Nikki Doucet became the first CEO of the top two women’s football professional leagues in England in late 2023, with her role being to oversee and manage all aspects of the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship.

Richard became Chief Executive Officer in February 2023, arriving at the ECB with significant leadership experience from major organisations across sport. He joined the ECB from Bristol City Football Club, where he was CEO since 2021. Prior to that he served as CEO at first Somerset County Cricket Club for 6 years and then Surrey County Cricket Club for 10 years. At Surrey Richard was instrumental in the launch of the ACE Programme in 2020, which is now an independent charity designed to engage a new generation of children and young people from Black communities within the recreational game and talent pathway. He is a Trustee of We Are With You, a nationwide charity that supports people with mental health issues and to make positive behavioural changes with alcohol and drug use. Before his career he served as an officer with the Royal Tank Regiment, leaving the British Army as a Major. He completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 2009.

Nuria is Chief Marketing & Fan Experience Officer and joined the City Football Group in November 2015. Her role encompasses Content and Digital platforms, Fan Relationship Management (FRM), Fan Data and Insights, Retail and Brand. Nuria joined CFG after nineteen years of experience in the telecommunications, aviation and tourism and leisure industries. Her previous position was as CEO of the biggest ski resort in the Pyrenees, Grandvalira.

Danny Townsend is the CEO of Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments. Appointed in October 2023, he leads the strategic direction of SRJ as it invests in global sports, bringing international events to the Kingdom and elevating the sports ecosystem both within KSA and the wider MENA region. Prior to joining SRJ, Danny spent two years as CEO of the Australian Professional (Football) Leagues (APL), following four years as CEO of Sydney FC. In 2016, he was named one of the world’s 40 most influential sports executives under the age of 40, and is listed in SportsPro’s 2024 top ten influencers.

One of the most respected and authoritative figures in the world of golf, Guy Kinnings has been involved in the sport for more than 30 years.

Having joined IMG’s legal team in London in 1989, he moved to its golf division in 1991 where he focused on client management where in his time, he worked with most of the leading global players in the professional game. Latterly, as IMG’s Senior Vice President and Global Head of Golf, he led the company’s global golf business comprising both clients, events and the key relationships with all governing bodies and brands involved with the sport.

Victoire is a Greek-Argentine entrepreneur born in the United States recognized as one of the women who are redefining the football industry globally. During her professional career, she co-founded the first female-managed agency representing Latin American players in MLS, recognized by FIFA in 2018. She then co-founded Gloria, a tech startup backed by Alexis Ohanian of 776 and Angel City FC, Peter Tomozawa of the Seattle Sounders, and former Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan, among others. Gloria was sold in a multi-million dollar transaction to competitor OneFootball in late 2022. As part of the transaction, Victoire joined OneFootball as its first Vice President of Women’s Football with the ambition to develop the global strategy of this emerging segment of football. After 6 months, Victoire resigned from the role to pursue Women’s Football as a priority and launch the new holding. Today Victoire is a known activist for gender equality in football with UN Women, as well as serving on the board of the non-profit organization WiST, from where she promotes the careers of students and young professionals in traditionally male-dominated fields. She is also recognized as one of the most preeminent thought leaders and speakers in the women’s football movement, and a powerful promoter of the inclusion of women in the game. She is also a proud member of CommonGoal Org.

Claire Cronin joined Chelsea Football Club in August 2023, as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing the brand, creative, growth marketing and fan engagement teams. Prior to joining Chelsea, Claire served as CMO with the McLaren Formula 1 team, spearheading their entry into Extreme E, a sustainable race series, targeting a new demographic of motor-racing fans. Whilst at McLaren she oversaw a fivefold increase to the marketable fanbase, helping the team to attract premium brand partners such as Jack Daniels and Google. Prior to working in the sports sector, Cronin spent 20 years working in consumer-facing brands across Barclays, NetJets and Virgin. Whilst at Virgin Atlantic, she oversaw the sponsorship of the NFL London Games, securing the airline’s position as the leading transatlantic carrier. Cronin graduated from Warwick University with a Law degree.

Tati is the Vice President of Marketing for Unilever’s largest Home Care business – Dirt Is Good, a federation of brands and a coalition of projects which aim at delivering uncompromised top cleaning performance to meet people’s laundry needs, while powering them up to act on the issues they care the most. Currently based in London, UK, she leads the Dirt Is Good equity, design, and innovation programme. Her ambition is to ensure that people shouldn’t have to sacrifice sustainability for top performance, and vice-versa – the two should be synonymous.

Chris Heck was appointed President of Business Operations for Aston Villa last year, leveraging over 30 years of sports industry expertise. Previously President of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, Heck’s robust career includes pivotal roles at Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls and the NBA’s executive suite. His strategic leadership, proven in the dynamic arenas of basketball and soccer, positions him to spearhead Aston Villa’s business and commercial strategies. Heck’s appointment marks a significant stride in the club’s ambitious growth trajectory.

Ellie Norman joined Manchester United as Chief Communications Officer in September 2022 and is responsible for scaling and deepening direct fan relationships at scale, while protecting and growing the Club’s reputation. This is through Brand & Creative, Media Relations, Public Affairs, content creation across MUTV, Club website & app, social, and fan engagement via Fan Advisory Board, Fan’s Forum and Supporters Clubs. Ellie joined from Formula 1, which she joined in 2017 as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer leading the sport as it grew its fan base, defined its vision, value & purpose and was part of the Exec Team responsible for growing the share price from $28 in 2017 to $65 in 2021. Prior to that Ellie held senior executive roles at Virgin Media and Honda.

Award-winning content, digital, communications and marketing strategist currently employed as Chief Marketing Officer at Six Nations Rugby. Results-driven leader with 15+ years experience, enjoying success across multiple sectors in both mature, growth phase and disruptor businesses, including automotive, tech & telco, retail, energy, OTT and sports. Believes that leveraging technology, data and consumer insights, and a strong understanding of brand purpose is how brands win.

Queenie, hailed as “The next Karen Brady,” is revolutionizing the football and sports world at just 34. Initially scouted by Sir Phillip Green, she rapidly ascended from Junior Admin Assistant at DCK Concessions to become the youngest-ever Senior Buyer. Headhunted by The Co-Op group and later joining WOW HYDRATE as Head of Commercial, she impressively became Managing Director by 32.

As Head of Sport and Factual at Box To Box Films, Warren Smith oversees the delivery of the full slate of premium documentary series including; Full Swing, Le Tour, Six Nations Rugby, Break Point and Drive to Survive for Netflix, and Make or Break for AppleTV+. As well as Executive Producing the aforementioned series, Warren also served as Showrunner on both Season 1 of Full Swing and Make or Break.

