The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed Hans-Jochen Erb as its Events Director.

A German citizen, Erb will start his duties in November this year. The 40-years old Erb worked during the last ten years in the International Sports Marketing department of Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany.

‘I am looking forward to facing this new challenge at the FIH’, Erb stated. ‘I am extremely motivated to start at the FIH and work in the most important areas in the international sports business.’

As the sport grows and develops, FIH is looking to create a new management structure of tournaments in which the FIH will have a much more direct involvement. Over the years, FIH has developed a bank of knowledge with respect to organization of tournaments and the new management structure will allow FIH to transfer this knowledge to organizers of tournaments and thereby greatly enhance the production of high quality tournaments with a major focus on significantly increased marketing and promotion of the sport and media exposure.

The current Events Manager Dennis Meredith will continue to focus upon competition related technical matters. His title will change to Competitions Manager.

In addition to the appointment of Erb as FIH Events Director, the FIH appointed Borbala de Roos-Kozma as Marketing & Events Assistant. A Hungarian citizen, De Roos-Kozma is currently working for FIBA Europe. She will start in the FIH Office in Lausanne, Switzerland on 1 September. The job of the FIH Marketing & Events Assistant is also a new position at the FIH headquarters.

‘We are very happy with the appointment of the new staff members’, FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman said. ‘With the two new employees working full time for the FIH, our Federation is ready to work more professional to produce even more dynamic events.