Jemma Abela

Santander UK
UK
Senior Sponsorship & Events Manager

LinkedIn

I’m a sponsorship and events professional with more than 20 years at Santander UK, where I’ve led high-performing teams and delivered impactful events across B2B, B2C and internal audiences.

Since 2021, I’ve headed up the Events team, reshaping it into a trusted, solutions-driven function respected by stakeholders at every level, including the exec committee. With a background spanning marketing, communications, media relations and strategic campaigns, I’ve built strong networks, introduced smarter processes, and delivered everything from headline sponsorships to global launches.

I thrive on collaboration, problem-solving and bringing energy to complex projects, all while keeping people engaged and motivated. Outside of work, I keep active with the gym, yoga and swimming, love time with family and my partner (as well as renovating our home), and fully embrace my roles as proud auntie, cat-mum and occasional style icon.

Ashley Arthingal

International Skating Union
SWITZERLAND
Event Services Manager

LinkedIn

I am a Lawyer and Events & Projects Specialist with 9 years of expertise rooted in sports and entertainment and supported by a strong legal and commercial mindset. Trained in law in Mumbai, I began my career in corporate and media practice before moving into international sports and events management. At the International Skating Union, I was proud to spearhead the creation and global launch of World Ice Skating Day, a landmark initiative now celebrated in more than 50 countries and recognised for its role in growing the sport worldwide.

In 2023, I was honoured to be selected as the European Sponsorship Association Diploma Scholar, an award that enabled me to formalise my expertise in sponsorship, stakeholder engagement, and partnership strategy, while also championing diversity and inclusion across the industry. Today, I combine my legal foundation with event leadership and sponsorship know-how to deliver impactful, compliant, and memorable experiences. I am delighted to bring this perspective to the ESA Awards 2026 judging panel.

David Atkinson

Space
UK
Managing Partner

LinkedIn

I lead a creative agency, Space, that specialises in ideas that lead to maximising sponsorship investment in sport and entertainment. The agency is nearly 22 years old and has worked with some of the top rights holders (Wimbledon, NBA, UEFA, The National League, Bundesliga etc) and brands investing in sport (Haagen-Dazs, Samsung, Lavazza, Heineken etc).

Understanding the sponsorship landscape, and the needs on both sides of the negotiation table enables us to bring partners together to create activity that works for both sides.

Delphine Baise

Spring Yellow
BELGIUM
Founder and Managing Director

LinkedIn

Delphine Baise founded Spring Yellow in 2023 with the intention of fertilising her expertise by creating added value for and with others. She has +25 years experience of all-round sponsorship and events projects in Belgium, mainly working for brands in the financial sector (like ING) and collaborating, with numerous other premium companies. She is now a strategic advisor for brands and organizers searching to increase their sponsorship impact.

Optimistic and curious, she loves to generate enthusiasm and unite people around ambitious projects. She remains true to her values, which are based on respect, benevolence and authenticity.

Her purpose in the sponsorship sector? Contributing to build bridges, focusing on the extra mile and making both Belgian and European sponsorship initiatives always more inspiring

Michael Barnard

WeAreFearless
UK
Business Director

LinkedIn

I am a sponsorship professional with over 15 years’ experience working across strategy, negotiation and activation for some of the world’s leading brands. As Business Director at WeAreFearless, I lead the agency’s partnerships offering and oversee teams delivering award-winning campaigns in sport and entertainment.

Away from work, I’m a father of two and spend most weekends on the sidelines coaching and cheering them on.

Benedikt Becker

Shikenso
GERMANY
Vice President of Marketing

LinkedIn

Benedikt Becker is VP of Marketing at Shikenso, an AI-powered sponsorship analytics company for sports, esports, and entertainment. He transforms data insights into actionable strategies for brands and rights holders.

Since joining Shikenso, the company has partnered with the Belgian Pro League, the Esports World Cup, and sportainment leagues like Baller League and Icon League. He bridges AI technology with practical business applications, making analytics accessible across the sponsorship industry.

Benedikt speaks on panels about sponsorship measurement and regularly shares industry insights. He led Shikenso’s winning ESA Awards submission and was recognised as a top 10 marketing & sales LinkedIn creator in Malaysia.

He advocates for the industry’s shift from intuition-based to data-driven sponsorship strategies.

Diego Bernabé

Onclusive
SPAIN
Head of Insights

LinkedIn

Degree in journalism and with background in sports marketing and sponsorship, I have more than 12 years’ experience in media research focused on sports & entertainment business (at Kantar and Onclusive, global data & research companies). I have been responsible for setting up and executing sports-dedicated projects, directly dealing with clients as well as leading the team in charge of the monitoring tasks.

I´ve had the opportunity to work with national and international clients from different sectors in the industry such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, LaLiga, NBA, Heineken, Red Bull or Adidas, to name just a few.

I am also a lecturer in a number of masters and specialized courses in sports marketing and management (ESIC or European University, Madrid).

Lauren Best

Bright Partnerships
UK
Vice President

LinkedIn

With over 15 years’ experience delivering global brand, marketing, sponsorship and entertainment campaigns. Lauren is currently Vice President at Bright Partnerships, where she leads a global client portfolio including BP, Castrol, Emirates and DHL.

Previously, Lauren held senior leadership roles at Mastercard, Marylebone Cricket Club (Lord’s) and the Lawn Tennis Association, where she spearheaded award-winning brand initiatives across sport, lifestyle and major international events. Skilled in building high-profile partnerships, managing talent, brand relationships and driving innovation across marketing, communications, digital, social and experiential platforms.

Alma Birbilaite

Cairn
IRELAND
Brand and Communications Manager

LinkedIn

Alma Birbilaite is a marketer passionate about building meaningful connections between brands and communities. With over 15 years of global experience in tech, finance, and real estate, she currently leads the Brand and Communications team at Cairn, Ireland’s largest home and community builder. She successfully launched the Cairn Community Games, which has been recognised at ESA awards 2025 in two categories.

Previously, Alma was part of Indeed’s global marketing team, where she spearheaded the award-winning Team Ireland sponsorship program and developed a sponsorship evaluation platform.

She is dedicated to empowering businesses and communities through impactful sponsorship initiatives. Alma holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and a Master’s in Marketing.

Ailish Boyle

Bord Gáis Energy
IRELAND
Senior Marketing Manager

LinkedIn

Ailish Boyle is Senior Marketing Manager at Bord Gáis Energy, where she leads strategic communications across Energy and Services & Solutions, as well as a high-profile sponsorship portfolio including Focus Ireland, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, and the GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. With over 11 years’ experience, Ailish has a strong track record in delivering integrated, high-impact campaigns with a focus on ROI, brand growth, and audience engagement.

She previously led TTL campaigns and major sports sponsorships at Life Style Sports, working with global brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. Ailish began her career at Vodafone before moving agency-side and later joining 123.ie to oversee ATL activity and customer engagement.

An Aspire Scholar of the MSc in Marketing Practice from UCD Smurfit, she also holds the ESA Diploma in Sponsorship and is currently completing Rory Sutherland’s ‘Mad Masters’ diploma. Ailish is a DMG Media 40 Under 40 2025 finalist.

Alexandra Branzan

WeAreFearless
UK
Executive Strategy Director

LinkedIn

I’m an Executive Strategy Director at WeAreFearless where I lead our strategic offering and make sure we deliver our Boldness with Backup promise to all our clients. My background is integrated comms and have worked across a range of sectors from FMCG (Unilever, Diageo, Mondelez, Danone), life sciences and innovation (Merck Group), fashion & streetwear (Adidas), banking and finance (RBS, Visa) to tech(moo.com, TeamViewer).

At Fearless, I’ve led work that proves the transformational power of sponsorship in driving business impact. Highlights include helping Bridgestone defend its premium positioning and drive purchase intent through its Olympic sponsorship, guiding B2B tech provider TeamViewer on its global brand transformation journey through its sponsorship of F1 and leading the strategy for Visa’s sponsorship of UEFA Women’s Football.

I’m very passionate about helping improve the sponsorship industry especially when it comes to the effectiveness of its approaches and the diversity of its practitioners.

Jason Brisbane

GB wheelchair rugby
UK
CEO

LinkedIn

Jason has been through CEO of Wheelchair Rugby since 2021, leading the team through its journey to the Paris 2024 Paralympics and towards L.A. 2028. Under his leadership, the organisation has rebranded, medaled at major international competitions,expanded female participation and launched  successful new commercial ventures.

A former NFL player with the San Diego Chargers and several European teams, Jason transitioned into education after his athletic career, working with at-risk youth and later holding senior leadership roles in post-16 education, including at Bolton Wanderers Academy. He then became NFL UK’s Head of Community and Grassroots Development, creating the league’s first national schools program, conducting youth engagement research, and launching the NFL UK flag football team.

In 2023, Jason received an honorary doctorate from the University of Greenwich and chairs the EMEA advisory board of the Global Institute of Sport. He is married with two children and has recently taken up long-distance running.

Alex Brown

WPP Media (EssenceMediacom)
UK
Head of Sport, Entertainment & Gaming

LinkedIn

Alex heads up EssenceMediacom’s Sport & Entertainment division having started with the agency in 2018. During his time with the business, the team have become integral to delivering impact and industry leading results for clients – including eBay’s multi award-winning partnership activations, Toyota & Lexus’ transformative growth through their high profile cricket and tennis partnerships, and broader work within the Gaming and eSports space with clients such as Lucozade, Sky Broadband and Circle K.