Prior to joining Box to Box Warren worked as an Executive Producer on SAS: Who Dares Wins for Channel 4 and co-created the Celebrity spin off series. He was previously Series Director on Educating… and The Real Marigold Hotel for the BBC.

Emily Frazer is known for her significant contributions to Matchroom Multi Sport, a prominent sports promotion company. She has played a pivotal role in developing and promoting various sports events under the Matchroom brand. Working closely with figures like Barry and Eddie Hearn, Emily has been instrumental in expanding the company’s portfolio and influence in the sports industry. Her expertise lies in sports management, event organization, and strategic sports marketing, making her a key figure in the dynamic world of sports promotion.

Mark is a strategic thinking and results-driven marketing leader with over 20 years’ experience leading multi-channel marketing campaigns for some of the world’s top brands. He is an expert in brand building, communications planning, consumer insights, new product development, and digital media strategies including video, social, display, mobile, email, events and branded content.
Mark is a strong leader, which he demonstrates through strong collaboration and ability to build effective relationships both internally and externally. His greatest strengths include creativity, collaboration, strategy & innovation and relationship management.

Tom brings a wealth of expertise to the table, boasting over ten years of hands-on experience in the dynamic world of betting and gaming. Currently serving as the Head of Marketing for Paddy Power, one of the UK&I’s leading betting and entertainment brands, Tom has spearheaded numerous successful campaigns across various platforms, including television and live events across Football, Horse Racing, Darts, Comedy Festivals, Fanzones and the sponsorship and activation of CrouchFest at Wembley in 2023. Notable achievements include orchestrating Paddy Power’s acclaimed sponsorship of the PDC’s World Darts Championship in 2023, which also raised over £1 million for Prostate Cancer UK through their Big 180 initiative and garnered attention from the UK Prime Minister. Tom’s forward-thinking strategies have been instrumental in establishing Paddy Power as one of the UK’s most iconic entertainment brands, solidifying its reputation as a pioneering and trusted leader within the industry.

Sarah Massey is an accomplished leader in the world of sports, with over three decades of experience in sports leadership, global event strategy, and planning. In May 2023, Massey took on the role of Managing Director of the Local Operating Company for Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025, a joint venture between World Rugby and the RFU. Her appointment underscores her commitment to advancing women’s rugby, aligning with the goal of making England 2025 a landmark event for women’s sports. Prior to this, Sarah was the CEO of the World Athletics Championships, Oregon22 and her career spans various roles across the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, as well as cricket and hockey World Cups, and she has worked with multiple international and national sports governing bodies.

Matthew Porter has been PDC Chief Executive since January 2008 and has overseen the growth of the sport from £3million ($5million) prize money annually to double that figure through the continued expansion of the PDC.

During that time, Porter has overseen the introduction of major tournaments such as the European Championship and Players Championship Finals, the PDC World Cup of Darts and the European Tour, as well as the implementation of the PDC’s development structure with Qualifying School, the Challenge Tour, and Youth Tour.

Porter has also been the Chief Executive of Leyton Orient FC in the UK, as well as serving on the board of The Football League. Porter joined Leyton Orient in 2001 as Press Officer, a role which he occupied for five years before being made the youngest chief executive in English football by O’s chairman Barry Hearn in the summer of 2006, aged just 26. His appointment as Chief Executive coincided with the Club’s promotion to League 1 and he oversaw their progression to an established side in the division which included narrowly missing out on promotion at the end of the 2013/14 season.

In April 2021, Matt was appointed Chairman of Matchroom Multi Sport.

Osi Umenyiora is a two-time Super Bowl winning defensive end with the New York Giants and a two-time winner in the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards.

After 12 seasons in the NFL, he returned to London, becoming an NFL Ambassador and analyst for BBC TV’s coverage of the NFL. He co-hosts “The Jason & Osi Podcast” and co-presents for the NFL Show. He has twice been named as Best Sports Presenter in the Royal Television Society Awards and was named as Sports Pundit of the Year for 2018. He also created, and oversees, The International Pathway Program and the NFL Academy.

In 2021 Osi founded The Uprise and through that, develops scouting camps across Africa which focus on finding talent for the IPP and The Academy. In 2021 he also created and spearheaded the creation of NFL Africa, which he continues to run.

Jon was appointed Chief Executive of British Cycling in April 2023 and was formerly CEO of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (postponed until 2022).

Jon is a sports management graduate with over 28 years’ of experience in the sports industry. Previous roles have included PGA European Golf Tour, Manchester FA which involved a secondment to UEFA, Managing Director of a sports consultancy company, COO for the Rugby League World Cup 2013, Director of Readiness for the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014, Director of Projects & People for the Rugby Football League and International Federation Tournament Commissioner for the Rugby League World Cup 2017. Jon was awarded an OBE for services to Rugby in 2023 along with an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Civil Law) from Northumbria University.

The RFU, alongside a wider working group, announced the appointment of Belinda Moore as the Chief Executive, and Genevieve Shore as the Chair of Women’s Premier 15 Limited (WP15Ltd), a new company established to oversee the organisation and management of the Allianz Premier 15s competition from the 2023/24 season.

As Chief Executive, Belinda will hold primary responsibility and accountability for driving the development of the business and ensuring the vision, to inspire a generation of players and fans through world-class club competition, is realised. She will lead and manage the company in line with its strategic and operational priorities to ensure Allianz Premier 15s becomes the most competitive, progressive and sustainable domestic competition in the world.

Kate joined the ECB in July 2019. As Chief Communications Officer she is responsible for leading and developing the organisation’s Communications strategy, spanning corporate, consumer, EDI campaigning and public affairs. The team work to promote the work of the ECB and its members to cricket’s new and existing audiences. Kate holds extensive experience in the public and private sector, delivering external affairs strategies for global and local organisations.

Mark Goldbridge is a pivotal figure in the online football content space, renowned for propelling The United Stand and That’s Football channels, to exceptional heights. As both the founder and charismatic face of the channels, he has amassed millions of subscribers, with his fervent enthusiasm, incisive analysis, and memorable catchphrases endearing him to football fans across the globe. Goldbridge’s distinct mix of humour, authentic fan sentiment, and astute observations have not only garnered a vast viewership on YouTube, where the channels have achieved over 1.4 billion views, but have also established him as a highly followed personality across various social media outlets.

