Born in Madrid in 1973, he holds a Bachelor Degree of Engineering in Telecommunications from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
He has worked in technical design, support management and team management in the broadcast and audiovisual sector, managing projects for the largest Spanish media networks and production companies.
He started his career in software development companies focused on virtual reality environments. From 2000 to 2016 he worked for Mediapro, first as Broadcast Projects Director, and from 2009, he led the technical teams for support and project development at ATRESMEDIA, the leading audiovisual network in Spain.
Since 2016, he has worked at Atlético de Madrid, first as Technology Director, leading the design, construction and deployment of all the state-of-the-art technologies at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium, and later as IT and Digital Development Director, driving all the digital transformation and innovation initiatives at the club.
During his tenure at Atlético, he has led projects such as the highest technical responsibility of the UEFA Champions League ’19 Final, among others.
MeettheleadersjoiningWFSEurope2024!
Speakers
WFS Europe 2024
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René Abril
IT and Digital Development Director - Club Atlético de Madrid
IT and Digital Development Director – Club Atlético de Madrid
René Abril
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Xavier Agusti
Business Developement Director - CaixaBank Payments & Consumer
Business Development Director – CaixaBank Payments & Consumer
Xavier Agusti
Leader in management, commercial drive, transformation projects and network/partnership development in several industries.
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Yacine Alaoui
Director Strategy & Development - OGC Nice
Director Strategy & Development – OGC Nice
Yacine Alaoui
Overview of club’s strategic projects and transformation plan
10+ years experience in football industry -
Hammad Albalawi
Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup™ 2034 bid unit - Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup™ 2034 bid unit at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation – Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Hammad Albalawi
Hammad Albalawi is an experienced leader in the sports and tourism sectors committed to serving Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation as part of Vision 2030. He currently heads up the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup™ 2034 bid unit at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). He leads a team across all functions set out to achieve Saudi Arabia’s dreams of hosting the largest-ever edition of a 48-team FIFA World Cup™ held in a single nation. The bid recently revealed details of its ambition to host the iconic global football event, held under the slogan ‘Growing. Together.’ Albalawi previously held the role of Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning & Investment at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport. He oversaw both the strategy and investment departments at a time of incredible development for the sports sector. He led a team that helped formulate the Kingdom’s ambitious National Sports Strategy, built on three core pillars – mass participation, talent development and elite performance. The role also included working closely with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League to develop the National Football Strategy, a long-term transformative approach to all areas of the Saudi game. On the investment side, Hammad led the privatization initiative of state-owned sports assets for the very first time, which included implementing regulatory and policy changes aimed at making the sector more attractive to local and foreign investors. The project also included helping support realizing a return on investment for numerous sports federation’s intellectual property (IP), such as the Formula 1® Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while assisting on engagement with the private sector, including the sale of naming rights and establishing new commercial opportunities.
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Patricia Andreu Candau
Head of International Strategy - Sevilla FC
Head of International Strategy – Sevilla FC
Patricia Andreu Candau
Professional with more than 8 years of experience in digital marketing and product management, specialized in the creation and execution of effective strategies. In my current role, I lead projects that seek to expand our presence globally, combining my passion for sport with my analytical skills. My career includes prominent positions as Senior Product Manager and Digital Media Executive, where I have honed my skills in project management, market analysis and innovative product development. I am committed to continuous improvement and adaptation to market trends, which allows me to bring significant value to each initiative in which I participate.
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Carlota Aparici Ejarque
International Expansion Director - UD Las Palmas
Internation Expansion Director – UD Las Palmas
Carlota Aparici Ejarque
I am specialist in sport management with great interest. I am sport management degree and law degree graduate with a strong desire to work in international sports areas, I was working in a sport media as assistant ,Euroleague Basketball brand partnership area , football teams communication and marketing without economical resources, Chinese football consultancy and financial advisor, and technological digital areas new projects development and i was working in Club deportivo Castello, Real Valladolid, FC Andorra and actually i am working in UD Las Palmas. I am leadership team with an experienced and accomplished marketing professional known for breakthrough results. As Sport Company’s worker since 2015, I direct all phases of both the creative and technical elements of marketing initiatives including data mining, brand creation, print/Web collateral development, lead generation, channel partner cultivation, customer segmentation/profiling, international sponsors accounts, project development as well as CRM and acquisition strategies.
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Xisela Aranda Núñez
Consejera - Real Club Celta de Vigo
Consejera – Real Club Celta de Vigo
Xisela Aranda Núñez
Xisela Aranda Núñez, nacida en Vigo, es consejera del RC Celta desde diciembre de 2023. Licenciada en Dirección de Empresas por la Universidad Intercontinental de la Empresa y en Dirección de Marketing y Gestión Comercial por la ESIC Business & Marketing School, actualmente lidera el proyecto de As Celtas dentro de la entidad celeste. Cuenta con una larga trayectoria deportiva en diferentes disciplinas. En Squash, ha sido siete veces campeona de España, seis veces campeona de la Copa de España, once veces campeona gallega y ha representado a la selección española en más de 20 ocasiones repartidas en diferentes campeonatos europeos y mundiales. Por otro lado, como futbolista profesional, jugó en el Fundación CD Tenerife durante cuatro temporadas (2019-2023), donde fue capitana y logró tres ascensos. Con una fuerte capacidad de liderazgo y motivación, Xisela es la fundadora de Way of Life y destaca también como conferenciante.
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Rayde Luis Baez
Founder - The Connect
Founder & Chief Connections Builder – The Connect
Rayde Luis Baez
Dominican economist, relocated to Spain, with almost two decades fully dedicated to the sports & entertainment industry. Founded and runs an international partnerships & business strategy advisory firm, under his own vision and brand called The Connect, from where he serves as Strategic Advisor to different companies, like Euroleague Basketball, Rakuten Inc., and Palladium Hotel Group, to name a few. Also co-founded and is a Managing Partner of SPORTHINK, a specialized advisory firm focused in investment capital sourcing for sports entities that seek financing and investment into technological transformation activities. Has been the Managing Director of an international sports marketing agency, leading business development for Southern Europe and the Americas, while handling the agency operations in the Iberian Peninsula. Previously, was part of the leadership structure of Euroleague Basketball in its marketing partnerships department, while also undertaking the strategic direction of the league’s digital business, and content marketing operations, creating award winning branded content and activation projects.
Member of the World Football Summit Advisory Board, and the Mentorship Board of the Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft.
Throughout his career has worked in commercial and activation projects with Euroleague Basketball, MotoGP, the NBA and some of its franchises, some of the top Major League Baseball franchises, LaLiga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the World Surf League, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Valencia CF, and several other sports properties. On the brand partnership building and activation side, has worked and continues to have a working relationship with decision makers at some of the renowned global brands in the space, namely TAG Heuer, BMW, Santander Bank, Red Bull, TIDAL, New Balance, Turkish Airlines, Adidas, 2K Sports, Nike, Spalding, New Era Cap, and The Upper Deck Company, etc.
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Jean-Baptiste Alliot
CSO & Co-Founder - LaSource
Deputy Manager – Prisa-Diario AS
Jean-Baptiste Alliot
Jean-Baptiste has worked in the sport industry for the past 10 years across multiple positions which lead him to drive the innovation strategy within UEFA and set up the UEFA Innovation Hub. Among his responsibilities as chief strategy officer at LaSource, he is now in charge of supporting sports organisations and LaSource’s partners to define and implement innovation, business and investment strategies as well as strategic collaborations to drive value and access new business opportunities. He continues to closely follow start-ups, technology and trends in the sport world and provide LaSource’s start-ups with extensive knowledge and tailor made support. Finally, as part of LaSource’s activities, he works closely with rights holders (leagues, clubs, federations, etc.) on their digital, data and media rights strategy in a view of maximising business opportunities while best servicing the members of such organisations.