Over the last 25 years, Alex has brought passion and commitment to roles leading sponsorship activities for a multitude of major global brands and embraced the positive impact that a thriving and constantly evolving sponsorship industry can have on business, brands and society. Alex is also a strong an active advocate for new areas of opportunity such as women’s sport, AI, tech and measurement.

Nikki Burgess

TSS Sports Marketing NZ
NEW ZEALAND
Consultant

LinkedIn

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, Nikki has built a successful career in sponsorship and the commercialisation of sport, working for leading brands and rights holders across sport and entertainment both in New Zealand and internationally.

In 2020, she co-founded TSS Sports Marketing to help drive fresh thinking and innovation within New Zealand’s sport sector.

Now working as a consultant, Nikki specialises in athlete management and in helping brands and sports organisations create and activate impactful partnerships, with a particular passion for championing women’s sport in New Zealand.

Neil Callaghan

20-Fifteen SPORT
UK
Founder (Consultant)

LinkedIn

Neil has extensive sponsorship and partnership experience, working with leading brands and rights holders in sport and entertainment sectors.  Creating global and local strategy, and delivering full-service activation of sponsorships from grassroots to elite level in male, female, disabled and non-disabled formats of sport and activity.

He created 20-Fifteen SPORT with a focus on harnessing the value of disability inclusion and accessibility, through the power of sport, sponsorship and partnership marketing.

Working with clients including Paralympics GB, Motability Operations, The Wheelchair Football Association. He’s also developed course material for the ESA Diploma, and co-created TAGS (The Ability Group in Sport) a member organisation supporting disabled people working or aspiring to work in sports media and production.

Carlos Cantó

SPSG Consulting
SPAIN
CEO

LinkedIn

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 Carlos created SPSG Consulting, boutique consulting firm advising clubs, federations, leagues, events, investors and sponsors.

Member of Board of Directors of Spanish Marketing Association (AMKT). President Sport, Tourism, Lifestyle Committee French-Spanish Chamber Commerce. 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 LALIGA Business School. Member of the Advisory Board of BStadium, Eastern Flames FC, f2o Sports and Q-Lac. BBA + MBA by ESADE and participated at CEMS (HEC-France).

Alvin Chang

TicketManager
UK
Head of Global Business Development & Operations

LinkedIn

Alvin is a sports sponsorship, ticket sales, and enterprise SaaS sales & service professional with over 20+ years of experience.

Alvin started his career working on the rights holder side of the business at STAPLES Center and AEG in Los Angeles. Through those experiences, he developed a passion to help sponsors and brands truly determine their asset value to maximize their sponsorships/investments.

Since 2023, Alvin has helped launch the expansion of TicketManager in Europe and the UK in a more global role to support and grow international clients.

Matteo Ciampani

AS Roma
ITALY
Partnership Management Lead

LinkedIn

Matteo works as Partnership Management Lead at AS Roma, managing a portfolio of global partners and the development of commercial opportunities.

Before joining the Italian football club in 2022, Matteo worked at the Italian National Olympic Committee, in Germany as a member of the International Paralympic Committee’s commercial team, and in England at Everton Football Club, ideating, planning and executing award-nominated campaigns and activations.

Sport Management graduate from Coventry University (UK), he achieved the status of top ESA Diploma Graduate 2020 – the first ever from a rights holder and Premier League club to do so – becoming the recipient of the “Toby Hester Award” at the European Sponsorship Association Awards 2021, and served as a judge for the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions.

He believes it is important for organisations in the sponsorship industry to lead on causes and do their part in today’s world, creating unforgettable moments and value for society, changing people’s lives.Matteo works as Partnership Management Lead at AS Roma, managing a portfolio of global partners and the development of commercial opportunities.

Before joining the Italian football club in 2022, Matteo worked at the Italian National Olympic Committee, in Germany as a member of the International Paralympic Committee’s commercial team, and in England at Everton Football Club, ideating, planning and executing award-nominated campaigns and activations.

Sport Management graduate from Coventry University (UK), he achieved the status of top ESA Diploma Graduate 2020 – the first ever from a rights holder and Premier League club to do so – becoming the recipient of the “Toby Hester Award” at the European Sponsorship Association Awards 2021, and served as a judge for the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions.

He believes it is important for organisations in the sponsorship industry to lead on causes and do their part in today’s world, creating unforgettable moments and value for society, changing people’s lives.

Bruce Cook

SponsorLab
UK
Founder & MD

LinkedIn

Bruce is a 30-year veteran of the sponsorship industry having worked from the rights-holder, brand and agency perspective.  His career began States-side in professional tennis and the US Olympic Committee before moving to the UK in 2001.

Based in Scotland, Bruce first held commercial roles with the NFL Europe League and British Basketball before joining the Sponsorship team at RBS where he ultimately became their Head of Group Sponsorship.

In 2015, Bruce joined YouGov Sport in a Business Development and Strategic Client Services role where began to develop his views and concepts on better sponsorship evaluation frameworks.

Bruce now runs SponsorLab, the company he created in 2023 to provide a simple but powerful digital platform to help brands, rights-holders and agencies to manage and monitor more effective sponsorship strategies.

Most importantly, Bruce is a proud husband and father to two daughters who will soon be entering the professional workforce.

Timothy Cook

Ear To The Ground
UK
Creative Director

LinkedIn

I’m an award-winning Creative Director with 13 years of experience shaping brand work across sport, culture, and entertainment. After a decade living and working in Berlin, I returned to the UK in 2023 to join Ear to the Ground where I lead creative across global campaigns that earn attention and engage fans.

Previously, I held senior roles at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment and WPP, delivering standout work for sponsorships including UEFA, UCI and the World Rally Championship. I believe in the power of culturally relevant sponsorship and specialise in turning strategic insight into bold, fame-driving ideas that resonate with fans on a deeper level.

From pitch to production, my work spans platforms, countries, and communities – always driven by the belief that the best creative doesn’t interrupt culture, it belongs to it.

James Corcoran

Centrica
UK
Brand Partnerships Director

LinkedIn

Senior sports marketing leader with extensive experience across both brand and agency side, delivering partnerships that drive measurable growth and cultural impact.

At Centrica, I lead the brand partnerships division for British Gas, Scottish Gas, and Hive, shaping strategy and delivering programmes that build brand trust, engage customers and colleagues, and unlock commercial value. I’ve successfully managed large-scale portfolios spanning grassroots initiatives, nationwide campaigns, and high-profile sponsorships with global reach.

I’m driven by the belief that sport and culture can power positive change. I focus on creating purposeful partnerships that fuel business growth while making a lasting impact on communities.

Simon Couch

Right Formula
UK
Managing Director, UK

LinkedIn

Simon Couch is the Managing Director UK of Right Formula, a leading global integrated sports marketing agency, where he oversees client partnerships and strategic leadership of the organisation. With 25+ years of experience in sports and entertainment marketing, Simon specialises in delivering measurable results for world-renowned brands and rights holders.

Prior to joining Right Formula, Simon spent 11 years at Wasserman as Vice President of Global Growth, where he spearheaded international expansion and high-impact partnerships for their clients. His expertise has been recognised through roles such as Advisory Board Member for the Alliance of Independent Agencies (AIA), where he shaped industry best practices for three years.

Simon is also Head of Minis Girls Rugby at Barnes RFC, championing grassroots development. Known for his strategic vision and hands-on leadership, he combines commercial acumen with a deep understanding of the global sports landscape.

Bruce Cook

ESB
IRELAND
Group Sponsorship & PR

LinkedIn

Robert Crabbe is a senior marketing and sponsorship professional with over 20 years of experience across leading brands including ESB, KPMG, Coca-Cola HBC, and Live Nation.

His career spans high-impact activations in sport, music, and culture, with a strong focus on strategic brand development and stakeholder engagement.

Currently leading Group Sponsorship & PR at ESB, Robert drives initiatives aligned with ESB’s Net Zero by 2040 goals across both ESB and Electric Ireland brands, overseeing campaigns such as GAA Minors, Darkness Into Light, and ESB Science Blast.

At KPMG, he delivered a multi-year integrated sponsorship strategy, including the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and Brand Ambassador programmes.

Robert brings deep industry insight, creative leadership, and a collaborative mindset to every project — qualities he looks forward to applying as part of the ESA Awards judging panel.

Grace Crowley

IRELAND
Head of Marketing

LinkedIn

Grace is an experienced sponsorship and communications specialist, with broad spectrum of expertise in consumer, business, sports, hospitality, charity and entertainment sponsorships.

She’s collaborated with many well known brands, sporting rights holders, and festivals worldwide.

A dynamic professional, she’s committed to harnessing sports, arts, and music for social good, unity, and broad audience engagement.

Grace, an ESA Diploma graduate, passionately advocates for industry excellence.

Solene Darde Genton

ACCOR
FRANCE
Global Vice President Sponsorships and events

LinkedIn

Solene is currently Global Vice President of Sponsorship at Accor, a role she has held for the past four years. She leads the Group’s global sponsorship strategy and activation, working at the intersection of sport, culture, and hospitality. Under her leadership, the team manages some of the world’s most prestigious partnerships, including Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé, Roland-Garros, SailGP, and the Accor Arena. Her mission: to turn these global assets into powerful platforms for brand storytelling, guest engagement, and business growth.

Prior to joining Accor, Solene spent over 10 years at American Express, where she held a variety of marketing and communications positions, gaining strong expertise in brand strategy, partnership development, and customer engagement.