Roser Queralto, the Deputy CEO of EuroLeague, boasts over 22 years in the sports industry, marked by her results-driven approach and strategic leadership. Integral to the league since 2000, Roser has been key in its growth, embracing dynamic changes and fostering its disruptive spirit. Her involvement and strategic vision have significantly shaped EuroLeague’s evolution, cementing its position as an innovative force in sports.

Azeem Rafiq is a former professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), Derbyshire County Cricket Club, and Lincolnshire County Cricket Club. In 2018, Azeem’s world changed forever. He lost his baby son, and soon after he also lost the career. While at YCCC, Azeem suffered racism and bullying. In 2020, he spoke out hoping to create change across the sport. His brave actions forced an overhaul of toxic culture and behaviour both present at YCCC and in the sport more widely. Azeem is keen to use his platform to campaign for meaningful change in sport and society.

David Clarke is aged 53 and hales from Wigan in North West England. Based on a sound academic footing, David developed a highly successful career in the banking sector spanning 24 years and an International Football career which has seen him represent Great Britain and England’s blind football team 144 times scoring a total of 128 goals. During 2018, David took a conscious decision to play an active role in the third sector following on from several non-executive positions held. In July 2018, he joined the RNIB as Director of Services where he was keenly focused on ensuring visually impaired people have access to the information, advice and guidance they need alongside providing consumer and Commercial services. David was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in February 2022. In March 2023, David was appointed as the first disabled CEO of the British Paralympic Association, a role that brings together his sporting, commercial and third sector skill set in to what he describes as a truly dream role. He is now keenly focused on leading best prepared teams in to the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and driving forward the social impact ambition of the organisation to create a better world for disabled people through sport.

Fiona is currently Commercial Director at the Ladies European Tour – a global professional golf tour involved in 30 tournaments in 20 countries across 5 continents, with €35m prize money attached. The LET is also responsible for staging European editions of the Solheim Cup. Her remit includes broadcast production, media rights, sponsorship, driving investment to improve player services and leading relationships with strategic agency partners.

Tony Pastor is the Co-Founder & CEO at Goalhanger Podcasts, renowned for producing engaging podcasts like ‘The Rest is Football’. Co-founding Goalhanger Podcasts in 2022 with Gary Lineker and Jack Davenport, the company quickly became a leading UK podcast producer. Pastor’s success is marked by over 12 million monthly downloads, a weekly audience exceeding 1.5 million, and a strong subscriber base.

Jason joined GBWR as CEO in September 2021 bringing with him extensive experience in high-performance and grassroots sports.

Formerly Head of Community and Grassroots Development for NFL International in London. Jason played professional American Football for the San Diego Chargers and held leadership roles in post-16 education including at Bolton Wanderers Academy.

He serves as the EMEA Chair of the advisory board for the Global Institute of Sport and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Greenwich for his sports contributions.

A marketing and communications specialist, with over ten years of experience across multiple sports & organisations. Tom has led Marketing, Ticketing, CRM, Digital, International Development and Media departments during his time with six current or former Premier League football clubs, a global sports education institution and now the World Snooker Tour.

Mark Sutcliffe was born at the Riverside Hospital to parents John and Florence, who were both immigrants to Canada. Mark has lived his whole life in Ottawa. He was elected Mayor of Ottawa on October 24, 2022.

Prior to entering municipal politics, Mark was an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, volunteer, and community activist.

For over 30 years, Mark covered politics and current events as a broadcaster for CFRA, CityNews, Rogers TV, and CPAC, and as executive editor and columnist for the Ottawa Citizen.

Mark started his first business when he was 19 years old. He co-founded the Ottawa Business Journal in 1995 and founded and led several other small and medium-sized businesses. He has been a coach, mentor, and adviser to more than one hundred CEOs, entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and not-for-profit leaders.

Mark has been a passionate volunteer and fundraiser. He served as chair of the board of United Way Ottawa, the Ottawa Board of Trade, OrKidstra, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa Community Housing Foundation, and Run Ottawa. He also served as board member for Algonquin College, Invest Ottawa, Kind Ottawa, the Ottawa International Writers Festival, and the Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation. His contribution to the city was recognized in 2016 when he was inducted into the Order of Ottawa and named the United Way’s Ambassador of the Year. In 2018, Mark delivered a highly regarded TEDx Talk about the role of luck in his life.

Mark is an avid marathon runner who has raised more than $250,000 for Ottawa charities with his fundraising runs. He is the author of four books, including Long Road to Boston, which chronicled his quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which he completed in 2015 and 2018. Mark and his wife Ginny have three children.

Mani joined The British Basketball League as Head of Broadcast in July 2022, building on a distinguished 12-year career within the sporting landscape. Having worked with renowned governing bodies and leagues such as The FA, ECB, Premier League and NHL, where she orchestrated the planning and coverage of sporting events in world-class venues in New York, Toronto and London. Having lived and worked in Toronto during the triumphant rise of the Raptors in 2019, she brings first-hand basketball experience to her strategic role at The League, where she focusses on optimizing audiences through renewed distribution and media rights opportunities. Mani is passionate about growing the awareness of British basketball both on and off the court by showcasing the league’s vibrant presence to a global audience through smart storytelling.

Sophie is a Senior Producer at Two Circles, a data-driven sports agency, working within their content studio team, producing multi-format video, including short-form, episodic, and branded content. She has worked with Wimbledon, the Premier League, EA Sports, ECB, World Rugby, The Jockey Club, The FA, and FIFPRO.

Sophie has a deep interest, subject knowledge, and experience in women’s football, having played at the Champions League level while studying at university. She has an excellent understanding of the women’s sports landscape and a passion for authenticity within the space.

Laura heads up the first Strategic Planning and Programmes function at SailGP, an international sailing competition that features high-performance F50 foiling catamarans, where teams compete around the globe in a season calendar. She has 10 years of experience delivering strategic projects and transformational change at leading sports organisations, including England Rugby, central government (DCMS), Formula E, Youth Sport Trust and London Youth Games. Laura is particularly passionate about using sport as a catalyst for driving positive change beyond the physical benefits including the implementation of sustainable practices, mental and social well-being, and youth development.

As the CEO of Dizplai, I lead a team of experts who create active and engaging content campaigns and solutions for brands and audiences across multiple channels and platforms. With over 20 years of experience in the content and product industry, I have a deep understanding of how to connect with consumers and deliver value for clients.

My passion is to innovate and explore new ways of creating and distributing content that is relevant, timely, and impactful. I have worked with some of the world’s leading brands and rights holders, such as Nike, Manchester United, ITV, and Stats Perform/DAZN, to develop and execute content and product strategies that enhance their brand experiences and drive growth. I have also successfully launched and scaled Dizplai into new markets and regions, leveraging my skills in marketing communications and business development.