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Mayur Bhanji
Chief Communications Officer - Raiola Global Management
Chief Communications Officer – Raiola Global Management
Mayur Bhanji
Mayur has close to two-decades of experience as a broadcaster and in the PR & Communications space. In this time Mayur has worked across the Middle East and North Africa region, South East Asia, India and across Europe for many leading organisations such as the BBC, beIN SPORTS, LaLiga and Sky Sports.
Currently Mayur leads PR, Communications and Media Relations for Raiola Global Management, supporting many of the leading athletes from the world of football. -
Chad Biagini
President - Nolan Partners
President – Nolan Partners
Chad Biagini
Serves as the global President of Nolan Partners, the world’s leading retained executive search firm for sports, media, and entertainment. The firm specializes in recruiting board members, C-level executive , and Vice Presidents for the top clubs, leagues, federations, broadcasters, gaming developers, sports bettors, and brands.
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David Bley
Digital Business Manager - RCD Espanyol de Barcelona
Digital Business Manager – RCD Espanyol de Barcelona
David Bley
Digital Business Manager of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona. More than 10 years in the sports industry, leading communication, marketing, and digital projects.
MBA in Digital Business, Master in Corporate Communication, and Degree in Journalism.
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Koen Bosma
Partner - Apex
Partner – Apex
Koen Bosma
Former professional football player turned VC Investor, investing with elite athletes in sports, media & entertainment
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Michael Broughton
Partner - Acceleration Equity
Partner – Acceleration Equity
Michael Broughton
For over two decades Michael has worked across the top levels of sports, media, and technology. In addition to his role as an OTT Sports principal and co-host, he is also a partner at Acceleration Equity, based in London.
He has served as a senior executive at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, responsible for its strategic relationships and investment strategy with big data and tech companies globally, while also supporting its emerging Gaming and eSports group.
Previously he served as founding MD at Sports Investment Partners, Europe’s first sports industry-focused investment vehicle.
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Jesus Bueno
Managing Director, Iberia - Legends
Managing Director, Iberia – Legends
Jesús Bueno
Chus Bueno is the Managing Director, Iberia for Legends International. He joined the company in October 2022, and oversees the development and implementation of Legends’ unique 360-degree platform of services in Spain.
Chus has more than 25 years of global experience in professional sports management and entertainment across all business disciplines. Before joining Legends, Chus held executive positions at the NBA for 12 years, most recently in the role of Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to the NBA, he was the Managing Director of the Spanish Basketball Federation in Spain, organising the Eurobasket 2007 in Spain, as well as the Managing Director of SPAIN 2014 BID that Won the FIBA WC2014 in 2009.Chus started his professional career as a professional basketball player in Spain. After retiring as a player, he initated his executive endevour in 1995 running the Basketball Players Association in Spain and Europe for 10 years.
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Lucas Bugter
Director of Operations - 433
Director of Operations – 433
Lucas Bugter
Lucas is Director of Operations at 433. With more than 15 years of experience in the digital world, he specializes in building brands on social media, developing digital platforms, and creating online video formats that engage and inspire.
Lucas leads a team of experts in digital marketing and social media. He built platforms, created innovative online video formats, and optimized digital marketing campaigns to achieve maximum results. With his extensive knowledge and experience, Lucas is committed to help clients achieve their goals and succeed in the digital world.
He loves to be the connector between brands, ideas and most of all: people. -
Carlos Cantó
CEO - SPSG Consulting
CEO – SPSG Consulting
Carlos Canto
Carlos Cantó has 30+ years of experience in sports+entertainment. Former VicePresident Consulting division at IMG (10+years) and at Lagardère Sports/SportFive. In 2016 he created SPSG Consulting, boutique consulting firm advising clubs, federations, leagues, events, investors and sponsors. Member of Board of Directors of Spanish Marketing Association (AMKT). For 2.5 years, Member of Board of Directors of RCDeportivo de La Coruña. Sport Business and Sponsorship professor at ESADE Business School and IE-Instituto Empresa. Lecturer at LALIGA Business School, Escuela Real Madrid. Member of the Advisory Board of BStadium, Q-Lac and WFS. BBA + MBA by ESADE and participated at CEMS (HEC-France)
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Teresa Carvi
Production Director LaLiga TV International - Grup Mediapro
Production Manager LALIGA TV International – Mediapro
Teresa Carvi
I have been working in the sports production industry for 25 years. I began in MotoGP, and have been working in Mediapro / LaLiga for 15 years. Sincr, 2018 I have been leading the LaLiga TV International network. I also have experience organizing corporate events, music shows and festivals. I have traveled around the world managing teams and collaborating with local production companies.
My strength is project development, management and conscious implementation, combining the DNA of the companies involved to optimize production in all areas (human, technical, budget and footprint) and achieve a product with the highest impact. -
Giorgio Chiellini
Player Development Coach - LACF
Player Development Coach – LAFC
Giorgio Chiellini
I’m a professional former football player, transitioning now in the management position. Part of Common Goal and other social initiatives.
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Jara Cisneros
Head Of Digital - Sevilla FC
Head Of Digital – Sevilla FC
Jara Cisneros
Professional with more than 15 years of experience in digital strategy and project management. I lead the digital area of Sevilla FC, focusing on business strategy. In addition, University Teacher in differents institutions, including Alfonso X el Sabio University and Loyola University, teaching modules related to marketing, communication, digital strategy and data analysis. Background in Computer Engineering and Business, I combine technical and strategic skills to optimize customer experience and digital performance.
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Alberto Colombo
Deputy General Secretary - European Leagues
Deputy General Secretary – European Leagues
Alberto Colombo
Alberto Colombo is the Deputy General Secretary of the European Leagues, the organization that gathers and represent the interests of 40 professional football leagues and more than 1000 professional clubs in 34 countries, across Europe. Alberto works closely with top leagues’ senior executives as well as with key football stakeholders on political and strategic matters to protect and enhance the growth and development of professional domestic football competitions across Europe He is a sports industry senior director with experience in football and sport governance, stakeholders’ relations, media & communication, social dialogue & labor issues, sports integrity, IPR and public affairs in the EU landscape. Before joining the European Leagues, he had experiences in marketing and media operations for major sports events such as the Olympics and the America’s Cup of Sail. Alberto speaks 5 languages and he is guest lecturer at several academic sport management and law postgraduate courses across Europe.
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Arianna Criscione
CEO / Founder - Valeur Sport
CEO / Founder – Valeur Sport
Arianna Criscione
Arianna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Valeur Sport. A groundbreaking platform that is a game-changer for women, designed to empower and uplift them by giving them the data, tools and networks they need to succeed. She is a founding member of Mercury 13 and works to uplift the football department. Before crossing over to the business of football she was a professional football player. Finishing her career at PSG with a dual role as player and working in the sponsorship department. Previously joining PSG she played in Italy, France, Sweden, Netherlands and Norway, and earned several caps with the Italian Women’s National Team, as well as appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Alongside her professional football career she continued her education receiving a master’s degree in football business from the Football Business Academy, she was among the first cohort of students to receive the FIFA Diploma in Club Management, and she participated in the Crossover to Business Program from Harvard Business School.
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Paul Cuttill
Vice President, Stadium Operations - Liverpool Football Club
Vice President, Stadium Operations – Liverpool Football Club
Paul Cuttill
Paul Cuttill, Vice President, Stadium Operations, Liverpool Football Club.
Paul Cuttill has been a pivotal figure at Liverpool Football Club (LFC) since 2000, bringing over two decades of expertise to one of the world’s most iconic sports institutions.
Initially joining LFC to head up the catering operations under Compass Group, Paul played a crucial role in managing the transition from a contracted catering service to a fully in-house model. His exceptional leadership and vision in this area laid the groundwork for his expanding responsibilities within the club.
Today, Paul leads the stadium operations at Liverpool FC, overseeing safety and stewarding, grounds and facilities management, catering, health and safety, and the coordination of major events. Under his stewardship, these operations have exceeded the high standards expected at a Premier League football club, ensuring that Anfield remains a world-class venue both on and off the pitch.