Emily Dean

Live Nation Entertainment
UK
Director, Marketing & Creative Solutions

LinkedIn

A commercially savvy and creatively driven marketer, Emily Dean is Director of Marketing & Creative Solutions at Live Nation UK. Emily leads the development of integrated programmes across 45+ festivals, Ticketmaster and AMG Venues, working with brands including Klarna, TK Maxx and Co-op. Passionate about building meaningful connections through storytelling, community and innovation, Emily brings extensive experience in delivering award-winning campaigns.

Previously a planner at a leading media agency, Emily provided strategic consultancy, campaign implementation and performance evaluation for clients including Samaritans and SC Johnson.

Fergus Dunn

Oak View Group
SPAIN
Commercial Director

LinkedIn

An experienced and strategic sponsorship professional as well as ex-international athlete, Fergus has spent over 15 years working with some of the biggest brands in Sport and Entertainment.

Building his career in London before moving to Barcelona, he has successfully led both partnership sales and activation teams for a diverse variety of sports and entertainment properties, working both agency and rights holder side.

Fergus joined Oak View Group in early 2025 as Commercial Director, working in their global partnerships team with a particular focus on Spain & Southern Europe.

Dave Dunne

Vodafone Ireland
IRELAND
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

My name is Dave Dunne, Sponsorship Manager at Vodafone Ireland working on our sponsorship of the Irish Rugby Football Union. Graduated with a BSC in Marketing, I’ve always been intrigued in the role brands play in our lives and how we as consumers respond to them. I’m a big believer in constant learning and evolving and as such recently added a Mini MBA Diploma Brand Management with Mark Ritson.

We’ve been main sponsors of Irish Rugby for almost a decade and through my roles in digital, communications and Sponsorship, I’ve always prided myself on trying democratise sport, the benefits it can bring and enable a degree of connection and authenticity when communicating a brand story to people. Of course commercial and marketing objectives make everything tick and focus the mind but once known, actioning and achieving them in memorable, meaningful and measurable way is of great importance to me.

Sponsorship is so much more than a commercial initiative, done right will deliver results for both parties as demonstration of true partnership.

Ina Egelandsdal

All Things Live Norway
NORWAY
Head of Partnerships

LinkedIn

Ina C. Egelandsdal is Head of Partnerships at All Things Live Norway. She has extensive experience in developing and managing strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and brand building within the event and cultural sectors.

Ina has previously held roles as Managing Director/Partner and Account Manager, with a strong background in advertising, events and project management. She builds bridges between brands and audiences through live experiences and engaging meeting points.

Ina has also served as a jury member for the Norwegian Sponsor- and Event Awards, where she contributed valuable insight and inspiration to the professional development of the industry.

She has a wide network and more than 2,100 followers on LinkedIn, where she actively shares thoughts and experiences on collaboration, branding, and event innovation.

Stephanie Ensten

McLaren Racing
UK
Head of Partnerships

Steph is an experienced partnerships, marketing, and communications professional with over 13 years in the sport, music, and entertainment sectors. She has worked with leading brands, teams, and athletes at some of the largest and most successful music, sport and entertainment properties and events across the globe.

With a background that spans agency, rights holder, and charity sectors, Steph has specific expertise in creating, managing, and delivering effective partner and marketing strategies. This includes her work at The O2, London, for major sport and entertainment business AEG, and in her current role with McLaren Racing.

Martin Fallon

ONSIDE
IRELAND
Head of Advisory

LinkedIn

Martin has over 15 years experience of working in the sports sponsorship industry in the UK and Ireland.

Starting his career at Connacht Rugby, Martin went on to hold strategic marketing and commercial roles at Harlequins, Wasps Rugby, the Tour of Britain, Motorsport UK and Wera Tools.

Since returning to Ireland in the summer of 2025, Martin has taken up the role of Head of Advisory at ONSIDE where he is working with brands and rights holders to deliver best-in-class sponsorship across sport, business, arts & Culture and more.

Martin is also a two-time judge of the ESA Awards, sitting on the judging panel in 2023 and 2024.

Sorcha Fennell Sheehan

Bord Bia
IRELAND
Bloom and Events Manager

LinkedIn

Sorcha has over a decade of experience across agency, brand and public sector roles in Ireland and the United States. She recently returned to Dublin to take up the role of Bloom and Events Manager at Bord Bia, following four years in Washington DC with Events DC, the city’s sports authority, where she managed the negotiation and delivery of major partnership investments.

Her career began at OMD Ireland before a move to New York to broaden her agency experience. On returning to Dublin, she joined Bord Gáis Energy, where she spent eight years developing the organisation’s GAA sponsorship portfolio alongside other cultural and community partnerships.

Sorcha’s varied background provides her with experience of both brand and rights-holder perspectives and a well-rounded understanding of sponsorship and marketing.

Sarah Geoghegan

Core Sponsorship part of Core
IRELAND
Business Director

LinkedIn

A sponsorship professional with over 10 years experience specializing in connecting brands with strategically aligned, data driven, high impact sponsorship opportunities, overseeing end to end sponsorship strategy.

Passionate about the evolving sponsorship landscape and committed to driving innovation and collaboration.

Selected as an IAPI Female Future Funds recipient in 2021, a programme for high preforming women within the advertising industry in Ireland, and a member of the ESA Ireland steering group, I have worked with brands across almost every sector and rightsholders across the sport, entertainment and culture sectors.

Eva Gerritse

Blauw Sponsorship Impact
NETHERLANDS
Strategy Lead

LinkedIn

Eva Gerritse leads strategy and client portfolio at Blauw Sponsorship Impact, a European market research agency specialising in measuring the impact of sponsorships. She works with global brands and major European rights holders, including 17 national football federations, to deliver insights that strengthen sponsorship effectiveness and foster meaningful connections between fans and sponsors. Eva is recognised for turning complex data into actionable strategies that drive brand impact.

She advises on sponsorship portfolios, activation strategies, brand development, and sponsorship agreements for high-profile clients such as Amazon, PepsiCo, Nissan, FedEx and Vodafone. Eva’s work spans globally celebrated sports properties, including Formula One, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic Games, helping clients maximise both commercial outcomes and fan engagement.

Eva was named Insights Professional of the Year in The Netherlands, commended for her thought leadership and clear vision in sports sponsorship research.

Rana Ghosal

Synergy TTL Sports
INDIA
Founder

LinkedIn

A sports marketing professional with an advertising and marketing background with 22+ years’ experience specialising in activations & experiential marketing.

As a head of the activations in a top global advertising agency, my brand campaigns have generated desired results and won numerous awards regularly, from golds and silvers at ACEF, Asia to Rural Marketing Awards in India culminating with a bronze and silver at Cannes Lions in 2018.

I am pursuing the use of one of the most effective solutions – sports – as a platform to create & disseminate value based brand marketing solutions. At the same time, giving the sports rights holders meaningful and sustainable brand development solutions. This is the essence of Synergy TTL Sports Marketing, of which I am the Founder.

I am extremely proud and honoured to be associated with ESA Awards for the past 4 years. It’s immensely gratifying and challenging at the same time and offers the best learning ground.

Paul Goodmaker

bp
UK
Global Head of Sponsorship

Paul is Head of Sponsorship at bp and Castrol, where he leads the global sponsorship team with responsibility for crafting and delivering the sponsorship strategy. With a proven track record of award-winning sponsorships, Paul has consistently delivered significant business value.

With over 25 years of experience in sport and entertainment, Paul possesses industry-leading expertise across strategy, contract negotiation, and sponsorship activation to deliver results. He has had the privilege of working on some of the most high-profile sponsorships in the world, including the FIFA World Cups, UEFA European Championships, Olympics, and Formula 1.

Paul has successfully negotiated numerous global and national sponsorships, including the Premier League, Audi F1 Team, NBA, Tottenham Hotspur, Neymar Jr, CarFest and NEC Arena (now bp pulse LIVE).

Paul was also shortlisted for the 2015 Leaders in Sport Under 40 Awards, searching for the best talent in the business of sport globally.

Steven Gould

UNTAPPED
UK
Co-Founder and COO

LinkedIn

Steven has 20+ years’ consulting experience in sports & entertainment, with a focus on commercial and marketing, and a track record in growing sponsorship revenues – growing partnership revenue through brand fit identification; activation optimisation; international expansion; data to drive retention & renewals, to support and enable smarter partnership decision-making.

In particular he uses data & technology to apply best-in-class audience insight and marketing technology propositions from the brand world to futureproof revenue strategies for brands and rightsholders in sport – with next generation fan understanding using AI.

He has also had significant success in working with rightsholders to enhance fan propositions through better understanding of their audiences to prove the relevance to their partners’ audiences, add value to brands’ activations & overall partnership, and support the partner sales process with better data.

Irene Gowing

NDAS
IRELAND
Senior Marketing Consultant

LinkedIn

Irene Gowing is a seasoned Senior Brand and Marketing Consultant at NDAS with over 20 years of expertise in brand transformation and sponsorship strategy.

With experience as a judge for the European Sponsorship Association Awards in 2024 and the AIM Awards in 2018 and 2019, she is recognised for her strategic insights and leadership.

Irene’s work has earned her numerous industry accolades, including an ESA award in 2021.

Her career spans both B2B and B2C sectors such as construction, automotive, energy, and healthcare. Renowned for developing customer-centric programs that drive business success, Irene excels in fostering strong relationships and consistently leading impactful campaigns.