Drew is the Chief Executive of British Swimming since May 2023, having been appointed to provide strong strategic and business leadership to take the organisation forward, on the back of hugely successful performances at the Tokyo 2020 Games and a busy and impactful series of competitions in 2022. Drew has more than two decades of management experience in sport – having worked with governing bodies, brands, broadcasters and agencies – and having worked with key stakeholders such as Olympic Games Organising Committees, the Rugby World Cup and the English Football League (EFL), as well as sport-specific sponsors ASICS and EA Sports.

Gemma is an award-winning sponsorship and marketing lead with 10 years’ experience, working with some of the world’s biggest brands, rightsholders and talent. She is a fully integrated client lead with extensive experience in football, motorsports, rugby, tennis and Olympics, spanning FMCG, retail and entertainment. Gemma is currently a Senior Client Director at MKTG Sports + Entertainment, heading up the Mondelez account, overseeing their global football partnership portfolio.

Siân is a management consultant with over twelve years’ experience in the consulting and sports industries. At The Sports Consultancy, Sian works with both host cities and rights holder to secure innovative and successful hosting partnerships.

Siân has worked with rights holders including World Rugby (Rugby World Cup), World Table Tennis (Portfolio of events), Interkultur (World Choir Games and European Choir Games), Red Bull (Cliff Diving and Ice Cross), World Athletics (World Indoors) and FIBA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) to secure new hosts.

On the other side of the rights holder relationship, Siân enjoys working with cities and event agencies to produce exciting and creative event strategies and before designing event calendar portfolios that put that strategy into practice.

Sian also works on creating compelling and successful bids and bid narratives for our city and national clients. Examples include FEI World Championships (Herning), World Choir Games (Flanders, Belgium) and Rugby League World Cup 2021 (England).

Prior to joining The Sports Consultancy in 2013, Siân worked at Deloitte in their Operations Consultancy practice, consulting both private and public sector clients on all aspects for the project lifecycle from strategy to delivery. Siân also spent two years working at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), where she helped create and deliver a readiness and testing programme involving a range of exercises across all venues.

Born in Brazil and raised in the United States and Spain, Arthur Guisasola has worked in the sports industry in the United States, Spain, Brazil and the United Kingdom. With previous experience as a sports editor for the North American edition of As.com and working as a social media manager for Atletico Madrid, Guisasola has been at TikTok since January 2019. He is currently the International Sports Partnerships Lead, where he oversees the strategic partnerships TikTok has with global sport properties, such as FIFA, IOC, UEFA. In 2022, he was selected by Forbes as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Sport & Games, as well as a Sport Industry Next Gen Leader.

Laura Cordingley is Chief Executive at Chance to Shine, an independent charity that uses cricket to change young people’s lives.

Chance to Shine works with over half a million young people every year, working in State Schools and Under-served communities to improve wellbeing and bring cricket to those who lack opportunities to take part. Since its inception Chance to Shine has worked with over 6 million participants, half of whom are girls.

Laura previously worked at the Mayor of London’s office as Assistant Director, responsible for Team London; volunteering and Sport across the Capital.
Laura’s earlier career roles include community development at MCC, where she developed and delivered the Club’s community engagement strategy and sports development roles at Durham City School Sports Partnership and Volleyball England. Laura previously played for her country at netball.

Laura is currently a Non-Executive Director on the Management Board at Surrey County Cricket Club.

Amar Singh is an accomplished marketeer with a track record in helping some of the world’s biggest brands connect with fans through the power of sport.

A strategic thinker with creative flair, Amar leads the content and comms division for MKTG, working closely with a range of clients including Workday, Cadbury, FedEx, Vodafone and Ketel One Vodka on bringing their partnerships to life.

Born in Dublin in Ireland, Glen Killane was educated at Trinity College Dublin where he gained a degree in English Literature and he holds a Masters degree in Journalism from Dublin City University.

Glen began his career as a sports journalist working in editorial positions for RTE and for ITV in London where he was editor of live football. He was Group Head of Sport for RTE from 2004 until 2010 and was elected as Vice Chair of the EBU Sport Committee.

Judd is the Head of Sports Fan Engagement at Genius Sports, having joined Genius as part of its acquisition of global leading fan engagement and digital gaming specialists, FanHub, in 2021. Judd has nearly 10 years experience working in product and commercial roles focused on helping sports federations, leagues and media companies better reach, engage, acquire and monetise their fans through innovative digital solutions. Some recent partnerships of note that Judd has overseen include FIFA, the IOC, News UK, European Tour, MotoGP and ECB.

In a world where creativity meets social impact, Maureen Rosita Ojong Ebob-Besong stands as a luminous presence. Maureen Rosita Ojong Ebob-Besong is a multifaceted artist, intrapreneur, and sports development expert who dances effortlessly between the realms of creativity and social impact.

Maureen Rosita has embarked on an exceptional professional journey that combines her passion for creativity with her commitment to sports and development. In 2019 for example She made her mark as the Director of Programs for the prestigious US-registered 503c NGO, the SEED (Sport for Education and Economic Development) project. For four remarkable years, she co-led initiatives that harnessed the power of sports to drive education and economic development, leaving a lasting impact on communities in Senegal and Africa. Previously and parallelly to this purpose driven journey, Maureen has collaborated and supported several international institutions and brands to deploy impact driven initiatives and programmes.

In 2022, Maureen Rosita embraced a new chapter in her career by joining the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an Olympism365 Manager. This role further solidified her dedication to promoting the transformative contributions of sports on a global scale. With unwavering passion, she contributes invaluable insights to the IOC; is Olympism365 work, enriching their efforts to cultivate Olympism beyond the games and ensure its impact is felt throughout the year on a global scale.

James Torvaney joined Pulse Sports, a part of the global Ringier Sports Media Group, in September 2021, following 8 years of experience as a consultant and entrepreneur across multiple industries in Europe and Africa.

Tammy Parlour MBE co-founded Women’s Sport Trust in 2012 and leads the organisation as CEO. Tammy works with leaders from across sport, media and business to understand how to practically raise visibility, increase impact and create a stronger women’s sport ecosystem. She was awarded an MBE in the New Year 2019 Honours List for services to gender equality in sport. Tammy is a Master in the Korean martial art of Hapkido, having practiced for over 40 years. She set up her own Hapkido and meditation school in the early 90s and still coaches regularly. Tammy holds an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, and post-graduate study into Applied Sport Psychology. With an interest in women’s football, she also volunteers as a Board Director for AFC Wimbledon Women FC.

