In this opening episode of Season 2 of our 'NBSO Lyon Business Horizons' podcast series, we sit down in Lyon with Rick Cost, (Dutch) Performance Director at Olympique Lyonnais. From his move from the U.S. to one of France’s leading football clubs, Rick shares how high-performance structures are built at the top level of sport — and what this says about OL’s ambition and Lyon’s growing attractiveness as a sports hub. We explore the strengths of the region’s sports ecosystem, where it still needs to grow, and where opportunities lie for international — including Dutch — companies in sport, performance, and innovation. Drawing on his experience in elite clubs (Feijenoord Rotterdam, among others) and Olympic environments, Rick also reflects on what major events like the Winter Games 2030 require behind the scenes, and what it takes to create lasting impact.