FEI President Offers Praise for Departing FEI CEO

FEI President HRH Princess Haya today announced with regret the resignation of FEI Secretary General and CEO Alex McLin, praising him for bringing new professionalism to the organisation.

“I am truly indebted to Alex for his hard work and dedication over the last three years. He brought the FEI into the modern era and made it much more professional,” she said. “I will miss his sound counsel, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

In a resignation letter delivered to Princess Haya last Friday, McLin said he was thankful to have served in her first term as President.

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“I have enjoyed being an agent of change within an organisation that we together sought to modernise and take to a new level. I have also enjoyed tackling the complex issues facing the FEI and attempting to find ways to improve its approach, its service to the sport and its stakeholders,” he wrote.

Princess Haya said Ingmar De Vos of Belgium would replace McLin as Secretary General and CEO.

De Vos, who currently serves as Secretary General of the Belgian Equestrian Federation and the European Equestrian Federation, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. In addition to his duties with the two Federations, De Vos has a lot of experience in organising international jumping competitions and has served as Chef de Mission for the Belgian Equestrian Team at all recent World Championships and Olympic Games.

“We are very fortunate to have someone of Ingmar’s calibre join the FEI team,” Princess Haya said. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to unify, strengthen and modernise our Federation. He understands the needs of National Federations better than anyone. I know he will push all of us, including me, to do a better job of meeting those needs.”

De Vos said he welcomed the opportunity to work with Princess Haya as she begins a second and final term as FEI President after her re-election in November.

“The FEI has been through a period of profound change. It is a much better organisation than it was four years ago. As Princess Haya said during her re-election campaign, we now have an opportunity to use this period of calm to build on our progress in a more deliberate manner. I am honoured to have a chance to be part of that process,” De Vos said.

De Vos, 47, joined the Belgian Equestrian Federation as Managing Director in 1990, and has served in the additional role as Secretary General since 1997. He is credited with modernising the Federation’s management and IT systems. He became Secretary General of the European Equestrian Federation when that organisation was formed last year.

De Vos holds degrees in political science, business administration and international law and is fluent in Dutch, English and French. He previously served in the Belgian Army and as an advisor to the Belgian Senate.