As Senior Director of Creative for EMEA at Getty Images & iStock, Jacqueline heads up a team of researchers, art directors and curators, responsible for producing visual insights and imagery and video creation used in award-winning advertising, design and editorial. Jacqueline’s work involves continually providing fresh, regionally relevant creative content and insights under Getty Images’ VisualGPS offering which engages and inspires creatives and marketers.

Jacqueline’s expertise covers fields such as advertising, cinema, social networks and press. A former Director of Art and Photography, Jacqueline is a media communications graduate with 20 years’ experience working in academia, advertising and media.

Nadia Kokni was appointed as Hugo Boss’ SVP Global Marketing & Comms in December 2022, and leads the legacy brand’s marketing initiatives on a global scale. Prior to Hugo Boss, she held a distinguished role as CMO of JD Sports Fashion. With over a decade of experience in marketing, Kokni has been instrumental in catalysing change and executing excellence within matrix organisations. Her career holds a track record of delivering results for esteemed brands which include Tommy Hilfiger, H&M and Adidas. Her expertise lies in strategic brand building, marketing management, PR, and communications planning & creation.

Sarah has 25 years in sport sponsorship and has spent seven years at Fuse in senior leadership roles, before being named Managing Director of the UK agency in 2021. During her tenure, she has spearheaded major new business wins, established new revenue-driving divisions and the led the agency’s restructure. Passionate about the impact of sports on communities, Sarah drove campaigns addressing societal issues such as gender inequality in sports and has recently joined the ‘Football Beyond Borders’ development committee, inspiring disengaged youth through football. She has also been named in the PR Week Power Book for the past two years.

Joanna’s career began in adolescent and adult mental health services and progressed to teaching, which formed the basis of her objective to work with and for young people who face health barriers. She ran various national initiatives to improve children’s health and well-being, and worked as part of the national Healthy Schools Programme.

Joanna now focuses on promoting and training adults on PSHE, well-being and health in schools and other organisations on a national level – alongside various aligned workstreams, including Sport In Mind, her business, Clean Well-Being, where she teaches therapeutic exercise, and as a director of an outdoor learning charitable organisation.

Thomas is a serial entrepreneur and innovator. He has a strong track record of creating successful companies, including Last.FM and Jumio.com. Currently, he is the founder and CEO of Snapscreen, a mobile platform that allows viewers to take a Snap of live sports events on TV to instantly access event-related search results and sponsored e-commerce offerings. With his extensive experience in innovation and strategic leadership, Thomas has created thousands of jobs and made significant contributions to the tech industry in the UK and abroad. He is also an accomplished ocean sailor and holds certifications in various fields. Thomas holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Birkbeck College, University of London.

Digital soccer media company Copa90 hired Kate McGregor in 2020 as its head of client services, in 2022 she was promoted to managing director of partnerships. McGregor arrives from the Inkling Culture & Entertainment agency, where she was business director.

Lydia is the founder of professional services consultancy, Triple Crown Consulting. TCC provides broadcasters, sports organisations and rights holders with support on content distribution and IP monetisation strategies. TCC also provides commercial management support for large scale distribution projects, JVs, M&As and channel/OTT launches.
Lydia is a former lawyer with over 20 years’ experience across sports, broadcast and OTT. Prior to setting up TCC, Lydia held the role of SVP Commercial Partnerships, EMEA at Warner Bros Discovery where she led the development of Discovery’s commercial partnerships across its sports and factual channels and its D2C products, discovery+ and Eurosport Player.

Murray has over 25 years’ commercial experience in sports media, marketing & sponsorship worldwide. Starting his career at a couple of International Pay TV operations, Murray transitioned into sports working for international broadcasters, agencies, and sporting bodies. He has had a variety of commercial roles at NBA, ISL, ESPN, World Rugby, and Formula 1.

Murray has also worked with some of the biggest sports brands including Rugby World Cup, FIFA, ATP, FIBA, NHL, and European Football Leagues in various commercial capacities. In March 2020 he started specialist consultancy 26West Sports, advising rights owners on commercial sports strategies covering media, sponsorship, and events. D2C Sport is his second new business.

Thomas Plessis has worked across the value chain in sports and media industries. Currently spearheading sales at ScorePlay in Europe, he leverages his expertise in digital marketing & broadcasting strategies, and the media supply chain to drive growth. His tenure at Globecast made him an expert in rights management and broadcast. At Origins Digital, he played a pivotal role in aiding premier sports institutions, including FIFA and Roland Garros, to enhance their digital presence, fan engagement, and revenue streams. In his spare time, Thomas acts as President for Jeanne d’Arc De Biarritz, a semi-professional football club in the South West of France, bringing his experience as he grows the club from the ground up.

Uri leads WSC Sports’ business development in the UK, responsible for building, managing, and executing business strategy in the region. Working closely with the leading teams, leagues, federations, broadcasters and OTTs , Uri advises on digital strategy and digital transformation, showcasing how WSC Sports can maximize the value and utilization of their media rights, drive new revenue streams, strengthen their brand and innovate fan experiences.

George started his career at The Cricketer. Having written for The Guardian and The Times, he then spent 10 years as the senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. He rejoined The Cricketer in 2021.

David has a unique background across the worlds of Venture Vapital, Marketing, Digital Media and Sport.

David spent the early part of his career at Eurosport Television and went to work at companies including, Queens Park Rangers FC, Templewood Merchant Bank and Outer Capital (Family Office).

In May 2014 David co-founded Hatch-House, a Venture Consultancy specialising in emerging trends and technologies, and over the past few years secured partnerships with the likes of the UEFA Champions League and Anthony Joshua.

In 2023, David was invited to join Greenfish to transform the way media and sports companies store, publish and monetise content, utilising next-generation, Web3 and blockchain technologies.

Thomas is a serial entrepreneur and innovator. He has a strong track record of creating successful companies, including Last.FM and Jumio.com. Currently, he is the founder and CEO of Snapscreen, a mobile platform that allows viewers to take a Snap of live sports events on TV to instantly access event-related search results and sponsored e-commerce offerings. With his extensive experience in innovation and strategic leadership, Thomas has created thousands of jobs and made significant contributions to the tech industry in the UK and abroad. He is also an accomplished ocean sailor and holds certifications in various fields. Thomas holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Birkbeck College, University of London.

Claire Poole is the Founder & CEO at Sport Positive Summit. She has spent over a decade in London and New York working on communications campaigns and global events strategies to engage audiences and amplify impact. The last seven years of this has been spent specialising in sustainability and climate change as well as sport. She launched this meeting in 2015 during COP21 and has since worked towards connecting people and opportunities at the nexus of sport and it’s power in the fight against climate change.