Paul has also been instrumental in the club’s recent infrastructure developments. He recently led the construction and opening of the Anfield Road Stand, further enhancing the stadium’s capacity and facilities. Additionally, Paul was a key member of the project team responsible for delivering the Main Stand development, which opened to much acclaim in 2016. These projects have significantly contributed to the modernisation of Anfield, ensuring it remains at the forefront of global sports venues.
Prior to joining Liverpool FC, Paul built a solid foundation in the hotel and entertainment industry, notably at Granada Studios Tour.
Paul’s dedication and expertise have made him an invaluable asset to Liverpool FC, where he continues to drive operational excellence and contribute to the club’s ongoing success.
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Paul Devlin
Global Sports BD - AWS
Global Sports BD – AWS
Paul Devlin
Paul Devlin is a leader in sports for AWS and has over 20 years of experience at almost every layer of the sports industry. Devlin spent 10 years as a professional rugby player across Europe before pivoting into high performance coaching where he managed staff in the sports science, sports medicine, sports technology, medical, and strength and conditioning departments. He has consulted to many global sports technology companies across the last 15 years, and also has extensive executive coaching experience. Devlin has an MSc in strength and conditioning science, an MBA from AGSM in Sydney, and an LLM in International Sports Law in Practice from Sheffield University in the UK, and a Doctorate in Business from EIMT
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Axelle Despatures
Directora Comercial y Marketing - ONET Iberia Soluciones, S.A.U.
Directora Comercial y Marketing – ONET Iberia Soluciones, S.A.U.
Axelle Despatures
Axelle is a professional with more than two decades of experience in the services sector, in B2B, playing key roles in commercial management. Her career started at Bolloré Logistics where she reached the position of Aerospace & Defense Business Unit Director in Spain. She joined Onet as International Projects Director in 2019. In this position, she played a crucial role in projects at international level in Europe and Latin America, reinforcing the monitoring of service quality and integrating sustainability in the internal procedures of the services. For the past two years, Axelle Despatures has held the position of Sales and Marketing Director at Onet Iberia. Her strategic approach and focus on achieving business objectives has resulted in customer loyalty and a remarkable growth of the company in its ongoing commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Axelle is a member of both the company’s CODIR and ESG Committee.
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Kristian Dobrev
Deputy CEO - The FBA
Deputy CEO – The FBA
Kristian Dobrev
Kristian’s passion for sports, traveling and connecting (with) people has taken him to nearly 50 countries across all continents. A sports industry native, he studied Business Administration & Sports Management in Barcelona and California and cut his teeth working in different roles at Nike, Havas, Mediapro and eventually Soccerex. He then embarked on a more entrepreneurial path during which he faced great challenges as Partner at Axis 10 Sports Consulting Group and then as Business Development Director at ATEVO Sports Group. In late 2015, Kristian got together with a few former colleagues to start shaping an innovative and disruptive idea regarding the football industry that in 2017 came to life as The Football Business Academy – now recognized as a global leader in football business education. As Co-Founder and Deputy CEO of The FBA, he has been mainly in charge of developing and servicing The FBA’s 75+ partnerships, using his deep understanding of and network in the global football industry to facilitate valuable learning and networking experiences for everyone involved.
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Ruaidhri Dunn
Head of Procurement & Sustainability - The Fooball Association
Head of Procurement and Sustainability – The Football Association
Ruaidhri Dunn
Ruaidhri is currently Head of Procurement and Sustainability at The English Football Association (also incorporating Wembley National Stadium and St George’s Park). He has run Procurement at The FA since 2017 and took over Sustainability in January 2023. In July last year, The FA launched their Sustainability strategy for the period 2023-28, entitled Playing For The Future. Wembley is an ISO20121 accredited venue, and The FA is signatory to the UN S4CA framework. This year for the second time, The FA is including Climate-Related Financial Disclosures within its annual reporting. He is a Procurement professional by background, with 15 years spent in previous roles both within sport (London 2012, Rugby World Cup 2015) and in other industries (Deloitte, Sainsbury’s). He also sits on the Board of the FA pension scheme as a member-nominated trustee.
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Hassan ElKamah
Commercial Director - CAF
Commercial Director – CAF
Hassan ElKamah
Hassan El Kamah is a sport marketeer with over 15 years of experience in the sport industry. Currently he is the Commercial Director at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overseeing TV rights, Sponsorships, and Marketing. Hassan’s educational background is in Economics graduated from AUC Egypt, and is an alumni of the FIFA Master program, also holds a Sport Management Master’s Degree from University of San Francisco, USA.
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Paola Garçon
Project Manager - 3D Digital Venue
Senior Project Manager – 3D Digital Venue
Paola Garçon
As a Senior Project Manager at 3D Digital Venue, Paola Garçon plays a key role in helping the company deliver cutting-edge 3D visualization and virtual venue solutions to the sports and entertainment industry. 3D Digital Venue is dedicated to transforming the fan experience by providing innovative tools that enable clients to visualize, optimize, and manage venue layouts and ticketing. With its technology in use at some of the world’s most iconic stadiums and arenas, the company is at the forefront of enhancing both operational efficiency and fan engagement, bridging the gap between physical spaces and the digital world.
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Shifa Garg
Chief Business Officer - Spectatr
Chief Business Officer – Spectatr
Shifa Garg
Shifa is the founding member and Chief Business Officer of Spectatr, a pioneering technology and AI solutions company revolutionizing the sports industry. Backed by Sequoia Capital, Spectatr is at the forefront of innovation in sports. With over a decade of financial and entrepreneurial expertise, Shifa brings a unique blend of strategic insight and operational acumen to her role. Before Spectatr, Shifa spent 5 years at Goldman Sachs, where she developed a keen understanding of financial markets and emerging technologies. Her passion for innovation led her to pivot to an operational role. Under Shifa’s leadership, Spectatr has achieved significant milestones, spearheading the company’s business vision and strategy. Her customer-first mindset ensures that Spectatr’s solutions are not only cutting-edge but also deeply attuned to the needs of their clients. Shifa’s dedication to leveraging technology and AI is driving a new era in sports, empowering clients to navigate the digital age with confidence.
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Rita Guarino
Head Coach - GMC Agency
Head Coach – GMC Agency
Rita Guarino
I am a former international football player with a 16-year career in Serie A, Italy’s top football league, and an experience in the USA in 2000. I played for the Italian national team from the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 until 2004. During my playing career, I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in Sport Psychology. My coaching career began in 2008 as an assistant coach for the Italian U17 Women’s National Team. After seven years in this role, I was promoted to head coach, a position I held for two years. In 2017, I became the first Head Coach of Juventus Women, where I played a crucial role in establishing and managing the club’s inaugural female team. After four successful seasons with Juventus, I took on the role of Head Coach at Inter Milan for three years, contributing significantly to the team’s development.
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Emily Heath
Global Brand Director - Rexona
Global Brand Director – Rexona
Emily Heath
Emily Heath, Global Brand Director at Rexona (also known as Sure, Degree or Shield depending on where you are in the world), has 18 years of experience in public relations, social media, innovation and engagement with Unilever’s top brands. Before Unilever, she worked in brand marketing at a major pharmaceuticals company.
In her role, Emily emphasises the transformative power of sport through Rexona’s partnerships and communications. Her focus includes women’s football and creating inclusive environments at the grassroots level.
Emily plays a crucial role in the Breaking Limits Programme, a social impact initiative that challenges narrow views on who can be active. The programme trains coaches, mentors, and teachers from NGO partners and schools, covering disability inclusion, gender equality, anti-bias, and mental wellbeing. This training supports inclusive activities that build confidence and inspire young people, highlighting the broader benefits of physical activity. -
Nora Henriksson
Managing Director - Monks
Managing Director – Monks
Nora Henriksson
Nora Henriksson bridges sports and modern marketing, leveraging expertise in both fields. Her decade long sports journalism career at Sweden’s top media outlets, included coverage of major leagues (Premier League, Serie A, La Liga) and national teams (England and Sweden).
