The European Athletics CEO Conference took place in Baku on 14–15 April, bringing together 54 senior leaders from Member Federations across Europe for two days of strategic discussion, knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
The conference was officially opened by Dobromir Karamarinov, President of European Athletics, alongside Farid Gayibov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, and Javid Gurbanov, President of the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation.
Their opening remarks set the tone for a programme focused on strengthening partnerships and advancing the development of athletics across the continent. Held at the Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard, the conference agenda combined strategic presentations, practical case studies and interactive sessions designed to support federation leadership.
Strategic Roadmap
A central highlight of the programme was the strategic overview delivered by Christian Milz, CEO of European Athletics, who presented updates on the organisation’s Strategic Roadmap, alongside new initiatives in fan engagement and digitalisation.
This was complemented by a series of federation-led presentations demonstrating how the roadmap is being applied at national level. Nejc Jerasa shared insights from Slovenia on competition structures, while Josu Gomez Eceiza outlined Spain’s approach to digitalisation, and Klaus Nørby Jakobsen presented Denmark’s work in community engagement.
Further key sessions included a governance workshop addressing ethics in leadership—focusing on competition manipulation, safeguarding and conflict of interest—as well as discussions on data-driven monetisation strategies and digital transformation, led by industry experts.
The second day emphasised leadership development and peer exchange, beginning with an interactive “walk, reflect and exchange” session on leadership skills and communication.
This was followed by practical insights from the field, including a session on leadership change in traditional environments, focusing on project and people management, delivered by Dr. Kristin Behrens, representing the German Athletics Federation.
A further session explored funding models within national federations, presented by Riikka Pakarinen, representing the Finnish Athletics Federation. The programme concluded with a collaborative wrap-up led by Christian Milz.
Strengthened alignment
Reflecting on the conference, the European Athletics CEO Milz said: “This gathering provided an important opportunity to collectively review the progress of our Strategic Roadmap and to strengthen alignment across our Member Federations.
“I was particularly pleased to present our new Predictor Game project, which brings together key strategic priorities such as digitalisation, fan engagement, data collection and monetisation, and which we plan to launch at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
“Beyond the presentations, the conference reinforced the importance of collaboration, partnerships and working strategically across our sport. Together with President Dobromir Karamarinov, we also held very constructive meetings with Minister Farid Gayibov and the leadership of the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation, including President Javid Gurbanov and General Secretary Meherrem Sultanzade.
“These discussions highlighted the strong potential for athletics development in Azerbaijan, particularly in infrastructure, as well as its wider role in education and health. It marked a very positive and collaborative start to our time in Baku.”
Continued collaboration
President Karamarinov said: “Thank you to the Azerbaijan Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation for hosting us with such warm hospitality. We look forward to continuing our collaborations and we hope to return to Baku in the near future.”
With strong participation and a forward-looking agenda, the 2026 European Athletics CEO Conference underlined the organisation’s commitment to innovation, shared learning and strategic cooperation across its Member Federations.