Frits Brink

A keen aviator with more than 18 years of piloting experience under his belt, FAI President Frits Brink has been active in sports administration at regional, national and international levels for many years.

Prior to becoming President of the FAI in 2016, Brink’s roles in this area included President of the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association, where he used his time to increase that organisation’s influence in its home country, and Vice-President of the Netherlands Olympic Committee, where he championed the inclusion of air sports on the Olympic program.

He also served as an FAI Executive Director between 2012 and 2016, and as the federation’s Finance Director for a two-year period beginning in 2014.

Brink’s working life, meanwhile, was split between time as a senior police officer, chairman of the board at a national broadcasting organisation, and two postings as chief executive of large healthcare companies

Between 1980 and 1997, he also served as Mayor of three municipalities in the Netherlands, where he was born in 1946 and still lives today.

Now retired, Brink remains hugely enthusiastic about promoting air sports around the world, which is one of the main reasons he was chosen to succeed outgoing FAI President John Grubbström in 2016.

One of his main aims at that time was to support the development of air sports outside of Europe, in areas such as South America and Asia.

Since taking on the role, he has worked hard to achieve this goal, and has enjoyed particular success in Asia – where air sports are booming like never before.

Considerable progress has also been made towards another of his stated objectives: to encourage the inclusion of air sports in more multi-sport events.

When not in the air or working to spread the joy of air sports, he is also a basketball fan who served as President of the Netherlands Basketball Federation between 1992 and 1997.