The race is on for one of the highest-profile headhunting contracts in recent years: to bring on board the chief executive who will lead the company in charge of running the sporting side of London’s 2012 Olympic Games.

Whoever wins the chief executive’s post will work alongside chairman Sebastian Coe and deputy chairman Keith Mills to ensure the games fulfil expectations.

Recruiter understands that executive search heavyweight Odgers, Ray & Berndtson is among those competing for the contract to appoint the chief executive of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ( LOCOG).

A LOCOG spokeswoman said only: “We are in the process of shortlisting a headhunter to go out and seek a CEO.”

The organisation’s board will be in place by early next year, and the chief executive faces the mammoth task of organising the world’s premier sporting event.

Insiders claim the successful candidate will need to have had experience of working in large leisure corporations such as Disney. Event management and organisational skills also will be key. The chief executive must be in place by early next year, when the Olympic project begins to swing into action.

Public sector headhunter Rockpools has already caused ripples in the industry by winning the contract for the chair and chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, which will provide infrastructure, transport and competition venues (Recruiter, 10 August).

Rockpools was founded only a year ago by former Veredus associate director Nev Wilkinson, who has a wealth of experience in recruiting for local government and the public sector.

David Fielding, director of Rockpools’ not-for-profit section, told Recruiter: “When you go out in the networks, a lot of our competitors are moaning about us and saying nasty things.

“I think that’s a good sign. It shows they are getting a bit worried. We are not a ‘gin and tonic’ recruiter, although we are genuinely diverse and we are trying to be new and funky in some senses.”

Fielding is managing the search for the posts, which will also be filled by the end of the year.