Camila Grasso

MKTG
UK
Senior Director Business Development

LinkedIn

Camila Grasso is a Senior Director of Business Development at MKTG. She’s been driving growth and building strategic partnerships within the dentsu group since 2018. With a strong background in digital marketing, she’s helped shape innovative solutions for clients across industries.

Camila’s career blends creativity with commercial insight, and she’s known for turning complex challenges into smart, scalable strategies.

Josh Green

House 337
UK
Chief Creative Officer

LinkedIn

Josh Green is chief creative officer at House 337. Boston-born and now based in London, Josh has consistently creates work that blends advertising and entertainment.

Prior to joining House 337 in 2023, Josh was ECD of Octagon and sister agency FRUKT, leading the agency’s creative output and a department of 32 across six European offices.

Josh has been featured by the BBC, the Guardian, The Sun and Daily Mail, and his work has been recognised by British Arrows, the Marketing Society, Creative Circle, Drum Awards, BT Sports Industry Awards, Clios, and Contagious.

Michael Green

Verve
IRELAND
Senior Sponsorship Director

LinkedIn

I am a sports marketing professional with 20 years of experience in across the UK and Ireland. Originally from South Africa, I hold an Honours Degree in Sponsorship Marketing from the University of Pretoria.

For the first decade, I delivered sponsorship activations for world-leading brands like Coca-Cola, DHL, BP, Pepsi and Nissan at global events including the FIFA World Cups, Rugby World Cup, the Olympics and the Champions League.

In 2015, I brought my experience to the Irish market, managing successful brand campaigns as a Sponsorship Marketing Manager at AIB and Sky Ireland, before joining Verve, The Live Agency as as the Senior Sponsorship Director.

Sandra Greer

Greer Consulting
UK
Consultant

LinkedIn

Sandra has worked in the sponsorship industry within the agency environment for over 30 years, undertaking projects for both brands and rights holders, and now is an independent consultant.

Her focus is using multiple data sets leading to insights to select, value, deliver and evaluate sponsorship campaigns.  She has worked on a range of projects from global campaigns through to those with a more corporate social responsibility angle.

Sandra is a passionate advocate of sponsorship showing how partnerships can benefit both the brand and rights holder.  Judging the awards she is looking for clear objectives delivered through strategic activations and campaigns with proven results based on primary research and insights.

Her consultancy work covers a wide range of projects including valuations of properties, evaluation of effectiveness as well as sponsorship training.  She is the co-course director of the ESA Introduction to Sponsorship course launched in 2025 and is a full certified member of the Market Research Society.

Paul Guest

OS Studios
UK
Head of Strategy

LinkedIn

Paul Guest is the Head of Strategy at OS Studios (UK), where he leverages over 15 years of sponsorship and fan engagement experience to drive creative direct-to-consumer partnerships centred.

At OS Studios, Paul works with the likes of the NBA and Riot Games, to Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby and Red Bull, to engage next-gen audiences, emphasising authenticity and genuine value exchange between brands and fans.

During his tenure at SportsPro, Paul co-created the Laureus Sport for Good Index, advocating for transparency and collaboration among brands and sports stakeholders. He also spearheaded SportsPro’s prestigious 50 Most Marketable Athletes project, introducing a revamped methodology to highlight athlete brand strength, audience reach and economic impact.

His innovative partnership strategies have earned multiple accolades, including breaking four Guinness World Records and raising over £500,000 for charity.

Kate Hamer

AxisStars & Kate Hamer Ltd
UK
Co-Founder and COO

LinkedIn

Kate Hamer is a Marketeer who has specialised in Digital throughout her career. She worked client side for more than 15 years in global household brand names such as Orange, Unilever, Tesco, Disney and L’Oréal. She has managed and delivered brand partnerships both from a brand perspective and also as a representative of talent and influencers.

Kate has a range of B2B and B2C experience. In 2015 she established her own consultancy where she’s worked with a wide range of clients in sectors such as Beauty, Entertainment, Food & Drink and Sport.

In 2018 she joined forces with Louis to develop AxisStars. Her hands-on experience client side combines with Louis’ extensive career to create the perfect appreciation of the support needed for Pro-Talent and Partners alike.

Colm Hanley

re|set
IRELAND
MD

LinkedIn

Colm Hanley is a Marketing and Communications professional with 17+ years’ experience in brand management, campaign delivery, and event marketing. With a strong background in entertainment, he bridges the needs of brands and the live events sector to create authentic, high-impact partnerships.

His career includes over a decade with MCD Productions managing communications for major festivals and artists, and since 2017 he has led consumer brand campaigns at Murray Consultants/Sweartaker for clients such as Three, Irish Distillers, Audi, Meta, and Sony PlayStation.

Specialising in music, arts, and entertainment, Colm has delivered award-winning sponsorship activations, most notably for Three, winning European and Irish Sponsorship Awards. He also brings experience in radio presenting and producing, and has served on arts festival boards.

Now running his own consultancy, Colm delivers PR, marketing, and event management for diverse range of clients while continuing to manage and develop emerging Irish music and entertainment talent.

Rebecca Hargreaves

Hanover Sport
UK
Director

LinkedIn

I have worked in the sports industry for more than twenty years, partnering with some of the most recognised rights holders and brands. My experience includes campaigns with the NFL, WSL Football, LaLiga and Wimbledon, as well as global brands such as Barclays, DHL and Carlsberg.

My focus has always been on strategic storytelling – helping organisations define and communicate their ‘sport story’ in ways that connect with new audiences and support long-term growth.

I currently lead our Sport team and oversee our biggest accounts, including the NFL, WSL Football and Wimbledon. I am passionate about the role of sport in engaging people and building communities, and about creating work that delivers real impact for both rights holders and brands.

Rob Hartnett

Sport for Business
IRELAND
Founder

LinkedIn

Rob Hartnett is the Founder and CEO of Sport for Business.

Established in 2011 as a ‘meeting point between sporting bodies and commercial partners,’ it has grown to be an influential and important part of Irish sport’s commercial world.

Part publisher, networker, event manager and host, he has built it to a point where it has over 300 organisations as members and a monthly readership of over 50,000.

Its Daily News Bulletins, as many as 40 events a year, and ability to bring people together have proven a winning formula for the business and the sector as a whole.

He is Chair of the Dublin City Council Sport and Wellbeing Partnership and the Federation of Irish Sport Sport Industry Awards; he serves on the Gender Equality Commission of the Olympic Federation of Ireland and on the Board of Special Olympics Ireland.

In 2024, he was given a Lifetime Contribution Award at the Irish Sponsorship Awards.

He loves sport, naturally, reading, voraciously, and living life at full tilt.

Tom Henderson

DSM
UK
Co Founder & Joint Managing Director

LinkedIn

Tom is an accomplished Sports Marketing Executive with over 17 years of international experience spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. With a diverse career across both agency and brand-side roles, he brings a proven track record of leadership, innovation, and commercial growth in sport, gaming, and entertainment. In 2016, Tom Co-Founded Digital Sports Mgmt, a specialist agency at the intersection of sport, gaming, and entertainment, which was acquired by YMU Group in 2022, where it now forms a key part of their Sports Division.

His expertise encompasses global sponsorship strategy, partnership development and activation, athlete and rights holder management, digital marketing, influencer engagement, gaming consultancy, and content creation. Tom has spearheaded the sponsorship strategy and partnerships activation of blockbuster gaming titles (FIFA 12–17), brokered multi-million dollar partnerships, led ambassador and partnership negotiations, produced global campaigns, and consistently delivered measurable ROI.

Tom Hines

UNTAPPED PARTNERSHIPS
UK
Creative Director

LinkedIn

Co-Founder of UNTAPPED, Tom is a seasoned sports media consultant with a career spanning over two decades in digital content strategy, broadcasting, and sports technology. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the digital narratives of sports organisations, including Arsenal, Chelsea, England Rugby, BT Sport, and Goodwood.

As Co-Founder and Creative Director of UNTAPPED, Tom is now focussed on applying data and AI to the traditional creative process, and delivering smarter sponsorship for brands and rights-holders. He is recognised as a creative strategist who values collaboration and good people.

He is a trained counsellor, occasional consultant on commercial sports media strategies, and has a commitment to mentorship, talent development and access to the sports industry.

Fredda Hurwitz

Gingernut Thinking
USA
Founder

LinkedIn

Originally from Boston, MA, Fredda lived in Europe for 30 years after graduating from the University of California Berkeley.

From Disney Consumer Products EMEA to the NHL and NFL, to some of the most renowned agencies including Momentum, Octagon, Ogilvy One and Redmandarin, Fredda spent 20+ years working mostly in sports & entertainment marketing, strategy and sponsorship, including 8 years as the Global CSO at Havas Play in London. In 2018 she returned to the states to join an independent brand engagement agency as their CMO. In late 2020, she launched Gingernut Thinking D.C., a globally focused strategic marketing, partnerships and brand consultancy.

Fredda is an adjunct professor at VCU’s School of Business and GMU’s Costello School of Business. She serves as a Capstone advisor for masters’ candidates at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies.

Fredda has two very British kids, is passionate about supporting the neurodivergent community and really hates clowns.

This is her 10th year as an ESA judge.

Louise Jukes

TeamViewer
UK
Senior Partnership Manager

LinkedIn

Louise Jukes is a seasoned sponsorship and partnerships professional with over 15 years’ experience working with some of the world’s most iconic sports properties. As Senior Sponsorship Manager at TeamViewer, she oversees global partnerships with Manchester United and F1 Academy.

