Piero joined the IFSC as General Director in 2019, after having gained professional executive experience at a national and international level in both sport and business. A University of Parma (Italy) Pharmacy graduate, he started his career in the pharmaceutical industry managing a number of tasks. Passionate about sport since his youth, Piero was a professional volleyball player in the 80’s and from 2006-2013, he served the international volleyball family as Sport Events Director of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Piero has led a life filled with unique sporting experiences, participating in four Olympic Games with different roles: competing as an athlete he was a bronze medallist in Los Angeles 1984, working as Paralympic Director in the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games, then managing the Volleyball events as FIVB Technical Delegate in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Skiing, hiking and from now on, also climbing, are his favourite leisure experiences. In 2025, he became Secretary General of the IFSC.

Originally from Rome, Erica spent six years in the UK where she started working in luxury hospitality business and cultivating her penchant for public relations. With a diverse background in other international non-profit associations, Erica joined the IFSC in 2018, which put together her passion for climbing and her intercultural upbringing. In these years, Erica worked on a diverse portfolio of projects, from the organisation of institutional events to the coordination of the strategic planning process, the implementation of the Paraclimbing Development Plan, and other sport-related programmes within the Olympic Movement framework. With the increased demand around institutional activity, Erica now leads the General Affairs Department, established in 2022, specialised in international relations, strategy, and governance.

Abel is from the South of France and holds a Master's degree in Political Science with a focus on Public and International Relations from the University of Montreal. He loves sports and enjoys outdoor activities like snowboarding, running, and especially football, which he played during college. Before joining the IFSC, Abel spent a year in Asia working at the Bhutan Olympic Committee through a French programme with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Born and raised in Turin, Italy, Francesca enjoys learning languages and discovering new cultures, hence she studied Foreign languages and International Communication at university. One of Francesca’s favourite things about working for the IFSC is the chance to meet people from across the globe, speaking their native language wherever possible. Now an MBA graduate, Francesca is one of the longest-standing staff members at the IFSC, beginning her IFSC career back in 2010 when the Federation had just three part-time employees. Having contributed heavily towards the growth and development of the IFSC’s structure, Francesca’s role as Administration Director involves managing the IFSC Office,  and keeping a watchful eye over finances. Francesca enjoys organising dinners with friends, exploring new corners of her hometown which she shares with the IFSC Headquarters, trying new sports and spoiling her family and colleagues with homemade cakes.

Originally from Turin, Laura has lived and worked in the UK, Spain, Brazil, and Sweden, bringing a rich international perspective to her career. As a travel expert, she has managed both leisure and business travel, combining her passion for exploring new places with her expertise in logistics. Laura has a deep love for sports and thrives in intercultural environments where she can connect with people from all walks of life. Since joining the IFSC, Laura has managed travel logistics and provides administrative support, facilitating smooth and efficient operations across international events and activities.

Vincent started climbing when he was 12 and has built his professional career around Climbing. Starting as a Sport Climbing guide, he soon became interested in competitions and found his way in the organisation and management of events. Over the years, from the first competitions of the 90’s when Sport Climbing was becoming a new competitive activity all the way to the Olympic Games, Vincent had the opportunity to witness the evolution of the sport in all its aspects. He spent more than 20 years managing the FFME Competition Department, including bringing to life some of the most prominent events of the IFSC calendar such as World and European Championships in Bercy or the World Cup in Chamonix. In the early 2000’s, Vincent started collaborating with IFSC and became one of the first Technical Delegates. In 2022, Vincent joined the Paris 2024 team as Sport and Event Manager in charge of delivering the Olympic Sport Climbing event in Le Bourget.

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Alessandro completed a Master’s degree in International Management through a programme held in three different countries. Fluent in four languages, he joined World Climbing in 2017 after gaining experience in business development in France. A sports and outdoor enthusiast, he developed a passion for climbing and enjoys connecting stakeholders to drive successful projects. Over the years, he has shaped sport equipment and partnership-driven initiatives, overseen the World Climbing event model and international calendar, and led the development of innovative competition formats such as the Olympic format at Paris 2024. Alessandro aims to connect the interests of World Climbing stakeholders to further develop events, revenues, and the visibility associated with them.