A talented athlete herself, Nora achieved runner-up status in Swedish Championships for boxing (light welterweight, 1998) and American Football with Stockholm Mean Machines (2017).
At Monks, Nora’s ambitious goal is to revolutionize sports franchises and brands through digital innovation. Her unique blend of sports industry knowledge and marketing acumen positions her at the forefront of this evolving landscape, where she’s poised to make significant contributions to the intersection of sports and technology. -
Simon Howard
Chief Operating Officer, Global Financial Advisory - Deloitte
Partner, M&A Transaction Services – Deloitte
Simon Howard
COO of Deloitte’s Global Financial Advisory business. By background Simon is an M&A Transaction Services partner and has been based in Spain for the last 16 years. Previously, he was based in Santiago de Chile and before that in London. Simon spends a large part of his time in the sports industry and has provided due diligence and advisory services to a large number of investors entering the Spanish and European football and sports industries. He has also advised clients on post-acquisition investment strategies. Simon has helped found Deloitte’s pan-European Sports Business Group. He is also a season ticket holder at Liverpool FC!
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Will Hutton
Head of Sustainability - The Premier League
Head of Sustainability – The Premier League
Will Hutton
Will is the Head of Sustainability at the Premier League, working to reduce the environmental impact of the football industry and elite sport in the UK.
Previously, Will was Head of Sustainability at Beggars Group (the world’s largest independent record company), and fashion conglomerate Arcadia Group. Will has also worked as a consultant developing sustainability programmes for international brands and S&P 500 companies, including Gucci, M&S, Kering Group, The FA, and Welltower Inc. Will is a Trustee of Murmur, and charity working at the intersection of The Arts and climate issues. -
Ben Jacobs
Sports Journalist - Freelance
Sports Journalist – Freelance
Ben Jacobs
Sports broadcaster and writer with two decades of experience in news breaking and strong expertise of the Middle Eat region. Currently a Premier League commentator and Saudi Pro League correspondent for talkSPORT. Also host The Debrief podcast. Formally CBS Sports and beIN Sports.
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Rishi Jain
Director of Impact - Liverpool FC
Director of Impact – Liverpool FC
Rishi Jain
Director of Impact, leading on the club’s efforts across its holistic approach to sustainability in order to build a better future for its people, planet and communities.Having worked in this industry for 20 years, he has an expert understanding of successfully integrating strategy and creating positive change. Rishi is a driving force and constantly strives for progress.In 2023 Rishi was named on the Pride Power List. In 2020, he was named on the Global Diversity List and his work has been recognised at the Football Business Awards, European Diversity Awards, Northwest Football Awards, and Inclusive Companies Awards.In December 2022, Rishi presented on his and LFC’s commitments to eradicating hate speech and violence at the United Nations in New York.Rishi previously worked at Manchester United, Kick It Out and The FA.
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Vicky Jaycock
Head of New Stadium - Sales - Premium
Head of New Stadium – Sales – Premium – Everton FC
Vicky Jaycock
Vicky has worked in the stadium and venues industry for over 15 years, specialising in premium sales strategy for transformative renovations and new build projects. Projects include M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool FC’s Main Stand re development and she now leads the sales strategy of Premium Bars, Restaurants & Experiences at Everton’s impressive new 52,888-seater home opening in 2025. Vicky has a passion for innovation across premium sales and experiences and is driven by shaping customer journeys that appeal to a wider range of fan profiles. Vicky enjoys contributing to stadium industry conferences and discussions across a range of topics, believing that collaboration across the stadia and venues industry inspires best in class delivery
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Mayca Jiménez
Journalist - Relevo
Journalist – Relevo
Mayca Jiménez
Women’s football specialized journalist in Relevo. Graduated in Journalism from the Carlos III University of Madrid, she worked for almost 7 years at Diario AS, where she headed the women’s soccer section. In 2022, her book titled ‘I also want to play football’ was published with the aim of giving visibility to the leaders of women’s football. In addition, she is a commentator for the Spanish Women’s Football League and the Women’s Champions League on DAZN. Mayca has covered four women’s Champions League finals, as well as the last two soccer World Cups, in Qatar and Australia and New Zealand, where Spain made history by becoming champions, or the last Olympics Games in Paris.
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Eugenia Károlyi Popcev
Sportscaster - LaLiga / Mediapro
Broadcast Journalist – LALIGA TV International
Eugenia Károlyi Popcev
Born in Venezuela, but a citizen of the world, Eugenia Károlyi is an experienced sports journalist and marketing professional with a track record of developing creative and strategic content, partnership marketing, and fan engagement. She is considered one of the early ‘creators’ of digital sports content, and has traveled the world as a journalist and producer working with major sports brands, organizations and media outlets such as LaLiga TV, adidas, Gatorade, ESPN, and beIN Sports. Some of the events she has worked on are: LaLiga, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Olympic Games, FIFA Club World Cup, Copa America, Gold Cup, and more.
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Ebru Köksal
Chair - Women in Football
Chair – Women in Football
Ebru Köksal
Began her professional career in New York, as a financial analyst in Corporate Finance at Morgan Stanley, before moving back to Turkey to serve as a senior manager at Citibank between 1992 and 1999. In 1999, Ms. Köksal joined private equity fund of AIG as a VP, before joining Galatasaray Sports Club in 2001.
Ebru has held several senior positions at Galatasaray including, Galatasaray Marketing General Manager (2001 – 2006), Galatasaray SC Marketing and Finance Group Head (2006 – 2009), Galatasaray Stadium General Manager (2009 – 2010). Following the merger of football, stadium and marketing companies in 2010, she was appointed as the General Manager of the merged entity, Galatasaray Sportif A.Ş.
Ms. Köksal was the first woman to be elected to the Executive Board of European Club Association in September 2010 and she served as the vice chairwoman of Institutional Relations Working Group.
In October 2011, she was appointed as the General Secretary of Turkish Football Federation and led a restructuring and corporate efficiency project, which was higly praised by FIFA.
She was the recipient of the Executive of the Year Award 2011 by Stadium Business Awards and the 1st ever Making a Difference Award by HBS Executive Education in 2018.
Ms. Köksal served as a Board Member at Galatasaray Sports Club between June 2013 – May 2015 and besides assuming the role of General Secretary for the Board, she was responsible from Foreign Relations, Stadium and Football Academy.
She is currently a senior adviser at J Stern & Co., Chair of Women in Football, UK, INED at the Professional Footballers Association, a Board Member at MNT Health Services A.S. and Doublepass BV.
Ms. Köksal is a graduate of Brown University, with dual degree in Economics and International Relations and graduate of Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. -
Jeroslaw Krolewski
CEO & Owner - Wisla Krakow
CEO & Owner – Wisla Krakow
Jeroslaw Krolewski
CEO and majority shareholder of Wisla Krakow Football Club – one of the oldest and most titled Polish Football Club – founded in 1906.
CEO and co-founder of Synerise – AI & BigData Company – Top 10 fastest growing AI companies in Europe according to Financial Times in 2022,2023. Lecturer & Researcher at AGH University of Science & Technology. Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Investor.
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Joackim Le Goff
Head of Customer Success EMEA - Scoreplay
Head of Customer Success EMEA – Scoreplay
Joackim Le Goff
With extensive leadership in customer success and content management, I currently lead the EMEA Customer Success team at ScorePlay. My background includes heading content strategies for AS Monaco and Manchester United, where I earned recognition as the Club Employee of the Year for 2019/20. At Eurosport, I managed content distribution across digital and social platforms, driving engagement and overseeing content plans and operations for major sports events. I began my career at GROUPE M6, where I developed innovative OTT offerings for the 6play platform.
