ireland, July 3, 2024: OFI president and Swim Ireland chief executive Sarah Keane speaks during an Olympic Federation of Ireland and Sport Ireland media conference ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Sport Ireland Institute on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images) )Keane's legacy as Olympics boss is apparent in the Irish medal haul, a massive achievement, but the Dubliner adds that it was and continues to be a team effort that will persist for years to come because of the work done behind the scenes.
"I think I'm ready [to leave] now, but that's one of the beauties of it—it's not about me; there's a whole team of people. Independent directors are going to increase in the next cycle. That was one of the things we voted on at our last AGM, and I think that's really important because revenue generation is a big piece for us.
"We only get about 30% government funding. We get a lot from the IOC, but our commercial team is doing a great job. We've got a lot of great partners, and that's really important for us to continue if we're going to drive forward and also enable us to be a little bit more in charge of our own destiny.
"But the big challenge for us is—and thankfully, a lot of our partners have continued on—that it's not just about every four years."
