World Flying Disc Federation appoints executive search firm Odgers to recruit its new Secretary General

The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF), the international governing body for Flying Disc sports, has appointed executive search firm Odgers to launch a global recruitment process to identify its next Secretary General. Our previous Secretary General, Volker Bernardi, who was with WFDF since 2011, recently passed away after a short illness.

The World Flying Disc Federation (“WFDF”) is the international sports federation responsible for world governance of flying disc (frisbee) sports, including Ultimate, Beach Ultimate, Disc Golf, Freestyle, Guts, and Individual Events. WFDF is a federation of 122 member associations, which represent Flying Disc sports and their athletes in more than 118 countries. WFDF is an International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the International University Sports Federation (FISU). It is a member of the International World Games Association (IWGA), the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), and the Association for the International Sport for All (TAFISA). WFDF is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, and is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in the state of Colorado, USA.

WFDF is seeking a leader with significant experience and understanding of the commercial opportunities for revenue generation, fan engagement, the Olympic Movement, and strategic content creation and distribution. In addition, the Secretary General will bring a good understanding of key governance principles, event management, anti-doping, and legal issues.

WFDF is proudly committed to the development of the sport worldwide, with inclusion, equality, respect, sustainability, and transparency at our core as we seek to help Flying Disc athletes at all levels of the sport to be extraordinary. We have a 10 member virtual staff and over 100 volunteers working remotely across the globe.

“Thanks to the hard work of our team and the previous Secretary General, we have seen significant growth in popularity and recognition for Flying Disc sports,” stated WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “Volker Bernardi was instrumental in guiding the federation through a period of significant growth and professionalization. His leadership helped shape WFDF’s governance structures, anti-doping programs, and global development efforts, while strengthening WFDF’s relationships with the Olympic Movement. We are now seeking a new Secretary General to take over from where Volker left off and help guide the federation into its next chapter. The Secretary General will play a vital role in shaping the future of our sport and strengthening our global community.”

WFDF hosts a wide array of international competitions for national teams and clubs, including world and continental championships in all its disciplines in mixed gender, women’s, and men’s divisions, with well established juniors and masters level events. Our sport has been a medal sport in The World Games since 2001 and will be in the SEA Games and Mediterranean Games over the next year.

The recruitment process will be open, transparent, and inclusive. WFDF will consider all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, politics, sex, or sexual orientation. Interested applicants can find the full job description and application details at: www.odgers.com/94591.  The deadline for applications is 17th October 2025.