Chicago Olympic Committee Names Insurance Executive

The Chicago Olympic organizing committee bidding for the 2016 Summer Games named two new executives to top-level posts last week.

Chicago 2016 named insurance executive David Bolger as its new chief operating officer and Rick Ludwig, who has worked with several other Olympic organizing committees, as the new chief financial officer.

Bolger currently is chief financial and administrative officer at Chicago-based Aon Corp., one of the world’s largest insurance brokers; the company was founded by Patrick Ryan, who heads up the city’s Olympic organizing committee.

Aon announced in May that Bolger, who joined the company in 2003, would leave once his successor was found. Bolger won’t join the Olympic bid committee full-time until that happens.

Ludwig has worked in financial planning for the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Ryan called the appointments an “all-star staff.”

“It reflects a balance of bringing Olympic experience and business experience, and also achieves our goal of continuing to build diversity in our team,” Ryan said.

Since Chicago was picked over Los Angeles in May to be the American bid city, organizers have been working to fine tune the bid the city will submit to the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC will select the host city in 2009.