More than 40 women from 30 Summer and Winter Olympic sports will gather in Lausanne from 3 to 5 October 2026 for a Women’s Leadership Workshop, jointly organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and ASOIF. The workshop features a three-day programme designed to strengthen the skills and confidence of emerging leaders in sport.
The practical, in-person workshop is a high-impact leadership accelerator tailored to emerging women leaders, particularly Olympians, newly elected board members and federation staff. It will provide targeted training in leadership, communication, negotiation and campaigning, equipping participants with essential skills to navigate complex professional environments and take on greater responsibilities within their organisations. Run by leadership trainers from EqualCareers, the workshop will deliberately coincide with the SportAccord Forum.
Voice of athletes
Among the participants will be Dame Valerie Adams, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion in shot put, and the first woman to win four consecutive individual titles at the athletics World Championships. Adams retired from athletics competition in 2022 and, one year later, became Chair of the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission. Asked about her expectations for the upcoming workshop, Adams said:
I'm excited to attend the Women in Leadership Workshop to learn from powerful role models, share experiences, and cultivate the skills needed to lead with confidence and purpose.
Eight other workshop participants are also Olympians or Paralympians and will use their visit to Lausanne to sign the Olympians' Wall at Olympic House.
This initiative builds on the success of six online leadership webinars for women organised by ASOIF in recent years, as well as two previous in-person workshops in 2024 and 2025.
Shaping the future of sport
Sabrina Ibáñez, Chair of ASOIF’s Diversity and Gender Equality Commission (ADGEC) and Secretary General of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), highlighted the importance of the initiative:
In sports leadership, women should not merely be invited to the table; they should have an equal hand in writing the recipe. This workshop has been created to equip the participants with the knowledge, skills and the essential ingredients, to shape the future of sport and, in Gloria Steinem’s words, to ‘bake a new pie’. I trust everyone will enjoy the experience, learn from one another and leave inspired.
Following the workshop, participants will receive practical tools to support them in their leadership journey and help them put into practice the individual action plans developed during the three-day programme.