Passionate about the power of sport to drive cultural relevance, Louise has led award-winning campaigns from thought leadership initiatives to purpose-driven projects such as SheSportTech and TeamViewer’s groundbreaking partnership with F1 Academy, championing gender equality in sport and technology.

Her career began at Liverpool FC, where she launched the touring fan experience LFC World before moving into a commercial operations role, overseeing rights delivery across the men’s and women’s first teams.

A former Olympian, Louise brings a rare perspective as both an elite athlete and brand strategist, balancing commercial outcomes with storytelling that resonates deeply with fans.

Alan Keane

Teneo
IRELAND
Senior Consultant

LinkedIn

Alan Keane is a Senior Consultant in Teneo’s Sports Advisory team, with six years’ experience in sponsorship activation, valuation and strategy development, as well as strategic communications campaigns.

Alan enjoys working with brands to build integrated sponsorship campaigns that achieve their business objectives while also elevating the rightsholder and making positive societal change. Alan’s work in Teneo has seen him play an integral role in award-winning sponsorships and communications campaigns including the Save Dublin Zoo campaign and Vhi’s sponsorship of parkrun.

Before joining Teneo in October 2019, Alan spent five years with Plunkett PR working across the travel, publishing, marketing, healthcare and financial sectors.

He graduated from the University of Limerick with a BA New Media and English before going on to complete Journalism MA at NUI Galway.

While at Teneo he has added a Diploma in Sponsorship from the ESA as well as a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the UCD Professional Academy.

Mike Keech

MikeKeech.com
NEW ZEALAND
Founder

LinkedIn

Mike Keech is a global sponsorship and partnerships leader with over 30 years’ experience, holding senior roles and acting as a trusted advisor to brands and rights holders across live entertainment, sport, international education, property development, and charities. His career includes leadership positions with Live Nation, the Houston Rockets, and Hato Hone St John, Nissan and DHL delivering strategies that drive brand growth and authentic audience connection across APAC, Europe, and the US.

Respected for his commercial insight and collaborative approach, Mike has judged the European Sponsorship Awards, the New Zealand Marketing Awards, the New Zealand Events Association Awards, and SPIA Asia, bringing a balanced and strategic perspective to evaluating sponsorship and partnership excellence.

Jillian Keene

Freelance and Consulting
UAE & IRELAND
Sponsorship Director

LinkedIn

Jill Keene is an award-winning Marketing Leader and Sponsorship Director with 20 years experience managing high profile commercial sponsorship and brand partnership portfolios around the globe.

Jill has extensive experience across sport, music and entertainment, arts and culture and has worked with iconic brands and rights holders including Telefonica O2, Three, Liberty Global, Aramco, Formula One, Manchester United, PIF, WTA & AT, Visit Rwanda, PFIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, 2016 Rio Olympic Games and international talent such as Xavi Hernandez, David Beckham to name a few.

Jill takes a strategic approach with utilising marketing partnerships to create unique consumer and fan experiences to drive commercial and brand objectives, whilst at the same time solving organisational challenges.

She has a strong track record of building and managing diverse, high performing teams and enjoys working within multi-cultural, global environments.

Charlotte Kenny

Feenix Sport
UK
CEO

LinkedIn

Charlotte Kenny is CEO of Feenix Sport, a pioneering youth-focused sport and entertainment agency connecting global brands with the next generation of fans. A commercial strategist and board leader at the intersection of sport, culture, and digital innovation, she is recognised for scaling fan-first, high-growth organisations, and audience in rapidly changing landscapes.

With 25+ years of senior experience across the Premier League, e sports, banking, and utilities, Charlotte has led £200M+ businesses, delivered double-digit commercial uplifts at Arsenal FC and BLAST E Sports, and built platforms from OTT streaming to Roblox activations. She has launched partnerships with leading brands and rights holders worldwide, always championing a fan-first approach.

Charlotte began her career at EDF and Nationwide, including activating London 2012 Olympic sponsorship. She also founded Brave Blossom consultancy, serves on multiple boards across sport and media, and lectures at London Business School.

James Kent

Pernod Ricard
UK
Global Senior Brand Manager – Gaming & Esports

LinkedIn

As a partnerships leader at Pernod Ricard, James oversees the global gaming strategy for Ballantine’s, defining and executing how the no.2 scotch whisky turns up in a key passion point for a cross-generation of consumers.

With over 15 years’ previous sponsorship and partnerships experience at global rightsholders and brands (Live Nation | ESL FACEIT Group | Samsung | McLaren Automotive) James has created, negotiated and activated insight-led sponsorships across multiple categories and investment levels.

Lars Köhnen

FedEx Europe
GERMANY
Senior Brand Marketing Specialist

LinkedIn

Lars is Senior Brand Marketing Specialist and Sponsoring Expert at FedEx with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He is leading the global media strategy within the UEFA Champions League sponsorship of the global logistics service provider. 2025 Lars and the FedEx team could win the ESA Award for their 2023 UCL final campaign in the Best Use of PR category.

Over the course of his career Lars has worked on several sponsorships on client, rightsholder and agency side, including UEFA Europa League, UEFA EURO 2020, ATP Tour, Formula 1, German Bundesliga, America’s Cup as well as athlete and celebrity management.

Lars strongly believes that sponsorships can play a crucial role in brand marketing from driving awareness and consideration to pushing sales, where it fits to the product. But for him, a sponsorship is predominantly a key driver to build mental availability amongst the audience through brand exposure, storytelling and a strong emotional link in relevant environments.

Richard Lardner

MKTG Sports + Entertainment
UK
Business Director, Sponsorship & Consulting

LinkedIn

Richard is a sponsorship marketing expert with 10 years experience in building, managing, and delivering integrated sports marketing partnership solutions for clients across several industries. Richard currently leads on global sport sponsorship accounts at MKTG Sports + Entertainment, providing sponsorship consultancy and activation best practice for brands in the UK and globally.

Richard has a breadth of experience working across sponsorship strategy and partnership identification, as well as sponsorship implementation and activation. Richard’s broad agency experience has enabled him to help brands navigate the sponsorship marketplace and maximise business value and return through sports sponsorship and partnerships.

Currently Richard leads in consulting FedEx on their global sponsorship of UEFA Champions League and advising brands such as eBay and Vodafone Business on their partnerships. Richard also has experience working with high-profile brands in the FMCG sector, such as Mondelez International and Coca-Cola.

David Lucas

YouGov Sport
UK
Head of Sport UK

LinkedIn

I am an experienced professional in the field of sports research and consultancy and have been Head of Sports in the UK for YouGov since 2024. With a career spanning 20+ years, I have established myself as a thought leader in leveraging data-driven strategies to enhance marketing effectiveness, fan engagement, partner acquisition and retention, and business growth within the sports industry.

At YouGov Sports, I lead a team of analysts and researchers uncovering actionable insights that drive decision-making for many of the UK’s most prominent sports rights holders and brands. My expertise lies in translating complex data into compelling narratives that inform marketing strategies, sponsorship activations, and fan experience enhancements.

Before joining YouGov Sports, I held key positions at Nielsen Sports and Ipsos MORI, where I honed my skills in market research, consumer behaviour analysis, and strategic consulting. My work has been instrumental in shaping campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences, from casual to avid fans.

Lorna Maguire

Titan Experience
IRELAND
Head of Client Services

LinkedIn

Lorna is Head of Client Services with TITAN, a leading creative, content and experiential agency located in Dublin. Entering the industry with a Masters education in Marketing, Lorna has over 15 years’ experience in the industry across Events, Sponsorship Activation and Marketing within agency environs. Her career has spanned across two main sectors – Sport and Entertainment and has involved working directly with Rightsholders, Brands and Talent.

At TITAN, we create brand culture through authentic touchpoints and experiences curated in partnership with our clients for their consumer leaving a lasting impact. In order to do this, Lorna leads her team with a sharp eye for detail and a passion for excellence—making sure every client benefits from smart strategy and seamless execution, whilst pushing the boundaries of possibilities.

Lucy Mart

PrettyGreen
UK
Co-Managing Director

LinkedIn

With over 20 years’ experience spanning PR, experiential marketing, channel planning and brand communications, Lucy Mart brings a dynamic mix of creativity and commercial acumen. Thriving in the fast-paced world of independent agencies, she is known for driving impactful, insight-led campaigns that solve complex brand challenges.

A vocal advocate for the role of PR within the wider marketing mix, Lucy champions the power of strategic communications to deliver measurable business impact. She has twice judged the European Sponsorship Awards (2024 and 2025) and sits on the Advisory Board for PR360, the UK’s leading event for communications professionals.

Energetic, curious and commercially minded, Lucy is passionate about elevating the standards of creativity and strategy in the industry, and is committed to recognising best-in-class work through her role as a judge.

Wim Mathues

Wasserman
BELGIUM
Senior Vice President – Brands & Properties

LinkedIn

Seasoned marketing & sales leader, with specific experience in the sports & entertainment marketing, consumer goods (FMCG/CPG), digital commerce, and tech landscape! Currently SVP Brands & Properties, and Country Director Benelux at “Wasserman” agency since early 2023, and Partnership Consultant at global sports retailer Decathlon.

Worked for or with brands like Coca-Cola, GfK, Nielsen Sports (Repucom), Mastercard, Entain Group (bwin & Ladbrokes), Classified Cycling. Through Wasserman, worked on European sports, music and culture/lifestyle sponsorship projects for AB InBev (10 brands), Bacardi-Martini Group, Pernod Ricard, BYD, PSV Eindhoven football club, Van Rysel cycling, Biscoff/Lotus, Deloitte and many more.