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Kike Levy
Head of NJF Sports and Media
Sports Marketing Advisor
Kike Levy
“With over 10 years of sports media and marketing experience, Kike Levy formerly led sports partnerships across Southern Europe for Meta.
He has designed, consulted and implemented digital strategy for some of the biggest leagues, teams, athletes and media across the region. Some of his partners include LaLiga, Serie A, Moto GP, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Prior to Facebook, Kike worked at Twitter and media rights and marketing agency Infront Sports and Media.”
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Matthieu Lille-Pallette
Senior Vice President - Stats Perform
Senior Vice President – Stats Perform
Matthieu Lille-Pallete
Matt is Senior Vice President at Stats Perform and Opta. Matt has more than 10+ years experience developing and driving commercial and on-field success through data for the world’s most successful professional football teams, broadcasters, publishers and beyond.
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Leisha MacDonald
Market Development & Business Strategy Sports Entertainment - Moment Factory
Market Development & Business Strategy Sports Entertainment – Moment Factory
Leisha MacDonald
Leisha has over 10 years experience in crafting engaging, technology-driven attractions for global audiences. At Moment Factory, she leads market development and business strategy for its Sports Entertainment division, guiding the studio’s efforts in reimagining sports entertainment for brands, clubs, and associations worldwide.
Leisha plays a key role in Moment Factory’s ongoing collaboration with Real Madrid C.F. and the new Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, designing innovative fan experiences that boost revenue and engagement. The project exemplifies her vision for leveraging underutilized spaces, integrated with storytelling and technology, to reimagine and optimize a venue’s daily operations.
Throughout her career, she has established global partnerships and developed operational strategies for some of the world’s largest sports brands, including FIFA, The Messi Experience, The Olympics, and New York Rangers.
A competitive football and basketball player since childhood, Leisha’s deep understanding of the sports world fuels her passion for Sports Business Management. -
Genevieve Margrett
Campaign Director - Count Us In
Campaign Director – Count Us In
Genevieve Margrett
Genevieve Margrett is a campaign director for Count Us In, where she develops campaigns to inspire climate action and influence leaders through popular culture. In the UK she has been involved in the creation and execution of Green Football Weekend, which uses the power of football to tackle climate change. Prior to joining Count Us In, Genevieve led the communications team at albert, the leading organisation for environmental sustainability in the Film and TV industry. During her time there she helped to set up albert’s editorial arm – which helps the industry create content that supports a vision for a sustainable future. She lives in the UK with her husband, two young sons and very lazy spaniel, Betty.
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Rosa Marquez
Jugadora de Fútbol - Real Betis
Jugadora de Fútbol – Real Betis
Rosa Marquez
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Pedro Martinez Losa
Head Coach Women’s National Team - Scottish FA
Head Coach Women’s National Team – Scottish FA
Pedro Martinez Losa
A highly ambitious and forward-thinking Director of Football & Manager who has achieved an exceptional record of success in the game – including leagues and cup wins, club awards and personal accolades – while playing a pivotal role in raising the coaching, performance and player development standards at a number of male and female clubs across Spain, USA, England, Scotland and France. Building on a strong business and academic foundation, Pedro possesses the proven capacity to transform clubs at every level through effective management both on and off the pitch; successfully built Rayo Vallecano into one of the best teams in the country and was highly influential in establishing a vision for professionalism at Arsenal WFC – developing and integrating new departments, programmes and facilities during a period when the club operated with very little resources. A natural leader with a passion for continually raising attainment levels, and applying expertise across the entire Manager’s remit, including high performance culture development international, long-term player development, high-quality coach education and off-field club management. Strives to instil a winning mentality and culture of success that permeates through every level of any sports organisation.
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Andy May
Director of Broadcast and Operations - JHM
Director of Broadcast and Operations – JHM
Andy May
Andy advises clients in the sports and media industries, including agencies, athletes and coaches, brands, broadcasters, teams and technology businesses.
Before retraining as a lawyer, he was a respected Europe-based sports broadcaster, regularly covering the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, Olympic Games and Premier League, and Wimbledon which he hosted for Asia’s most-watched television network. -
Óscar Mayo
Chief Operating Officer - Atlético de Madrid
Chief Operating Officer – Atlético de Madrid
Óscar Mayo
Born in Segovia in 1989, he holds a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, a Diploma in Physical Education from the European University of Madrid, and an Executive MBA from IEDE Business School.
He has worked in the fields of consulting, marketing, and business in the sports industry for companies such as SEG Sports, Gympass, BeOne, and the European University of Madrid.
He began his career at LaLiga in April 2017 as Executive Agent of the Presidency. In December 2017, he was promoted to Director of International Development, also adding Marketing and Business Management to his responsibilities in June 2020. From May 2021 to January 2024, he served as the Executive General Director of LaLiga.
Under his direction and leadership, international television rights revenues have tripled, and historic milestones have been achieved, such as LaLiga Impulso, the strategic project of LaLiga CVC Capital Partners; the two major joint ventures in North America and China; the television agreement in the United States with Disney/ESPN; the creation of LaLiga Tech’s technological subsidiary; and the expansion of the alliance with Microsoft.
Since January 2024, he has served as the General Director of Business and Operations (COO) at Club Atlético de Madrid. -
Samara Mezher
VP of Strategy - Forward Associates
VP of Strategy – Forward Associates
Samara Mezher
Samara is an expert in live entertainment and leads Forward Associates Strategy Team of 10 people. She brings expertise from multiple fields, including technology, data, demographic profiling, and ticketing.
Samara’s career has seen her focus on multiple disciplines within the live and experiential space. She is a specialist in experiential marketing, brand engagement, sales and fan experiences.
Previously Samara worked for viagogo as their Head of VIP and Live Nation as their European Head of Sales & Marketing for VIP Nation. She is currently working on a number of high-profile venue projects in the UK, as well as the US and Asia.
Samara has worked across stadiums, arenas and festivals and her on-the-ground experience ensures the premium and guest experiences she designs are not only sell-out concepts but operationally deliverable and meet all customer expectations.
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Maheta Molango
Chairman - PFA
Chairman – PFA
Maheta Molango
Maheta Molango is the Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the trade union for footballers in England. A former professional, he began his football career at Atletico Madrid before moving to England to sign with Brighton and Hove Albion in 2004. This was followed by spells at Lincoln City, Oldham Athletic and Wrexham. Following the end of his playing career, he became a labour lawyer and worked on representation agreements, contract and transfer negotiations for global stars such as Antoine Griezmann and Mesut Özil. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German, Maheta was twice named one of the best sports lawyers in Spain by international rankings company Chambers and Partners. In 2016, Maheta was appointed as CEO of RCD Mallorca following a takeover by former NBA player Steve Nash, and Phoenix Suns’ owner, Robert Sarver. He was appointed CEO of the PFA in July 2021.
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Chloe Morgan
Head of She's a Baller
Head of She’s a Baller
Chloe Morgan
Chloe is a former professional footballer for Arsenal, Spurs and Crystal Palace and now head of football media agency, She’s A Baller (SAB). Chloe leads strategy for SAB bringing with her a wealth of experience on and off the pitch. Chloe is also a podcast host, former litigation lawyer, regular media commentator, LGBTQ+ community activist. Chloe is an award winning figure and voice in the women’s football space.
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Eymeric Moura
Partner - Nolan Partners
Partner – Nolan Partners
Eymeric Moura
Eymeric serves as a Partner in Geneva, Switzerland, where he supports clients across continental Europe and the Middle East, including international investors with teams in the region. Eymeric has 15+ years’ experience in Executive Search and has deep expertise working with Private Banks, Hedge Funds, and Investment Firms, allowing him to better understand the business side of Football. Beyond Europe, his work experience includes mandates in the Middle East and Asia, as well as the USA. Eymeric speaks fluent French, English, and Italian and has a degree in Hospitality Management from the International College of Hotel Management.
