FIFA's New Reformer?

FIFA's Executive Committee has ratified the proposed changes to the organization's governance proposed by its Independent Governance Committee.  These include the proposed appointment of Domenic Scala as the independent chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee, which (in principle)  is to serve as the locus of FIFA's reformed approach to governance.

FIFA explains:

Regarding the governance reform road map, the Executive Committee took another major step with the appointment of Mr Domenico Scala (Italy/Switzerland) as the independent chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee (link to biography: [see PDF]). Mr Scala had been proposed by the Independent Governance Committee (IGC). This appointment will be submitted to the Congress for ratification.

Moreover, the Executive Committee confirmed the proposed change to the FIFA Statutes involving the restructuring of the Ethics Committee with a new system of two chambers with two independent chairmen. The FIFA Executive Committee noted that one candidate proposed by the IGC had to decline the position of chairman of the adjudicatory chamber just yesterday for health reasons.

In view of this, the Executive Committee decided to hold an extraordinary meeting to designate both chairmen together once the FIFA Congress has approved the relevant amendments to the FIFA Statutes, which will come into force 60 days after the Congress. At this extraordinary meeting, which is to take place in Zurich in the first week of July, the FIFA Executive Committee will adopt the Code of Ethics and appoint both chairmen so that the new Ethics Committee can start work thereafter.

The next step is consideration of the changes approved by the Executive Committee by the full FIFA Congress. Scala (pictured above) will likely inherit from Mark Pieth the mantle and the spotlight associated with FIFA reform.  What difference his appointment will make will be subject to some discussion.

Scala had the bad luck of being appointed CEO of Nobel Biocare Holding on the eve of the global financial crisis, and lasted four years in that position.  More details on Scala's background can be found here in PDF.