Aileen McManamon is the Founder and Managing Partner of 5T Sports Group, a sports management consultancy focused on creating triple bottom line impact for professional sports leagues, teams and marquee events. Her start in the auto industry set the wheels in motion for a career crafting top-performing partnerships between brands and sports properties. Her field of play has included the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Nürburgring Classic, Winter Olympic Games, Minor League Baseball, the NFL, Major League Soccer and numerous skiing World Cups. On the sponsor side, she has worked with global brands including FIAT, Alfa Romeo, General Motors, Molson, EA Sports, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Hewlett Packard. Aileen is passionate about leveraging sports for sustainable development, and has delivered economic legacy programs, most recently for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2015 Canada Winter Games. She is an also an ongoing advocate for diversity and inclusion in sports. Aileen holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Kent State (Ohio) and a Master’s of International Business from the University of South Carolina that led her to work in Germany, Italy, the US and now Canada. She is a native of Cleveland, Ohio; a diehard Indians, Browns and Cavs fan and lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and 2 sons.

Matt Rogan is a well-known and respected figure in the sports business, latterly as the co-founder of Two Circles, the fastest growing sports agency in the UK over the last decade. The business grew from Matt’s kitchen table to work with five of the six biggest sports events in the world, as well as many British household names.

Matt now writes, teaches and also presents a podcast series for sports industry-leading media company SportsPro as well as several international Business Schools. He has been published by Harvard Business Review, and has featured on the likes of BBC News, BBC Sport, MTV and CNN among many more. MTV isn’t a typo – he was Sponsorship Director there for four years, a brief foray into his other great love of music.

Aditya has over 2 decades of industry experience, leading product businesses. Prior to founding Factoreal, he was the EVP and CTO at Comviva Technologies, a leader in mobility solutions. Before that he was leading the Email Security Portfolio for Cisco globally. He started off his career at Siemens Communications (now Nokia), developing carrier grade products for 3rd and 4th generation telecom networks. Having launched multiple successful products to the market, Aditya’s mantra is “Innovate to Simplify”.

Colleen Tomlinson, a Toronto native, is pursuing her master’s at Emlyon Business School in Sports Industry Management. A football enthusiast, she is motivated by two objectives: advancing the future of sports through innovation and promoting gender equality in a predominantly male-dominated industry, alongside advocating for sustainability in sports.

Santiago Peña Gomez is the Head of Sustainability of WRC Promoter, commercial rights holder of the FIA World Rally Championship. His career combining sports and sustainability started at the International Olympic Committee, where he worked with different International Sports Federations and National Olympic Committees on their top sustainability initiatives. Afterwards, Santiago worked as the Federation Internationale de l´automobile (FIA)´s Sustainable Mobility Programmes Manager, overseeing various projects, such as the Smart Cities Programme using Formula E as a platform. Santiago is a trained IP Lawyer with experience leading trademark prosecution matters.

Courtney Jeffries is a recovering sports executive-turned-start-up CEO. Courtney spent 15+ years in sports as an executive for organizations including the Oakland Raiders, Pac-12, and Madison Square Garden (Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty). She later joined Satisfi Labs, to run revenue and eventually became its COO. She is now the CEO of VRTL (Techstars ‘22) – the first enterprise white-labeled virtual venue of fandom for entertainment brands. She holds a Master’s in Sport Management (USF), is a member of the Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment committee (NSF), and an Advisory Board Member for Minorities in Sports.

Sherif Hassan, UEFA Diploma holder in Strategic Communications, leads digital operations at the Confederation Africaine de Football. With 15+ years’ experience in digital marketing, content creation, and online newsrooms, he drives CAF’s strategic direction. Dedicated to enhancing fan engagement and promoting African football globally, Sherif pioneers innovative initiatives. Committed to digital excellence and collaboration, he ensures CAF remains a leader in sports governance.

Dan joined IMG in 2022 to lead the digital transformation of Rugby League as part of the 12-year joint venture with the sport. Previously he worked at We Are Social creating inclusive comms that drove brand and athlete relevance through social.

Dan helped drive athlete-centred advertising for Adidas, Gatorade and Vodafone as part of their sports sponsorship activations–most notably the Adidas Euro 202ONE campaign, Vodafone 2021 British Lions Tour Phone and the 2022 Run For The Oceans sustainability campaign.

He has also co-written a report on how brands should deal with racism in sport on social media and has authored other thought leadership centring on how brands can work to protect athletes and individuals they’re working with in a febrile and at times poisonous social climate.

Shebahn Aherne, a Dublin native, is a prominent sports broadcaster celebrated for her dynamic presence and insightful analysis. With a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, she swiftly rose through the ranks, showcasing her talent on platforms like DAZN and TalkSport.

Urs Aebischer is the CEO at Diseo, a decentralized ecosystem of interconnected social platforms of brands and organizations where users exclusively control their data and earn from it. Urs is also the co-founder and CEO at Swiss Impulse Group, which focuses on disruptive digital media. He has a background in Physics.

Urs has always been one to search out new ideas. Back in 1995, when he was getting his PhD in Atmospheric Physics at the ETH, he was one of the first people to have an email address. In today’s world of ubiquitous social media networks, Urs (as well as many others) has identified a problem: people’s data is being harvested, used and monetized by third parties, without people ever receiving any sort of compensation for the value they provide. Urs does not believe we can legislate our way out of this; the social dilemma requires a solution built from the ground up.

Jonas Oliveira is an esteemed leader in the realm of content creation, serving as the Head of Content at the International Paralympic Committee. With a passion for storytelling and a dedication to amplifying the voices of Paralympic athletes worldwide, Oliveira spearheads innovative strategies that captivate and inspire audiences. His expertise lies in leveraging digital platforms to showcase the resilience, triumphs, and diversity within the Paralympic movement, fostering greater inclusivity and understanding.

Scott Melvin is a visionary entrepreneur, currently serving as the CEO & Co-Founder of Buzz 16. With a relentless drive for innovation, Melvin leads his team in revolutionizing the digital marketing landscape. Under his guidance, Buzz 16 thrives as a cutting-edge platform, offering dynamic solutions that empower brands to connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. Melvin’s strategic acumen and commitment to excellence propel Buzz 16 towards unparalleled success, shaping the future of online engagement.

Tim Edwards joined TikTok in September 2020 and leads athlete partnerships for TikTok across the UK. With over ten years of experience working across the sports industry, Tim has an established track record in helping athletes and individuals unlock audience growth and brand expansion and has worked on some of the biggest events in sport globally – Including the FIFA World Cup, European Championships, Olympic Games, Wimbledon and Six Nations.

