Donnelly has been tasked with overseeing the delivery of operations within Paris 2024 venues, with his appointed viewed as a key addition to the management team.

Previously, Donnelly served as chief of staff to Paris 2024 director general Étienne Thobois when the latter was managing director of the Organising Committee for the France 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Donnelly worked on Paris' bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2004 and 2005, which finished second to London.

More recently, Donnelly was the managing director for the Men's Handball World Championship held in France in 2017.

Donnelly had spent more than 10 years at the marketing agency Keneo, for whom he held the chief executive position from March 2015 until July 2018.

This was combined with the chief executive post at MKTG from September 2016 until his departure.

His was also general manager of the Be Sport social network from November 2019 until December 2021.

He then founded the RNK agency with his brother David and Alexandre Ferracci, which has since been chosen to support Paris 2024 in the staging of the Torch Relay.

Paris 2024 is fewer than two years away, with the Olympics scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.