Guest lecturer in sports & digital marketing at KU Leuven, Vlerick Business School, UCLL, KdG, The Football Business Academy, and advisory board member at several SME’s in tech, sports, entertainment or FMCG brands.

Gavin McAllister

1920 Worldwide (Ireland)
IRELAND
Managing Director

LinkedIn

Gavin has spent more than 20 years working in sponsorship and partnerships, across agency, rightsholder and brand including WRC, Rally Ireland, Platinum One and Three Ireland. With a breadth of experience covering sport, venues, festivals and cultures, he has worked with some of Ireland’s biggest rightsholders including the FAI, IRFU and Live Nation.

In 2022 he opened the Ireland offices of 1920 Worldwide – a marketing and commercial innovation agency that leverages the power of partnerships to accelerate growth. Since then, he’s worked with the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, Irish Sailing and Golf Ireland, alongside brands like JYSK, Braeburn Coffee and Cornmarket. Having sat on both sides of the table, Gavin knows what partnerships need to do: spark relationships, drive growth, and create moments people actually remember.

Dave McCann

RISE
UAE
Partner

LinkedIn

I am a founding Partner of RISE, the Middle East’s fastest growing, independent sponsorship agency. Since our inception 11 years ago, I have grown the agency from three founding Partners, to a multi-million dollar turnover business, servicing brands, rights holders and government entities across the GCC.

Our teams operate from four offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah. Our 60+ staff come from 16 different countries and we are committed to supporting the growth of the sponsorship industry in the Middle East. Recently, we launched a talent academy in Saudi Arabia, to help young people in the Kingdom enter the sponsorship industry and support the fast growth until the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

RISE represents rights holders to support the commercialisation of their assets – most notably the Saudi Pro League and Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi. We also work with many of the region’s biggest brands to activate their sponsorships, including the likes of Saudi Tourism Authority, SAVVY Gaming and CFI.

Ellen McConville Boyd

Teneo
IRELAND
Senior Consultant

LinkedIn

Ellen is a Senior Consultant on the Teneo Sports Advisory Team where she works with a diverse range of brands, playing a key role in managing and activating their sponsorship strategies and campaigns. She provides communications and sponsorship consultancy to key clients of the business across insurance, tech, motoring and utilities, as well as governing bodies.

Prior to joining Teneo, Ellen started her career with Very.ie as part of their sponsorship team, developing and executing content and social strategies for the brand’s sponsorship properties.

She qualified from Dublin City University with a BA (Hons) in Gaeilge agus Iriseoireacht (Irish and Journalism) and has gone on to study the ESA Sponsorship and Sports Marketing Diploma and a diploma in Digital Marketing from the UCD Professional Academy.

Harriet McDonald

Transport for London
UK
Head of Commercial Partnerships

LinkedIn

Harriet McDonald is a senior commercial and partnerships leader with a proven track record of transforming income across private, public, and charity sectors. She raises commercial ambition, drives cultural change, and delivers sustainable growth.

At Transport for London, Harriet founded the Commercial Partnerships team, generating over £20m annually and securing major deals including the £100m Santander Cycle Hire and £36m Emirates Cable Car sponsorships. She led the £12m Tower Bridge relighting consortium and positioned TfL as a public sector exemplar.

Harriet began her career in media with ITV, Classic FM, and Channel 4, before moving to Cancer Research UK to lead Race for Life sponsorship. At the Mayor of London’s office, she commercialised public programmes and advised Mayors Livingstone and Johnson on strategy.

Harriet is a trusted adviser across sectors, known for her strategic vision, stakeholder leadership, and ability to unlock new opportunities.

Sandy McDougall

FIA FORULA E
UK
Business Intelligence – Director

LinkedIn

Sandy McDougall is an award-winning insights leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping media insight and sponsorship research strategy across world-class organisations including FIA Formula E, Sky and Discovery. At Formula E, she leads global media and fan insights, delivering data-driven strategies that guide C-suite decision-making. Previously at Sky, Sandy directed the sponsorship and partnership evaluation programme, winning multiple UK Sponsorship Awards for Best Use of Research and developing innovative approaches to measure brand and audience impact across platforms.

A frequent international conference speaker, she combines deep expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods with a passion for demonstrating sponsorship’s role in driving measurable commercial return.

Mary McGuire

Legacy Communications
IRELAND
Head of Sponsorship

LinkedIn

As Head of Sponsorship with Legacy Communications, Mary McGuire leads strategic partnerships and sponsorship initiatives for high-profile partnerships in Ireland.

Mary excels in cultivating long-term relationships and driving value for both sponsors and rightsholders. Her expertise ranges from in-house to agency; for both rightsholders and brands in Australia and Ireland, making her a key player in delivering impactful and innovative sponsorship programs.

She brings a keen understanding of brand alignment and audience engagement, ensuring mutual success for all involved.

Hannah McKay

American Express
UK
Director, UK Brand Experiences

LinkedIn

Hannah is a brand and sponsorships marketing leader who has worked across global brands and agencies.

Currently on maternity leave, she is Director of UK Brand and Experiences at American Express, responsible for cultural partnerships such as National Theatre, alongside brand advertising, management and innovation. Prior to this role, she led Amex’s global sponsorships including Wimbledon, Brighton & Hove Albion and AEG tours and festivals. During her time at Amex, brand consideration amongst UK millennials and Gen Z has risen considerably.

Before her time at Amex, Hannah spent several years at Wasserman in the brands consulting division, supporting brands to maximise returns from their sponsorships.

Hannah’s personal interests are the rise of women’s sport, in particular netball, and honing her negotiation skills as a parent of two girls.

Karen Morris

Reg&Partners
UK
Managing Director

LinkedIn

Founder and director of Reg&Co now Reg&Partners a boutique agency that brings organisations together to make good things happen. I help organisations understand the value of their partnership offer and then translate the strategy into obtaining sponsors. We are a creative, tenacious sponsorship sales agency who gets results. We were acquired by The Ingenuity Group in February 2024.

Over 30 years of experience, specialising in creating value for clients through loyalty programmes, brand partnerships, sponsorship, or fundraising. Clients have included RHS, Merlin, Hello Fresh, Penguin, Hasbro, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Harlequins RFC, CRUK, Landsec, TfL, Liverpool City Council, Glasgow Life, World Gymnastics Championships, Transport for Greater Manchester, FT, Affordable Art Fair, BBC Earth Experience, Moniker Art Fair, IWSC, Volunteer It Yourself, Photo London and Somerset House among many others.

Kieran Morris

Intelligence Squared
UK
Global Head of Partnerships

LinkedIn

Kieran Morris is a leader in strategic partnerships and content, with over a decade at the intersection of media, content, and live events.

At Intelligence Squared, he leads global brand partnerships that bring powerful ideas to life, curating bold debates, compelling podcasts, and original editorial series that engage influential, high-level audiences.

His career spans major names including The Telegraph, Slingshot Sponsorship, and Worcester Warriors, where he built a reputation for crafting innovative, commercially successful partnerships.

Known for his commercial acumen and instinct for storytelling, Kieran aligns brands with meaningful, purpose-led conversations that cut through the noise.

Ashley Morrow

SSE
UK
Head of Brand, Advertising and Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Dr Ashley Morrow, currently Head of Brand, Advertising and Sponsorship at SSE, has built up a wealth of marketing experience over the past 20 years. Her career has spanned a broad range of corporate and consumer sectors across the UK and Ireland including energy, financial services, sports, manufacturing, technology, travel and tourism, insurance, education, and retail industries.

Morrow and the wider Marketing team are responsible for driving the brand strategy for SSE’s customer brands across the UK and Ireland, delivering creative sponsorship, communication and media strategies to drive awareness, consideration and lead generation.

Morrow holds a First Class Honours degree in Communication, Advertising and Marketing from Ulster University, as well as a Doctorate (PhD) in Organisational Communication, and Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Development for Researchers.

Nuno Moura

Legends Global

PORTUGAL
Managing Director Iberia

LinkedIn

Nuno Moura is a globally recognised sports business leader. Nuno served as Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer at Portugal’s Football Federation over the last decade, leading the organisation’s brand and commercial offence that elevated Portugal into one of the world’s most prominent sports brands and intellectual properties. He was also a valued member of UEFA’s Marketing Advisory.

Previously, Nuno was Nike’s Global Digital Marketing Director, where he spearheaded groundbreaking brand campaigns, social media initiatives, e-commerce, and digital innovation projects. His work included major tournaments such as the UEFA Euros, FIFA World Cups, the Olympics, and more. Additionally, he spent four years at Viacom (MTV) driving transformation within the media and entertainment industry.

Nuno was honored with the “Leader Under 40” award by Leaders in Sport in both 2016 and 2019. He holds an Executive Master’s degree in Global Sport Governance.

John Mulcahy

Sport Science Agency
UK
Director

LinkedIn

John Mulcahy is the Founder and Director of Sport Science Agency, a specialist consultancy at the intersection of elite performance and sports marketing.

With over 20 years’ experience, he has worked with global brands and rights holders to unlock the commercial value of performance insights, transforming athlete data, science, and training environments into impactful sponsorship platforms

John has led award-winning projects with organisations including Vodafone, AWS, adidas, and Playermaker, demonstrating how performance can create authentic fan engagement and commercial differentiation.