Prior to working at TikTok, Tim led talent and partnerships for Sport Relief and spent six years as an agent for YMU Group. A fan of all sports, Tim cycles nearly as badly as he skis and has suffered supporting Sunderland AFC his whole life.

Edward Meekins is the Chief Strategy Officer for Cogny where he leads the company’s business strategy, growth strategy, go-to-market approach, end-to-end deal process, and facilitates strategic partnerships. In this role, he has helped Cogny extend to Canada, Ireland, England, and currently expanding to new markets. He previously served as Customer Strategy Director at Salesforce, playing an integral role in the Communications, Media, and Technology (CMT) where he led a first-of-its-kind market development program to help Salesforce extend their product offering for Professional Sports Teams supporting over 50 sports teams across 5 leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS) in just 6 months generating over $5M in contract value.

From leading partnerships at RYOT, Verizon’s mixed reality division, to founding Trickshot, Simon has been at the forefront of AR and VR innovation. Now, he’s working with the likes of the NBA, the Australian Open, and ESPN to leverage 3D sports data and create the future of fan engagement.

Graduate of Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw School of Economics & CEMS Master in International Management, at ReSpo.Vision for over 3.5 years now. Responsible for developing & executing the product roadmap, overseeing system development processes, building relationships with clients and partners, and exploring new business opportunities.

With over a decade’s worth of experience in the sports digital and broadcast markets, Adam has drawn on this experience to led on and deliver key digital transformation projects for the benefit of the sport including athlete and fan engagement focussed projects around rugby.

Heading up the Broadcast function at RL Commercial enables Adam to assist in furthering the reach of the sport through a local and international set of broadcasters as well as driving RL Commercial’s global D2C OTT service.

Away from Sport, Adam spends his free time with his family as well as running a speciality small batch coffee roastery, based in Yorkshire.

With a career spanning over 15 years in golf media production, Tom Jackson has led critical campaigns for leading industry organizations including PGA TOUR, Ryder Cup Europe and The European Tour group. He has created numerous successful, award-winning media campaigns that have driven branded content, recognition and viral publicity for the organisations he has worked within.

Currently in his role as Director, Ryder Cup Productions, his focus remains on building and increasing brand recognition and build branding equity in new and existing territories. He also oversees the development and execution of the Ryder Cup Europe digital platform strategy, roadmap and delivery programme.
Previously, Tom was responsible for the creation and development of original & branded content teams within the European Tour.

Bhavesh Patel is the Global Digital Director of beIN MEDIA GROUP, the leading independent global media group and one of the foremost sports and entertainment networks in the world.

Bhavesh, who is based in Paris, is responsible for finding the latest and best ways of delivering beIN’s unrivalled array of entertainment, live sport and major international events to customers and followers across the world. He is currently building beIN’s next generation global OTT platform, as well as driving innovation across the group.

Before this role with beIN, Bhavesh was an OTT advisor for CBS All-Access International and Verizon Go90; headed up Betfair’s US horserace and casino wagering business; and led the launch of FOX Soccer Match Pass and NBA International League Pass.

As Customer Success Chief at Tiparra, Mike has made it his mission to build meaningful relationships between sports properties and fans. Tiparra is a platform that provides engagement and event experiences for fans of any sport, from a local grassroots level to internationally renowned sports properties.

Starting out in technical fields such as PCB design, he discovered a need for clear communication about technology for a wider audience. This sparked a 20-year career in Learning & Development as a designer, communicator, and analyst. Prior to his role at Tiparra, Mike managed his own learning business, The Learning Deli, with a client list that included many Australian Government departments and industry leaders such as Smart Communications.

Originally from the Netherlands, he ventured out to Australia in 1999 and made it his home. Honouring his Dutch heritage, he does still prefer chocolate sprinkles over Vegemite.

James Hodge is the Chief Executive Officer at Tiparra, a sports tech company providing a fan engagement platform and digitally augmented live event experiences for sports as diverse as Rugby Union, Ice Hockey, and Australian Calisthenics.

Prior to Co-Founding Tiparra amid the pandemic James spent 22 years as Founder and CEO of Fyshh, pioneering innovations in the social media and mobile applications space. Fyshh developed the very first social networking application aimed at the LGBTIQ+ market, leveraging the then newly created 18+ App Store category and paving the way for industry names like Grindr. James grew the company to develop social media and fan engagement applications for Extreme Sports Athletes sponsored by Oakley/Arnette, as well as social media applications for NBC Universal, Billabong and Verisign.

James has Bachelor’s degrees in Information Technology and Economics from the Australian National University. He is an established speaker at international digital media and software development conferences and a published freelance writer for Evo Australia magazine.

Emma Paton is a multi-sport journalist and presenter at Sky Sports and Sky Sports News, working across both digital platforms and broadcast television. Emma first joined Sky Sports in 2012 as a journalist and has worked in a variety of roles across digital, production, and on-screen. She has been the lead presenter of Sky Sports’ darts coverage since 2020, including hosting the PDC World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace on Sky Sports.

Maria Malinkowitsch, Director Product Management beat Verimatrix, boasts extensive expertise in video distribution and product management.
Born in the USSR to a family of human rights activists and raised in Germany, Maria’s background includes studies in German and English literature and a stint as an assistant professor at Kiev State University. Shifting gears into political analysis, she worked with political foundations and NGOs, primarily focusing on Eastern Europe.
After spending some time in France, Maria returned to her hometown Munich and embarked on a media industry career spanning over 13 years at SES, a global video satellite distribution leader. There she oversaw the video distribution portfolio, covering satellite capacity, encryption, encoding, uplink, and OTT streaming services. In 2022, Maria joined Verimatrix, leading the Antipiracy portfolio, driving secure video delivery worldwide through Streamkeeper MultiDRM, Watermarking and Counterspy.
Maria’s passion lies in ensuring secure video delivery globally

Andy has a global publishing and media career spanning the last 30 years with extensive experience in Europe, Australia, Asia and the USA.

He is an alumni of the Stanford University Professional Publishing Course. For the last 20 years, he has worked exclusively in the football media industry, holding senior positions for FourFourTwo, DAZN and now Footballco, leading his teams to multiple industry awards in that time. In his current role, Andy leads Footballco’s partnerships with football federations, leagues, clubs and players globally.

Charlie is co-owner of Charlton Athletic FC and a former co-owner of Sunderland AFC, as well as having been a high-level strategy consultant across the football, horse-racing and motor-racing industries.