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Rafael Muela
Foundation General Manager - Fundación Real Betis Balompié
Foundation General Manager – Fundación Real Betis Balompié
Rafael Muela Pastor
Genaral Manager at Real Betis Balompie Foundation since 2018, with experience in policy design, institutional coordination and field interventions in Asia, Central America, Europe, and United Nations global events.
Specialising in enviromental issues, sports, youth employment, social inclusion of vulnerable groups of people, within the framework of Corporate Social Responsibility. -
Toni Nadal
Coach - UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport
Coach & Mentor – UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport
Toni Nadal
Toni Nadal is a spanish tennis coach. He started working at the Manacor Tennis Club as Head Coach, where he led many of his pupils to the first places in the Spanish ranking.He has been Rafa Nadal’s mentor and coach for 27 years. As a coach, he has the best track records in the history of tennis. He believes a sportsman should develop three main aspects: technical skills, character and the right set of values. At present, Toni Nadal combines his work as Head Coach at the Rafa Nadal Academy with his job as a speaker for sport coaches, universities and companies.
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Lola Ogunbote
Head Of Womens Football - Burnley Football Club
Head Of Womens Football – Burnley Football Club
Lola Ogunbote
Lola, a Nigerian-Born Brit, who embraces the cultural richness of her heritage. She is dedicated to promoting gender equity and increasing female participation in sports, specifically in football. Transitioning from a successful career as a UK qualified Lawyer, Lola ventured into the football industry in 2016. She has led professional male and female teams across various continents. As the Executive Director of Goals for Girls, a US Non-Profit organization that unites girls through football to lead community change, Lola combines her passion for leadership development, gender empowerment, and football. In 2021, Lola made history as the first Head of Women’s Football at Burnley Football Club in the North West of England. In this role, she oversees the Women’s Team’s day-to-day operations and is instrumental in shaping and executing Burnley Football Club’s Women’s Football Strategy.
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Pawel Osterreicher
CEO & Co-Founder - ReSpo.Vision
CEO & Co-Founder – ReSpo.Vision
Pawel Osterreicher
Pawel Osterreicher is the CEO and Co-Founder of ReSpo.Vision, a sports tech startup revolutionizing sports analysis and visualization with advanced AI and Computer Vision. ReSpo.Vision’s software captures detailed 3D data of players and ball movements from any single-camera game recording, transforming this data into actionable insights and stunning visualizations. This technology provides sports teams, leagues, federations, media, and betting companies with unmatched knowledge and next-generation immersive entertainment.
With over a decade of experience in strategy, management consulting, and sales, Pawel has consistently delivered significant value across various industries. Before founding ReSpo.Vision, he was Chief Revenue Officer and Board Member at deepsense.ai, where he increased revenue by 400% in two years and secured strategic partnerships with global corporations. He also has a background at The Boston Consulting Group, where he led complex projects and advised C-level executives on critical business challenges.
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Nirav Patel
CEO - Andaria
CEO – Andaria
Nirav Patel
Nirav is an accomplished and high-achieving Payments and Banking Executive, with experience that includes developing strategies and leading organisations to maintain both growth and profitability.
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Miguel Palencia
Director - UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport
Director – UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport
Miguel Palencia
25 years highly oriented Strategy and Investment Manager, working in multinationals and family companies. Successfully delivered projects within international environment and diverse cultures, specially into Higher Education and Universities currently focus on sport management and sport health institutions
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Maria Papathanasiadi
Brand Leader - Real Valladolid CF
Brand Leader – Real Valladolid CF
Maria Papathanasiadi
I’m Brazilian with dual European citizenship and I have been living in Madrid for over 9 years and I speak Spanish (C1), English (C2) and Portuguese (native).
I have eight years of work experience on managing ATL & BTL & Digital Communication and the production of digital and mass media campaigns for large scale global organisations with clients such as Uber, Santa Teresa Bacardi, Zespri, Samsung, Unilever and LG.
I started in the world of sport 4 years ago at DAZN and now developing my career as a Brand Leader at Real Valladolid.
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Pedro Parellada
CEO - DruID Identity Solutions
CEO – DruID Identity Solutions
Pedro Parellada Olarte
Computer Engineer. Entrepreneur. As CEO of DruID, I lead an innovative company that offers a unique solution in the market, fully integrating customer and consumer identity management (CIAM) with advanced management of their activity and behavioral data (CDP), all under the same secure and scalable environment offering a differential value to organizations
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Andrea Peláez Marzo
Redactora - Relevo
Redactora – Relevo
Andrea Peláez Marzo
Sports journalist specialized in women’s football. Working for Cadena Cope since 2015 and collaborating in Relevo.
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Jerome Perlemuter
General Secretary - World League Associations
General Secretary – World Leagues Association
Jerome Perlemuter
Jerome has served as the General Secretary of the World Leagues Association since April 2017. The WLA represents professional leagues with political and sport bodies, and fosters cooperation between its members Before, Jerome has served as the General Counsel and Integrity Officer of the French Professional Football League during twelve years. Before then he worked as an attorney at Dentons law firm (Paris office) in commercial disputes and as a Parliamentary Assistant in the French Parliament. Jerome is also currently a judge of the Paris Commercial Court in the competition law chamber, a member of the Ethics Committee of the French Football Federation, and CAS Arbitrator. He holds a Master in Busines Law and a Master in Communications Law from Paris Pantheon-Assas University. He also studied at UC Berkeley (USA). Finally, he holds a Master’s degree in Management from ESSEC Business School (France).
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Rafael Permuy
CEO - Bosquia Nature
CEO – Bosquia Nature
Rafael Permuy
International innovative mindset professional with background within different industries (Biotech, Pharma, Vaccines, Medical Devices, FMCG, Consultancy, Engineering) and markets (Spain, Portugal, UK, Italy, France, Latam, etc).
Senior entrepreneur adding business acumen to promising startups i environmental and digitalization industries.
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Duna Pigrau Rousse
Sales Director - Legends
Sales Director – Legends
Duna Pigrau Rousse
Born and raised in Barcelona.
After graduating in Barcelona with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and in London Westminster University with an MA in Marketing Communications, I started my career in the sports industry and been in that for more than 20 years.
Have developed my professional path in different global agencies, events and properties such as IMG, Madrid Tennis Masters, Swimming World Championships, NBA, Kosmos and the Davis Cup within others.
Having been across different departments, operations and implementation of events,marketing, partnership sales and business development and digital, has given me a broad vision and understanding of all the industry. -
Cristina Pitarch
Managing Director, EMEA Security Sales
Managing Director, EMEA Security Sales – Google Cloud
Cristina Pitarch
As a law graduate of ICADE, Cristina started her professional career in La Caixa as a Financial Broker. After completing an MBA in UC Berkeley, she decided to specialize in technology and joined salesforce.com, developing the Spanish market first and then leading a pan-European team.
She joined Informatica leading the finance and telecommunications sector for the Iberian market.
In 2012, Cristina started in the European Headquarters of Google, leading different support and sales areas related to the development of Google Cloud in EMEA. During 2019, Cristina was named European General Manager for Google Security Commercial, leading the security offering in Google Cloud for the European market.
She is a proud mother of three and a big football fan! -
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard
Founder & Chairman - APO Group
Founder & Chairman – APO Group
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard is the Founder and Chairman of APO Group, the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service.APO Group is the Pan-African public relations agency for FIFA, the NBA, the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Rugby Africa, and the World Football Summit. It is also the Strategic Partner of the Olympic Movement in Africa (ANOCA), the Official Partner of iconic French football club Olympique de Marseille (OM), and a Partner of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). Nicolas is a Special Advisor to the President of Rugby Africa, the governing body of rugby in Africa.