His work continues to redefine how brands and rights holders use performance to drive meaningful sponsorship activations.

Eoin Mullen

Dr. Oetker Ireland
IRELAND
Marketing Manager

LinkedIn

Eoin Mullen is an accomplished marketing leader with over 15 years of experience managing and growing  consumer brands across Ireland, UK, and Asia. Currently Marketing Manager at Dr. Oetker Ireland, he leads the Pizza and Baking marketing and category function. A member of the local  Senior Leadership Team, he is responsible for brand strategy, NPD, agency management, budgeting, and integrated campaign execution.

Prior to returning to Ireland, Eoin led brand marketing for Unilever International  across Asia. He successfully launched several brands into white spaces for Unilever, including Magnum Ice Cream into South Korea. He previously worked in Unilever UK  and led the rejuvenation of heritage brand Brut.

Eoin’s expertise extends beyond FMCG into the world of sports marketing, having managed global partnerships for Aon with Manchester United FC and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 during his time in Aon Singapore.

Nobandile Mutseyekwa

Iris Worldwide
UK
PR & Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

I’m a PR and partnerships professional with over three years’ experience delivering campaigns and collaborations that connect brands, talent, and audiences in meaningful ways. I’ve had the opportunity to work with leading names including Samsung, PUMA, The FA, and Adidas, where I’ve managed partnerships that span athlete/athlete management, sponsorship strategy, campaign development, and live event activations.

My career in partnerships started with ESA. After completing my undergraduate degree in Sport management in 2021, I embarked on the next stage of my career by completing the ESA Diploma, which introduced me to the world of sponsorships and partnerships. I enjoy acting as the bridge between stakeholders and thrive on building relationships and ensuring every collaboration delivers results that matter, for both the brand and the people behind it.

Melissa Noakes

Santander UK
UK
Head of Sponsorship & Events

LinkedIn

Melissa Noakes is the Head of Sponsorship and Events at Santander UK. She is a curator and creator of experiences and has spent two decades finding different ways to connect brands to their audiences through the power of peoples’ passions.

She has delivered award winning brand experiences and sponsorship activations globally for Santander, Sony Ericsson and Sony Mobile, Budweiser, L’Oreal, Jack Daniels, Disney and many other iconic brands. Throughout her career she has worked on some of the world’s most iconic properties including Scuderia-Ferrari, Formula 1, Atlassian Williams Racing, Santander Cycles, UEFA Champions League, Women’s Tennis Association and the World Cup.

Melissa is also the co-founder of ELEVATE, a UK wide mentoring programme for the events industry that has supported over 2,000 people in their career development to date.

Conor Nolan

Creative Artists Agency
UK
Senior Account Manager

LinkedIn

Conor Nolan is a Senior Manager at CAA, the leading sports and entertainment agency, where he advises global brands on sponsorship strategy, activation, and commercial growth. With a focus on football and emerging industries, he has led award-nominated work across Premier League partnerships with Arsenal, West Ham United, and Manchester City.

Currently, Conor leads OKX’s global partnership with Manchester City, applying creative problem-solving and a results-driven approach, to turn brand objectives into measurable business outcomes.

A graduate of the MSc Sports Management programme at University College Dublin, Conor was named to the 2021 PwC & Sport for Business 30 Under 30 Young Leaders of Tomorrow list, and is a member of the 2025 Leaders in Sport and Sports Business Journal Leaders Club.

Passionate about developing future talent, he regularly guest lectures on sponsorship and brand storytelling.

Khadeen O’Donnell

UK

LinkedIn

Khadeen O’Donnell is a seasoned partnerships specialist with significant experience within Arts & Culture rights holders such as Southbank Centre and English National Ballet.

She has been on the board at ESA (the European Sponsorship Association), since July 2021.

Ciara O’Grady

ONSIDE
IRELAND
Senior Consultant

LinkedIn

Ciara has a wealth of experience in marketing, sponsorship programme management, corporate services and preferred partnership programmes. She has worked with both rights holders and sponsors across sectors and geographies, including The Gleneagle Group, Bord Gáis Energy and The National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght.

At ONSIDE she is a Senior Consultant with the Advisory Team and leads on supporting clients with setting sponsorship strategy, delivering intelligence, compiling valuations and general counsel.

Stuart Owen

rEvolution
UK
Group Director, Account Management

LinkedIn

With a nearly 15-year agency background across Repucom, SQN and now rEvolution, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s biggest and best brands and rightsholders. During this period of time I’ve been able to experience many facets of the sponsorship industry from negotiation through to evaluation, and enjoyed bringing brand stories to life through engaging global activations. I’ve seen the sponsorship industry adapt and expand during this time, responding to marketplace changes and evolutions in our knowledge of the sector.

Having undertaken the ESA Diploma in 2017, been an ESA Awards judge in 2022 and 2023, and been part of an ESA award-winning entry in 2025, the organisation has played an important part in my personal development, and will continue to do so moving forward.

Laura Palairet

AEG
UK
Senior Director, Partnerships

LinkedIn

Laura is a sponsorship professional with almost two decades of experience working with brands and agencies in the sector. Starting her career as a graduate in the advertising agency iris Worldwide, she went on to join the Movember Foundation, part of the team who launched the charity in Europe and running the partnerships function. For the last eight years, Laura works at the music and entertainment company AEG, leading the partnerships activation team at The O2 arena.

David Pansbo

Playmakers
DENMARK
Partner & Sr. Advisor

LinkedIn

I am the founder of Playmakers, where I help sports organisations increase ticketing, merchandise, and sponsorship revenues by using structured fan data and always-on campaigns. My focus is on making clubs run more like modern e-commerce businesses, combining data with creativity to deliver results.

Before Playmakers, I held CEO and COO roles in sports, SaaS, and media, leading international teams and building commercial frameworks that drove measurable growth. I have worked with clubs, leagues, and brands to align business goals with digital execution, ensuring that sponsorships and campaigns deliver both impact and return.

Over the past decade, I have built deep experience in sponsorship activation, enterprise sales, and fan engagement strategies. I enjoy bridging strategy and execution, and I am passionate about helping organisations unlock more value from their partnerships while strengthening the connection between rights holders, brands, and fans.

Chris Parker

Mondelez
UK
Brand Manager – Partnerships

LinkedIn

Chris is a globally experienced marketing leader with over 7 years’ experience in activating with high-profile sponsorships across sport and entertainment.

He has delivered award-winning sponsorship activations with Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as leading athletes such as Harry Kane, Leah Williamson, Ian Wright and Gary Neville to name a few.

Currently at Mondelez, and previously at Unilever, Chris has built a deep expertise in FMCG partnerships – driving brand relevance by embedding partnerships into culture through commercially impactful campaigns. His work has been recognised internationally, with a passion for breaking creative boundaries to drive long-term cultural impact.

Chris is also passionate about developing teams and contributing to the industry. He was named Enactus UK Coach of the Year in 2022, and has spoken on sponsorship, communities and inclusion at the Women’s Sport Trust and the European Sponsorship Association in recent years.

Rob Pearson

Teneo Sports Advisory
IRELAND
Head of Sponsorship

LinkedIn

I’ve spent the last 15 years working across the full spectrum of sponsorship, and am Head of Teneo’s Sponsorship offering in Ireland and across Europe. I help brands and rights holders get the most from their partnerships, whether that’s designing strategies, negotiating big renewals, creating campaigns that really connect with fans or justifying investment & ROI through business & audience impact.

Away from the day job I sit on numerous committees with National Governing Bodies and charities in the sporting realm. I also try and squeeze in some running, cycling, swimming and hiking!

Javier Pérez Díez

ODEON Cinemas Group
IRELAND
Marketing Manager ODEON Ireland

LinkedIn

I’m Javier Pérez, a Brand Marketing professional with experience across Spain and Ireland.

In the South of Spain, I managed B2B growth for Mail Boxes Etc., strengthening local networks through sophisticated mass marketing and tailored brand awareness campaigns. These initiatives helped position the brand as a trusted partner for small and medium businesses in competitive markets.

Today, I coordinate marketing for ODEON in Ireland, working closely with the UK team to deliver impactful campaigns. My role covers in-cinema branding, film promotion, and brand promotion, like the launch of the new ODEON Extras loyalty scheme in Ireland, through PR events and digital channels.

I have led social media strategies with original content to support new releases, while combining CRM, web and DOOH advertising to drive stronger brand awareness and customer engagement.

Ma’ayan Plane

Artichoke
UK
Development Director

LinkedIn

Ma’ayan is a fundraising and partnerships specialist with over 14 years’ experience in the arts, including eight years at Artichoke, producer of Lumiere, the UK’s most significant light-art festival. Her work centres on securing sponsorship within a charitable organisation at a commercial level, from partnerships with leading regional businesses in transport, utilities and infrastructure through to collaborations with national and international brands.

With previous senior roles at the Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Ma’ayan has built a career translating ambitious artistic projects into compelling sponsorship opportunities. She brings particular expertise in festival sponsorship, understanding both the opportunities and challenges of delivering value for partners, audiences and communities within complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Heikki Pohjonen

Rivents Oy
FINLAND
Sales Director

LinkedIn

I’m the head of sales for Rivents Oy, where we organize eg. Finnish Sports Gala and world’s biggest junior volleyball tournament Power Cup.

Rivents offers effective and impactful sponsorship partnerships for brands.