Joining the IFSC Sport Department in early 2019, Hazel manages the planning and delivery of the Multi-Sport Events (MSE), including the Olympic Games, Olympic Qualifier Series, The World Games, and other events that host Sport Climbing, to support the IFSC mission. She coordinates planning activities and on-site operations in collaboration with external stakeholders, IFSC departments, and officials. Hazel has lived overseas for more than 15 years, including Italy that she welcomed as a new home upon moving to IFSC Headquarters in Torino. Passionate about the vibrant field of international sporting events, she previously worked at the PyeongChang Organising Committee for the 2018 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games. She received a BA degree in International Relations and German Studies from Trinity College, USA in 2010, and a joint MA degree in Public Policy from the Central European University, Hungary & University of York, UK in 2014. She enjoys spending her spare time climbing outdoors and indoors, camping, and traveling. Her favorite places to climb in Europe are Spain, Italy, Greece, and France.

Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Irem earned a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering before completing a Master’s in Global Marketing Management in Boston, USA. A two-time Olympian, she represented Turkey in Fencing at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, becoming the first Turkish fencer to qualify for the Olympics since 1984. Fluent in Turkish, English, and Italian, Irem also served as President of the Athletes’ Commission of the European Fencing Confederation from 2021 to 2024. Passionate about sport and its values, she has always dreamed of working within an international organization like the IFSC, where sport is a true driver of growth and inspiration. Highly motivated to translate her athletic career into professional impact, Irem joined the IFSC in 2025, bringing her energy, experience, and commitment to the global climbing community.

Silvia joined the IFSC Sport Department in 2017, stepped up as Sport Director from 2019 to 2021, and in 2022 became Director of the newly establishes Research & Development Department. She manages all development and education programmes for athletes, their parents and guardians, coaches, judges, and routesetters – now collected in the newly established World Climbing Academy. She also facilitates funding opportunities through the IFSC Olympic Solidarity Helpdesk, supporting Member Federations. Finally, she oversees research activities and collaborations with research teams.
Indeed, Silvia’s background is somewhat different: after completing her bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics in Italy, she spent a year in California for her Master’s, then completing a PhD in the Netherlands. After a short research period, she left academia and worked as project coordinator for Science Communication in India, South Africa, Malta, and Great Britain. She managed EU funded projects aimed at public engagement, improving science literacy, and developing the next generation of bright minds.

Joining the IFSC in early 2023, Fabrizio was born in the Italian motoring hotspot of Imola where he started his career in journalism at the age of 16. That led to a Master’s degree in Economics at Bologna University while writing for newspapers and sport magazines. He has been covering several sports events worldwide leading communications and media operations, working full time for Federations and Leagues and specializing in TV production and sport management. He attended the Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Olympic Games as a professional journalist, led media in Beijing 2008 as Press Director of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), and worked as web editor at London 2012. A tech enthusiast, he also designed the graphic interface and led the creator team of Video Check System, the most widely used instant replay for volleyball.

After working as a care-giver in Venice for eight years, Marco gained a bachelor’s degree in Communication at the University of Padua and a master’s degree in Sport Business Strategies at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. From 2015 to 2019 he worked for the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) as a member of the media crew, travelling to a number of international competitions around the world, including the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. Prior to this, Marco has attended basketball, beach soccer, biathlon, cycling and football events. Marco has practiced swimming, handball, basketball and futsal and whenever he can, travels back to Venice to support the local basketball and football teams.

Born in Swansea, Wales, Richard has been working in sports media and communications since completing his degree in Journalism from the University of Chester. Volunteering at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games gave Richard his first experience working at an International multi-sport event which led to multiple roles within British National Federations and at the international level, where he was Press Officer for World Sailing. Richard has covered a number of sports including gymnastics, water polo, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, football and snowboarding in Great Britain, Australia and Japan. Richard was also Producer on the Olympic Channel/Discovery documentary "Chasing Tokyo" about the British Sailing Team’s journey to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 during the global pandemic.

Since he was a child Samuel has had a passion for technology and the world of art. After studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti in his home town of Turin, Italy, he attended the European Institute of Design (IED), from which he graduated in 2020. During his time at the IED, Samuel dedicated time for part-time work as a graphic designer at Sociale Sport, a multi-sport centre in Turin. Alongside education and work Samuel has practiced many sports, including basketball, soccer and swimming. He is always interested in trying new sports.