APO Group works with more than 300 clients, ranging from governments to international institutions, prominent personalities, and companies active in Africa. Some of APO Group’s prestigious clients include TikTok, Meta (Facebook), Nestlé, Western Union, Canon, DHL, Marriott Group, Radisson, Siemens, Orange, Jack Ma Foundation, African Development Bank, World Health Organization, Islamic Development Bank, Liquid Intelligent Technology, Rotary International, Kaspersky, Greenpeace…Nicolas sits on several Advisory Boards, Task Forces, and International Committees, imparting his knowledge and expertise to diverse organizations. These include the Senior Advisory Board of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, and the Advisory Boards of the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa, the African Energy Chamber, the World Football Summit, the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), the EurAfrican Forum, the Task Force for the FIFA – CAF Infrastructure Development Project, and the International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).
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Gaia Pretner
Head of Sustainability - European Club Association
Head of Sustainability – European Club Association
Gaia Pretner
Gaia Pretner joined ECA in May 2023 as Head of Sustainability and launched ECA’s first sustainability strategy in April 2024. She is a sustainability management expert with experience in different sectors from major events, MNCs, Federations and trade associations. Before joining ECA she worked as Sustainable Procurement Manager for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, Sustainability and Circular Economy researcher and consultant for Bocconi University and as Sustainability expert for EXPO Milano 2015 and UNI.
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Sergi Ricart
Chief Commercial Officer - FC Barcelona
Chief Commercial Officer – FC Barcelona
Sergi Ricart
A marketing and commercial strategic leader with 25 years of experience in the sports industry (FC Barcelona, Nike) and fast-moving goods industry (Pepsico), with strong focus on defining and delivering successful omnichannel experiences for customers and on building high performance teams. An innovative and creative person that believes in the power of sport to move the world forward.
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Rocío Ruiz-Berdejo
Marketing & Forever Green - Real Betis Balompié
Marketing & Forever Green – Real Betis Balompié
Rocío Ruiz-Berdejo
Rocio Ruiz Berdejo, studied Business and Management and sports specialization in West Virginia University (US) thanks to a basketball and football scholarship. After She finished her degree she came back to her home town Seville, and started in Real Betis Marketing department. In the last 7 years, she has been the Basketball marketing responsible of Real Betis Baloncesto and since 2020 she has developed the Forever Green project. The sustainable platform of Real Betis Balompié, which has been named as the most sustainable club in Spain and the second in Europe. In these four years of life Forever Green have developed more than 120 actions, have been reached 75 countries, 20 ambassadors, 60 companies and have reduced 5.870 Tns of CO2.
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Alexander Scotcher
SVP International - Elevate
SVP International – Elevate
Alexander Scotcher
Alexander is the Senior Vice President of Elevate’s international business – responsible for the growth of this business alongside building and executing Elevate’s partnership and consulting work.
Alexander has enjoyed a varied career in sport and entertainment over the last 18 years. Most recently as the Commercial Director of AS Roma, and prior, amongst others, at Sport V and leading the commercial efforts of Williams F1.
A strategic operator, never happy to follow the norm, with a track record of securing major, multi-million partnerships against venues, in football, F1 and beyond.
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Hans Van Rijn
Senior Vice President and Country Manager - The Walt Disney Company, Nordic and Baltic
Senior Vice President and Country Manager – The Walt Disney Company, Nordic and Baltic
Hans Van Rijn
Hans van Rijn was appointed as Senior Vice President and Country Manager for The Walt Disney Company Nordic in 2019, after joining the company from Fox Networks Group (FNG) where he served as Nordic General Manager. In 2020, responsibilities for the Baltics were added, and Hans now oversees ten lines of business in eight countries, and a team spread across four offices in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Prior to his role at FNG, Hans was Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development for Discovery Networks International, and has held executive roles at Prosieben and SBS Broadcasting Group.
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Grant Russell
Marketing Lead - West Ham United Football Club
Marketing Lead – West Ham United Football Club
Grant Russell
Grant Russell specialises in growing sports properties through brand, marketing, digital and storytelling strategies. He is currently with West Ham United in the English Premier League, focusing on growing the club’s stature locally and internationally through brand and marketing. Additionally, Grant has provided advisory services to teams and players in other major European leagues. Previously at Motherwell FC in Scotland, his transformative, award-winning work established the club as a brand outlier, growing revenues in a stagnant market through narrow, clear strategy development in brand, storytelling and monetisation, aided by innovation in digital technology. He also pioneered an athlete marketing programme that helped players achieve international recognition and increase their commercial viability, directly leading to a 444% growth in the club’s transfer revenue.
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Sandra Sánchez Riquelme
Redactora - Relevo
Redactora – Relevo
Sandra Sánchez Riquelme
Journalist and content creator do not have to be at odds. I hung up my boots at 23. Soccer specialist. I would tell you that I am a specialist in women’s soccer, but I prefer to say that I am a soccer specialist, without the last name.
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Maurits Schön
Chief Operating Officer - OneFootball
Chief Operating Officer – OneFootball
Maurits Schön
Maurits Schön, the new Chief Operating Officer at OneFootball, has been with the company since 2022. He brings extensive legal expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. He oversees all operational teams and the OTT and Loyalty verticals. Previously, he was Vice President of Operations, collaborating with CEO Patrick Fischer to enhance the company’s structure and operational efficiency. Before joining OneFootball, Maurits co-founded Vista Athletics (a football agency for US college sports) and worked as an Associate at Hausfeld LLP. He gained experience at various law firms and the German Embassy in Buenos Aires.
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Johannes Spors
Global Sporting Director - 777 Partners
Global Sporting Director – 777 Football Group
Johannes Spors
Experienced international Sporting Director. After Head of Recruitment roles in Hoffenheim, RedBull and HSV I started as a SD at Vitesse Arnhem, NL. Joined CFC Genoa in Italy from there and then built the 777FG MCO with clubs in Italy, France, Brazil, Germany, Belgium and Australia.
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Stef Strack
Founder & CEO - VOICEINSPORT
Founder & CEO – VOICEINSPORT
Stefanie Strack
Is the Founder and CEO of VOICEINSPORT, a digital platform keeping girls in sport through mentorship, content and access to the top experts in sport psychology, nutrition and women’s health. She is also the Founder of the VOICEINSPORT FOUNDATION, the global non-profit supercharging sport science and research for women athletes and advocating for equality. Strack has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of sports, lifestyle and technology, spending 14+ years at Nike as Vice President of Express Lane, GM of Nike Skateboarding, GM of Nike Training, and time at Rag & Bone, where she served as a Board member and CEO. Strack has successfully created 2 game changing organizations that are putting the voice of women athletes at the center of the sports industry. Her innovative approach to technology and community building is bringing together the top elite athletes like Allyson Felix and the top Experts around a common mission to bring more VISibility to women and elevate their VOICE.
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Javier Tebas
President - LALIGA
President – LALIGA
Javier Tebas
Javier Tebas Medrano (San Jose, Costa Rica, 1962), of Spanish nationality, holds a degree in Law from the University of Zaragoza. He has been a practising lawyer since 1987 and founded his own legal firm, specialising in Company Law and, subsequently, in sports and bankruptcy law.
Tebas’s direct involvement in football began in 1993, when he was named president of Sociedad Deportiva Huesca, a position he held until 1998 (a period during which the club competed in Spain’s Tercera Division and Segunda Division B). He later served as a board member at C.D. Badajoz S.A.D. and C.D. Toledo S.A.D. before being elected vice-president of LaLiga in 2001. In 2003 he headed up the G-30, a group representing 30 small LaLiga clubs that was set up to collectively negotiate their audiovisual rights. He has been LALIGA president since 2013 and was re-elected in 2016 and again for a further four-year term in 2019. In 2021 he was appointed as representative of European Leagues on the UEFA Executive Committee.
