By Sujit Jasani, La Jolla, California, April 15, 2016: The International Surfing Association (ISA) has today announced the appointment of Robert Fasulo as the organisation’s new Executive Director.
Fasulo will be based in the ISA headquarters in La Jolla, California, and will report directly to ISA President, Fernando Aguerre. Working alongside the ISA Executive Committee, Fasulo will be responsible for the strategic direction, financial stewardship and operational management of Surfing’s world governing body.
Formerly an advisor to the ISA, as well as other organisations in international sport, Fasulo has played a key role in the ISA’s successful mission to be recommended for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – with the International Olympic Committee set to make a decision on the sports that will enter the programme at the IOC Session ahead of the Rio 2016 Games.
Prior to being an international sports consultant, Fasulo held senior positions at various Olympic organisations, including being Chief of International Relations at the U.S. Olympic Committee and Director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). A full biography is below.
Fernando Aguerre, ISA President, said:
“I am delighted Bob has joined the ISA during this crucial time in the organisation’s history. We have been on a journey of development and the ISA has grown into an International Federation with almost 100 member nations. Surfing is committed to playing an active and positive role within the Olympic Movement and we hope our dream to join the sports programme is realised for Tokyo 2020.
“Bob’s experience, insight and understanding of global sport have been a tremendous asset to our campaign for Olympic inclusion and it’s great to have him join us to continue this work and represent the ISA to the broader Surfing, Olympic and sports community.”
Robert Fasulo, ISA Executive Director, said:
“Surfing is a young, relevant and rising sport with amazing athletes, a vibrant culture and highly appealing lifestyle. It’s been an incredible privilege to work as a strategic advisor to Fernando for these past five years and to contribute to his inspired vision for the sport and its Olympic aspirations. I’m honoured and excited by this opportunity to play a key role in the sport’s long-term development and bright future.”
Please see below Robert Fasulo’s full biography:
Robert Fasulo is a global strategist with over 25 years of cross-cultural management and communications experience in Olympic and world sport. Multi-lingual and with extensive experience in delivering communications, public relations, marketing and bid campaigns, Fasulo brings a unique blend of creative and entrepreneurial skills to the ISA.
Fasulo launched his own consulting agency, Robert Fasulo international (RFi) in 2010 and since then he has provided high-level, strategic consulting and business development services to major corporations, sports marketing and media agencies, national and international sports organizations, events, major event bids and international sport leaders.
Most recently, Fasulo has been a key adviser to the ISA’s successful effort to be recommended for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the United States’ successful bid for the 2021 IAAF World Championships. He now joins the ISA as Executive Director.
Prior to launching RFi, Fasulo served in a number of key Olympic leadership roles including Chief of International Relations at the U.S. Olympic Committee, Director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and Chief of Staff at the IAAF.
As ASOIF Director, Fasulo also served on the IOC Coordination Commissions in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 as well as the IOC Olympic Programme Commission. As IAAF Chief of Staff, Fasulo was also appointed Secretary General of the International Athletic Foundation, the Monaco-based charitable arm of the IAAF, where he was responsible for the managing a US$20 million endowment as well as developing grant criteria, donation guidelines, financial policy, project monitoring and athlete award programmes.
Fasulo attended the University of Portland, Oregon where he was a scholarship member of the track & field team and graduated cum laude in 1986 with a BA in communications. Following a 2,700-km cycling tour though Europe in the summer of 1987, Fasulo lived in Rome, Italy for 13 years and subsequently Lausanne, Switzerland for six years.
Fluent in four languages – English, Italian, French and Spanish – Fasulo has traveled to over 65 countries and 150 cities. He currently resides in Newport Beach, California with his wife, Peta, and two children, Micaela and Luca.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.