"At its meeting today, the FIS Council, including the members of the Marc Hodler Foundation, based on a complete loss of confidence, has decided by a great majority vote that Sarah Lewis will no longer serve as the Secretary General of FIS, effective 9th October 2020," read an FIS statement.

Lewis had been secretary general since 2000.

The Briton is additionally secretary general of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations.

Lewis was expected to run for FIS President when Gian-Franco Kasper steps down at the next FIS Congress.

Following a series of coronavirus-related delays, the Congress has been postponed until June 2021.

Swiss-Ski has nominated its President, Urs Lehmann, for the role of FIS President, while Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch has been nominated by GB Snowsport, the British governing body. 

Kasper has led the FIS for 22 years, but intended to step down in June of this year, before the pandemic prevented that from happening.

A former competitive Alpine skier who competed at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics, Lewis first began working for the FIS in 1994 as a Continental Cups coordinator.

Lewis has also sat on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission as an ex-officio member.

She is also an IOC Olympic Programme Commission member.

Lewis was given the Officer of the British Empire award in 2018, appearing on Britain's New Year's Honours list for services to sport.