Tebas’s tenure as LALIGA president has revolved around three core areas; the introduction of a financial controls system which has enabled the clubs to restructure their finances; the collective sale of audiovisual rights which boosts the clubs’ revenue in a balanced way, and the league’s internationalisation strategy, which has seen LALIGA and its member clubs establish themselves as a benchmark reference on the global stage, not just on the field but in the entertainment industry as a whole. In addition, Boost LALIGA, the strategic project of LALIGA and CVC Capital Partners, was recently created to promote growth and consolidation in the areas of technology, innovation, internationalisation and the sporting sphere. -
Zubair Timol
Partner & Global Vice President, Culture
Partner & Global Vice President, Culture – Meltwater
Zubair Timol
Zubair is a serial entrepreneur, who is currently Partner and Global Vice President, Culture at Meltwater.
With his experience focusing on SAAS, global strategy and expansion, Zubair has a pedigree for developing leadership talent and high performance teams across markets.
Specializing in the sports and luxury sector, he has been involved in developing esports, specifically, chess to an award winning level.
Based in Dubai, his commitment towards inclusivity has enabled various social and community initiatives, namely executive allyship for female leadership.
Having extensively developed commercial operations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, China, Japan and South-East Asia, his passion is emerging markets and their interplay with innovation.
He has a degree in European Law and Masters in Medical Law. Given his thirst for education, he has a Post Grad in Global Business from the University of Oxford.
Zubair is a published contributor for Forbes and Campaign Magazine, he continues to be an active commentator for inclusivity in sport and culture. -
Susie Tomson
Senior Partner - Think Beyond
Senior Partner – Think Beyond
Susie Tomson
Susie is one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainability in sport. She has been involved in establishing and delivering sustainability transformation across the world of sport, pioneering industry-leading sport sustainability strategies and delivery programmes and has developed carbon emission inventories and carbon reduction plans for sporting clubs, NGBs, federations, and leagues. Whilst at Think Beyond she has developed and delivered sustainability programmes for SailGP, Liverpool Football Club, World Athletics, European Athletics, World Lacrosse, and St Andrews Links Trust amongst others.
Susie led the UK Sport research project into environmental support for NGBs and the roll out of the pilot programme and British Cycling’s sustainability support and brings hands-on experience to any sustainability project. Susie also co-chaired the UN Sport for Climate Action working group on Measure, Reduce, Offset helping signatories (over 300) to shape their understanding of how to define scope, measure carbon emissions, and develop reduction plans. This now underpins Think Beyond’s approach to climate action.
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Lorena Torres
Performance Director - You First
Performance Director – You First
Lorena Torres
Lorena Torres Ronda is a Spanish expert in human performance, currently Director of Player Performance at You First. She holds a Ph.D in sport science, several Master and has a wide educational, teaching and research background spanning five different universities across the globe, with specializations in sport performance and sport science. Lorena has more than twenty years of extensive experience working with elite professional and Olympic athletes in differente disciplines, but spent most of her professional career in professional basketball, and with professional soccer players lately. A recent milestone has been being part of the Spanish National Basketball Federation, as the first woman member of the coaching staff of the senior men’s team, being part of the gold medal achieved in the 2022 European Championship. Prior to her current role, she has served as a Performance Director for the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and as Sport Scientist, Research and Development Coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
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Luis Vicente
Chairman - Apex
Chairman – APEX Capital
Luis Vicente
A vastly experienced sports executive with a 30 – year track record of driving innovation, transformation, commercial growth and brand engagement in Sport. He is known as an Industry thought leader and as lead evangelist in business transformation in sport.
• Luis is currently the Chairman of Europe’s leading athlete – led investment platform, APEX CAPITAL , which he accumulates with several non executive board, advisory board or advisor positions at different organizations in sport, including REALFEVR, SOCIOS.COM, COMMON GOAL, WORLD FOOTBALL SUMMIT and 777 PARTNERS .
• Previously, Luis was Group CEO of ELEVEN SPORTS , a digital first global sports broadcaster and member of the board of parent company ASER VENTURES , a sports focused investment platform that included ownership of Premier League club Leeds United.
• Luis was also a member of the Management Board at FIFA and the Football
Governing Body first ever Chief Digital Transformation & Innovation Officer, with responsibility for championing new technologies, gaming, data and content
strategies.• Luis has served as well as CMO/CDO/CCO of La Liga historic football club VALENCIA CF , Director of Partnerships at MANCHESTER CITY and advised REAL MADRID CF CEO and President on football transfers and commercial development. Luis has also advised C – Level and ownership at RED BULL in Football, Motorsport and Sailing, FERRARI and LOTUS in Formula 1 and as well A1GP.
• Luis was also a sports and commercial agent, managing some of the world biggest soccer stars of the 90’s and the 2000’s, including LUIS FIGO , RONALDO NAZARIO and ANDRYI SHEVCHENKO
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Ion Vilcu
Director - UN Tourism
Director – UN Tourism
Ion Vilcu
Ambassador Ion Vilcu is a career diplomat and he has served as Ambassador of Romania in Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Chile. He additionally has been the Secretary of State, Head of Protocol of the Government of Romania.
Since August 2018, he works as Director of the Affiliate Members and Public- Private Collaboration Department of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism).
Also, Mr. Vilcu is a Master Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Nebrija University in Madrid. -
Sven Wiltink
Global Senior Director Sustainability - Radisson Hotel Group
Global Senior Director Sustainability – Radisson Hotel Group
Sven Wiltink
Sven Wiltink is Global Senior Director Sustainability for Radisson Hotel Group (RHG)– developing the Sustainability program in the group’s 1,300+ hotels in operations & development in 95 countries around the world.
Sven has been with Radisson Hotel Group since 2007, started as trainee in Iceland, after 9 years of operational experience in various hotels he started in 2016 in the Responsible Business team in Radisson Hotel Group HQ in Brussels, Belgium.
Together with his team, he leads the group’s Net Zero transformation based on approved Science Based Targets, actively involved in the development of our pathway to net-positive hospitality, implementation of Hotel Sustainability Basics for all its hotels and keeps team members around the world engaged in everyday Responsible Business actions.
He is coordinating the annual sustainability reporting process and currently leading the digital transformation of sustainability data management, both for internal and external stakeholders.
Additionally, he is actively representing Radisson Hotel Group in membership organizations such as WTTC, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, GBTA, UNEP One Planet network and GSTC. Sven is member of GBTA’s sustainability committee since October 2021 providing global leadership and support to help balance the social, economic and environmental impact of members’ business travel programs. Sven is also member of the senior advisory council of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance since October 2023. -
Andy Yeandle
Country Manager, UK & Nordics - ScorePlay
Country Manager, UK & Nordics – ScorePlay
Andy Yeandle
Andy Yeandle is the Country Manager for the UK and Nordics at ScorePlay, a cutting-edge platform dedicated to revolutionizing sports media workflows through AI-powered indexing of photos, videos, and broadcast feeds. With over two years at ScorePlay, Andy has been instrumental in helping sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters centralize and automate their media processes. Prior to ScorePlay, Andy gained extensive experience in business development and account management across the sports industry, including roles at Leaders Group Holdings and England Rugby Hospitality.
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Elías Zamora Sillero
Chief Data Officer - Sevilla FC
Chief Data Officer – Sevilla F.C.
Elias Zamora Sillero
Elías holds a master’s degree in physics and a PhD in mathematics from the University of Seville. After finishing his PhD in 2008, he worked till 2012 at the ETH Zurich (Switzerland) as research scientist in the framework of the development of machine learning methodology. From 2012 till 2021 he worked in the German quantitative asset management boutique GET Capital AG as head of Quantitative Research & Product Development department. Specifically, from 2019 he was partner and member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of GET Capital AG. Since 2021, Elías Zamora is the Chief Data Officer (CDO) of Sevilla FC and has grounded the data department of the club. As CDO he is the executive responsible for the transversal data strategy of the club. His main mission is to use data as a key input to enhance the entity’s strategic football and business processes.
“I value this event as excellent for people who work in football”
Fatma Samoura
Former Secretary General, FIFA
World Football Summit Speakers
Since 2016, WFS has welcomed the football industry leaders who are shaping the future of football