Bien-Aime is the first woman ever to hold a non-female designated voting position on FIFA’s Executive Committee

Miami (Wednesday, July 08, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that Sonia Bien-Aime, President of the Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) and a member of the CONCACAF Executive Committee, has been selected to serve in a voting position on FIFA’s Executive Committee. Bien-Aime joins Lydia Nsekera, President of the Burundi Football Association, to become the second woman ever to serve in a voting position on FIFA’s Executive Committee, and the first to be elected to a non-female designated seat. CONCACAF’s Executive Committee voted to appoint Bien-Aime on July 4, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada.

“Sonia has the full confidence of the CONCACAF Executive Committee and we are delighted for her to represent our Confederation on FIFA’s Executive Committee,” said Alfredo Hawit, Acting President of CONCACAF. “Sonia has demonstrated her significant leadership as a member of the CONCACAF Executive Committee, and will bring a diverse and fresh perspective to FIFA on how to promote and advance the game around the world.”

Bien-Aime will represent CONCACAF’s Caribbean Zone as a FIFA Executive Committee member with a full voting rights position. She joins CONCACAF Acting President, Alfredo Hawit, and U.S. Soccer Federation President, Sunil Gulati at the global executive body.

“My selection to the FIFA Executive Committee with full voting rights is a ground-breaking decision by CONCACAF that demonstrates our Confederation’s commitment to be forward-thinking and our ability to make bold, yet reasoned, decisions,” said Bien-Aime. “My goal is to represent the best interest of the Confederation, while contributing to the objectives of FIFA as we all take collective strides to develop and grow the game that we love.”

Bien-Aime is one of three women on FIFA’s Executive Committee, having been co-opted to the top table of world football at the 63rd FIFA Congress in Mauritius in 2013. Since then, her mandate has been extended on two occasions. Her work on the FIFA Executive Committee has focused primarily on developing women’s football internationally.

She currently serves as Deputy Chairwomen of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Additionally, Bien-Aime is a member of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and the Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

As a member of CONCACAF’s Executive Committee, Bien-Aime has served on the Gold Cup Committee and Women’s Football Committee. She has been a keen supporter of advancing the Confederation’s initiatives in the grassroots development of women’s football, including the CONCACAF Under-15 Girls’ Championship, the successful Let’s Develop Women’s Football Seminar, and the first-ever Women’s Football Day held on May 23, 2015.

A former athlete, Bien-Aime was the captain of the Turks & Caicos Islands Women’s National Football Team. In 2006, she was appointed to the position of General Secretary of TCIFA, and became the first woman elected to an executive post in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in 2012.

CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football — is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is comprised of 41 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana in the south. Please visit www.concacaf.com for more information.

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