Alan Ostfield, CEO of US Sailing

US Sailing, the sport’s National Governing Body (NGB), has confirmed that chief executive Alan Ostfield will step down from his role and transition to an advisory position for the Association.

US Sailing says that, during Ostfield’s tenure, the association has undergone several changes aligning it with its responsibilities as the NGB to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the broader sailing community.

In the past four years, Ostfield and his team have focused on implementing various improvements, including restructuring the leadership team, enhancing financial accuracy and transparency, hiring Marcus Lynch as the new High Performance Director to oversee Olympic operations, incorporating the perspectives of sailor athletes, strengthening relations with the USOPC, and establishing a corporate partnerships department that has since developed over a dozen new partnerships.

“The association is substantially better off today than it was when the transformation began, as a result of the hard and good work of Alan and his team,” says Richard Jepsen, president of US Sailing‘s board of directors. “Changes of the magnitude needed in the Association and expected by the Board are never easy, and the staff worked hand-in-hand with the Board to make the desired progress. The Board greatly appreciates the incredible work and accomplishments of Alan and his team and knows that the foundation that has been created will lead to even better things ahead.”

Brian Keane, interim chair of the US Sailing Foundation, adds: “With the improved performances at the 2024 Olympic Games, as well as at the 2024 Youth World Championships and Youth European and World Fleet Championships, it is clear that the US Sailing Team is on the right path.

“I was pleased to partner with Alan to get Marcus on board and know that, with Marcus at the helm and other improvements the Association has made, the US Sailing Team is poised for good things for years to come.”

The news has seemingly been timed to maximise the transition before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. (Last year, sailing bodies from around the world expressed their disappointment at the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision not to reinstate sailing to the Paralympic Games for LA28. The sport has not featured since 2016.)

Ostfield will continue in an advisory capacity, offering guidance on key strategic and operational matters and serving on the search committee for the new CEO, to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Ostfield will formally step down on 30 August 2024.

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