The new chairman of the skiing association starts in a difficult financial situation. He does not see training outside the national team as a risk.
SpongeBob Forsberg,
Kalle Pallonen
Sirpa Korkatti has been elected as the new president of the Finnish Skiing Federation at the meeting of the federal council in Jyväskylä by a vote of 27–12. One member of the federal council voted absent.
Korkat’s counter-candidate in the chairmanship race was Jari Piirainenwho has worked in the Skiing Association as a youth coach in the 1980s, cross-country sport manager 1989–1997 and CEO 2001–2009.
Korkatti is the first female president of the Finnish Ski Association. Korkatti follows in washing Markku Haapasalmeawho started as chairman in 2017.
The new chairman has been working since the beginning of 2019 as the director of Eerikkilä sports college, with responsibility for Eerikkilä’s culture and people. Korkatti was hired in Eerikkilä to create and manage the internal operating culture and to create a service model for business and leisure customers.
Before his election, Korkatti served as a member of the board of the Ski Association and as the chairman of the cross-country skiing management group, and told Urheilu in November that he will seek to become the chairman for many reasons, but not on light grounds.
– The main reason is that we currently have a big need for change. The need to renew, change the operation of the Ski Association and think big about the future, Korkatti said.
Korkatti recently told that he plans to first create a situational picture with the new board and start defining the needs for change. For example, the management system must be viewed from the perspective of resources.
– The economic situation affects the fact that we have to review our strategy again. Concrete measures are then defined there together. Our structure needs to be streamlined and clarified.
Challenging situation
Korkatti starts as chairman in a difficult economic situation. The Ski Federation announced a week ago that its deficit in the financial period from June 2022 to October 2023 will be 1.28 million euros.
In addition, the losses of 623,000 euros of the commercial company Nordic Ski Finland Oy are added. The total loss is almost two million euros.
– Of course, the situation is challenging, but on the other hand, we have made a new media contract, which will have a positive effect on our future. Of course, at the same time I say that our situation is such that we have to think about how we will adapt our operations in the coming years.
Korkatti reminds us that costs are increasing in today’s world.
– We have to think about what the national team’s operating models will be like in the future and what national team formats we have. There have been other types of groups that help athletes move forward. I think we need to talk to them too.
In summer, for example Iivo Niskanen trained outside the national team. Korkatti does not see training outside the national team as a risk. The most important thing is that the athletes are competitive and healthy at the start of the season.
– There can be different routes to get to the competition season, but the routes must be clear in advance. When we agree on who is in the national team, we commit to it.
Story updated at 20:04: Added Korkat’s comments.