 From 1996 to 1997 he was the president of the UIAA Commission for Competition Climbing.Together with Pascal Mouche he founded the UIAA Council for Competition Climbing and was the Secretary General from 1997 to 2001 before becoming the President from 2001 to 2006.He organized the separation of international sportclimbing competitions from the UIAA in 2006, founded the International Federation of Sport Climbing in 2007 and became the president.