Educated at Oxford University, he started his career as a journalist, spending ten years at the Daily Telegraph before entering the Marketing and Communications world. His main expertise is sports commerce, and over the decade has overseen numerous award-winning and record-setting campaigns.

I am a current Masters Student at Columbia University in New York. While following classes, I work for FOX Sports as a Freelance Digital Media Specialist. In this role, I’ve focused on helping FOX Sports in their digital strategy and brand identity regarding the United Football League and the Women’s World Cup in 2023. In the past, I have interned for the San Francisco 49ers, PUMA, and the Boston Bruins Foundation.

Tim came to digital media via a background in journalism and broadcast. In recent years working with HBS, he has rolled out digital projects for eight global sporting events, focusing on event-time and 365 content for social media platforms, as well as influencer and community activations. Currently living in Berlin, he is a self-described obsessive when it comes to exploring how fans disrupt traditional sports storytelling.

Danny has over 20 years’ experience in the digital and mobile sector. He has worked with MNO’s globally and some of the biggest sporting brands including both Manchester clubs. Having spent the last few years working at SportsVision he has been instrumental in driving the direction of the development of the MatchVision suite of products.

Mark has worked at the Football Association of Ireland since 2008 and was appointed as League of Ireland Director in 2020. A graduate of University College Dublin, Mark is an experienced sports industry professional, UEFA ‘A’ Licenced coach and former Performance Analyst with the Republic of Ireland U19 team. The League of Ireland underwent a full re-branded in 2023 and is currently experiencing unprecedented growth with attendances, TV coverage, and social media following, at an all time high. The League operates its own streaming service, LOITV, and the development of the platform has been crucial to the League’s recent rise in popularity.

Chris currently oversees the delivery of wimbledon.com. the Wimbledon mobile apps and other digital activations for Wimbledon. This includes defining the overall product strategy and roadmap for products used to enhance the experience for a broad range of users, from players to fans around the world. He is the Wimbledon lead on the innovation workstream working with Official Technology Partners IBM to enhance the experience of fans, including introducing generative AI commentary on highlights in 2024. He also leads other digital engagement work including the WimbleWorld experience in Roblox, Race to Wimbledon in Fortnite and digital collectables/artwork

Jim is a Principal Consultant for Nature Positive, part of the RSK Group, who works to integrate sustainability into the heart of client organisations. With substantial multi-sector experience, including sports and leisure, construction, manufacturing, forestry and chemicals, he understands the environmental issues that are material to business and helps organisations understand their impacts and dependencies on the natural world. Jim supports the development of sustainability strategies, assessments and targets, with a focus on proactive, tangible actions to generate positive change.

Founded by Markus in Munich in 2005, UnitedSenses has become one of the leading creative agencies for sports and media branding. Building on 10 years in creative roles at advertising and broadcast networks, he is focused on his passions for branding and sports. UnitedSenses has since created motion identities in over 30 countries for brands such as FIBA, UEFA, IBU, DTM, CAF, FC BAYERN …

Markus is an enthusiastic cyclist, surfer, x-country skier, and vintage car racer.
See his work here: https://unitedsenses.tv/work/sport-showreel-2/

Levellr helps organizations across sport, music, and consumer brands build community and generate revenue on community platforms like Discord. Discord is the modern day fan forum: over one third of Gen Z call Discord their platform of choice and over two thirds of Gen Z come to Discord for a sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘community’. Levellr helps rights holders who want to capture Gen Z fans — the generation with the largest lifetime value — meet these fans where they already are.

Farah is a master’s student currently pursuing a degree in Sport and Entertainment Management. A freelance researcher and consultant, she is also a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, which has driven her focus on the global politics of sport. Her areas of interest include social justice in sport, particularly barriers and inclusivity for marginalized groups like refugees and underrepresented women, the politics of hosting major sporting events, and their socio-economic and environmental impacts on host nations.

Sports industry executive Sharon Fuller in January 2023 joined the National Basketball Association as associate vice-president of content and social in Europe and the Middle East.

She is the former Chief Content Officer at the eSkootr Championship and was previously Global Head of Central Content at Red Bull Media House and Editor at BBC Sport. She has been involved in innovation and tech-driven development in sports broadcasting throughout her career and she and teams she has overseen have won multiple awards for innovation in sports coverage.

As a senior editor of soccer at The Athletic, Emily Olsen helps oversee a team of writers covering the sport around the world. She has covered the sport in the United States since 2015 in a variety of roles, focusing on community and coverage innovation. She previously worked as an assistant editor at USA TODAY Sports and spent time producing daily audio shows for SiriusXM’s 24-hour soccer channel.

Leon has worked in sport and media for more than 20 years. In that time, he has collaborated with some of the most decorated athletes of a generation and worked on several documentaries with leading broadcasters in the UK.

Among his most celebrated work, he directed and produced the critically acclaimed BBC film, Usain Bolt: ‘The Fastest Man Who Has Ever Lived’. He also made the Can Anyone Beat Bolt? documentary ahead of the London 2012 Summer Olympics for BBC Three.

Leon has been the England football reporter and also covered the European Championships for ITV Sport. As a presenter, he has fronted the BBC’s Boxing coverage and was a feature TV reporter at the London Olympics.

In 2013, Leon collaborated with professional footballer Jermain Defoe as the interviewer on the striker’s highly praised ITV Life Story television documentary, which took film crews to St. Lucia, in the Caribbean, and Defoe’s childhood home in east London. In 2015, ITV invited Leon to facilitate interviews with retired professional footballer Andrew Cole to feature in the former Manchester United striker’s own Life Story episode.

Growing up in rural New Zealand, Liv Mackay’s relationship with the ocean started at the age of nine, learning to sail at Napier Sailing Club. Moving to Auckland to pursue an Olympic Campaign in the Nacra 17 class, Liv has won the U23 World Champs, RedBull Foiling Generation and completed a degree in Accounting and International Business.

Liv joined the New Zealand SailGP Team in 2019 following a women’s invitational which saw six of New Zealand’s best compete for a spot with the Kiwi crew during their inaugural SailGP season. Liv has been a key member of the team since, racing throughout the last two seasons in the role of Strategist or ‘helm assist.’ Liv has been integral to event wins in Plymouth, Denmark and Singapore.

In 2022, Liv took up the role of Skipper for the Live Ocean Racing Team, leading a stellar line up of Kiwi talent on their first-ever campaign, the 2022 ETF26 Grand Prix – a five-event foiling series based in France and Italy. A proud ocean champion representing Live Ocean on the world stage, Liv is currently skippering the team on their second ETF campaign.