I’ve been a board member on Spot Ry (Finnish sponsorship & event association) and acting as a judge for Spot Awards. Now I’m a member of the board for Finnish sports managers and frisbeegolf company NBDG. I’m also an advisor for 10 Sports Marketing Hub.

I am one of the founders and chairman of the board for HAVU Gaming esports organization.

Our sponsorship concept for HAVU Gaming and Vattenfall has won sponsorship of the year in Spot Awards 2024, and Europe’s best esports and gaming sponsorship in ESA Awards 2025.

I’ve discovered my passion for sponsorship already in Aalto Yliopisto doing my Master’s thesis on how to leverage digital channels in activating sponsorships. I have a degree in sports management from Vierumäki and a international degree on sports marketing & sponsorship from Barcelona Innovation Hub.

Tijana Popadić

Sportit agency
SERBIA
Executive Director

LinkedIn

As a Sponsorship Specialist with over 10 years of experience in grassroots sports and community-driven events, I’m passionate about building partnerships that create shared value. Learned from the job I have been doing for our own events, but also from the regional masters. Proudly presenting at SPORTO sustainable events and conference. Have been ESA judge for many years in the past, now I am also adding ESA Diploma to my portofolio.

Marco Raggi

42 Racing SA
SWITZERLAND
President

LinkedIn

I am a professional with +30 years of activity in Sales & Marketing spent in various industries: Insurance and Telematics in particular. In the early 2000s I co-founded one of the first European web companies in the field of motor insurance price comparison.

Over the years I have worked closely with brands and agencies globally until, guided since childhood by a genuine passion for motorsports, I founded 42 Racing in 2017.

42 Racing is founded on the idea of a “boutique agency”, active in
– Sponsorship management,
– Driver mentoring and consultancy,
– and finding additional added value for Customers
resulting from my passion for and deep knowledge of motorsports.

Louise Ravenscroft

Legends Global
UK
VP, Global Partnerships

LinkedIn

As a strategic partnerships executive, I specialize in transforming commercial opportunities into meaningful, revenue-driving partnerships that create value for all stakeholders. In my current role driving sales revenue generation for Premier League club Aston Villa FC, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the strategic artistry behind successful sponsorship programs.

My experience spans some of sport’s most prestigious global stages, including the IAAF World Championships, Rugby World Cup, Commonwealth Games, and IRONMAN competitions. Through these diverse activations, I’ve gained valuable insight into what makes partnerships truly resonate—from grassroots community engagement to international brand storytelling.

What excites me most about the sponsorship industry is its collaborative nature. The best partnerships emerge when brands, properties, and agencies work together with transparency and shared vision. I bring this philosophy to every relationship I build, whether I’m negotiating complex deals or mentoring emerging talent.

Peter Raymond

PRS / ESA Diploma
UK
Course Director

LinkedIn

Meet Peter Raymond, Sponsorship Expert.

Peter founded and is Course Director of the much-accoladed ESA Diploma, the sponsorship industry’s leading professional qualification which has qualified +750 practitioners since 2012. He has 35+ years in sponsorship/sports marketing for leading agencies and brands; most notably, 8 years as Head of International Sponsorship at Orange (1996-2004).

Peter’s highlights include managing the sponsorship of the Castlemaine XXXX Australian Cricket and Rugby teams (1985-1992), selling and managing the sponsorship of the Nutrasweet and Flora London Marathons (1992-1996), devising Lucozade Sport’s strategic entry into sports sponsorship (1992) and taking senior management responsibility for the British Athletics sponsorship portfolio (1990-1992). Peter contracted and managed the ‘Orange BAFTA’s’, created and implemented ‘Orange Wednesdays’ and oversaw the sponsorship of the ‘Orange Arrows’ F1 team (1996-2004).

Peter has also consulted for Camelot, Panasonic, Michelin, Blackberry, BAFTA, Film London and the Crafts Council on a wide range of partnership-related projects (2003-2020) and co-founded a boutique strategy consultancy called Brouha in 2020.

In 2023 Peter was awarded the ESA Fellowship.

Darragh Rea

Edelman Ireland
IRELAND
CEO

LinkedIn

Darragh Rea brings over 20 years of expertise in communication strategy, with a focus on sponsorship as a platform for growth and reputation. He has led sponsorship campaigns for brands including SSE Airtricity, Cadbury, Three, Deep RiverRock, Xylem, Mars, KBC, Coca-Cola, Promise Gluten Free, Jacobs and Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard.

His work transforms sponsorship from simple visibility into a driver of cultural relevance, stakeholder trust, and measurable business impact. Before becoming CEO, he led Edelman’s Brand, Digital & Creative practice, producing award-winning campaigns across sport, culture, and purpose.

Darragh is a long-standing judge of the All Ireland Marketing Awards, and has also judged the Effies and the IAPI Female Futures Fund.

Gemma-Paige Reynolds

Oak View Group
UK
Head of Partnership Sales & Strategy

LinkedIn

Gemma-Paige is Head of Partnership Sales & Strategy at Oak View Group, where she leads commercial partnerships across OVG venues such as Co-op Live, and for clients including Celtic FC, EF Pro Cycling, and Birmingham City FC.

With over a decade of experience across the sports and events industry, she brings a well-rounded perspective from agency, brand, and rights-holder roles. Her career includes positions at the UK Government, British Cycling, Manchester United, and within the sports nutrition sector – delivering high-value sponsorships and global campaigns for major events including Expo 2020 Dubai, the Commonwealth Games, and COP28.

Oliver Rockett

The Value Xchange
UK
Partnership Manager

LinkedIn

Currently, working at The Value Xchange in London, I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to a wide range of projects across the sponsorship industry and in 2024 I undertook the ESA Diploma to broaden my knowledge and expand my horizons in the industry.

While my focus has primarily been on sports, I’ve also worked in entertainment, art, music, and the charity sector. Some of my favourite and most notable projects to date include Signify & Mercedes F1, Movember & Rugby League Ashes, Mentholatum & Hyrox and British Triathlon. My expertise spans both brands and rights holders, covering everything from activation planning to sales, measurement, and consulting.

John Rogers

Chelsea Football Club
UK
Head of Partnerships

LinkedIn

John has a broad understanding of the sports and entertainment industry, built over nearly two decades working across rightsholders, agencies and global brands. He leads the Partnerships team at Chelsea Football Club, where he is responsible for the strategy, delivery and growth of the club’s global commercial partner portfolio.

John has led partnership programmes and brand activations for major global brands such as Nike, Beats by Dre, EA Sports, Audi, Unilever and SAP — delivering integrated and award-winning campaigns across multiple markets, channels and rights holders.

He believes partnerships play a vital role in brand building — not just in driving awareness or sales, but in shaping cultural relevance and long-term brand equity.

Miles Rose

Hytro
UK
Global Head of Sales and Partnerships

LinkedIn

Currently head of sales and partnerships at Hytro.

Strategic sports marketer with global experience on rights holder, client and agency side. Delivered outstanding results in business development, brand partnerships, strategic sports marketing and team leadership.

Married with two sons and living in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK.

Abigail Russell

Pitch Marketing Group
UK
Head of Partnerships

LinkedIn

I am an experienced partnerships expert, currently heading up a brilliant team of specialists at Pitch Marketing Group.

With over a decade of experience managing global partnerships for some of the world’s most iconic brands – including evian, Booking.com, Tinder, NatWest and Gallagher – I would describe myself as a new age leader; I care about the world, about people, I am empathetic and I strive to do great work that does even better things for the planet and society. I believe sport has a unique power to unite, inspire and accelerate change and I am passionate about pushing beyond traditional sponsorship to build bold, culture-driven platforms that grow business, shift perceptions and shape the future of sport for good.

What really motivates me is creating work that has the potential to change people’s belief systems, not just to sell stuff. I thrive off pushing the boundaries of industry norms and unearthing creative and exciting territories for brands through partnership activations that truly win in culture.

Alice Samtoy

Samtoy Consulting
UK
Consultant

LinkedIn

Alice is a corporate partnerships expert with significant experience of fundraising in the cultural sector. She has 18 years of industry experience and three academic degrees, offering her clients a powerful combination of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.

Before launching her consultancy, Samtoy Consulting, Alice worked for major cultural institutions such as the National Theatre, the Barbican Centre, English National Opera, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of London Festival and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

As a consultant, her clients have included BAFTA, Benedetti Foundation, Capital Theatres, Durham University, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, National Museums Scotland, and Shetland Arts among many others. She is a regular trainer for Culture & Business Scotland. Alice lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two young sons.

Jon Scammell

Chelsea Football Club
UK
Head of Brand & Partner Marketing

LinkedIn

Jon Scammell is Head of Brand & Partner Marketing at Chelsea FC, bringing over 15 years of expertise in sports business, commercial partnerships, and brand activation. He leads innovative strategies that drive revenue growth, deepen fan engagement, and deliver exceptional value to global partners.

Jon’s work bridges commercial insight with creative execution, overseeing large-scale sponsorship activations, experiential marketing, and direct-to-consumer initiatives. Recognized for his strategic vision and collaborative leadership, he has successfully developed and delivered multi-million-pound campaigns that connect brands authentically with passionate sports audiences.

His passion lies in evolving sponsorship to create immersive, impactful experiences that resonate beyond the game.

Sam Scott

Verve
UK
Head of Commercial and Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Currently Head of Commercial and Sponsorship at Verve Live Agency. A leading sponsorship and events agency with offices across Europe.

I have over 14 years of agency, brand sponsorship and events experience. Starting his career within IMG, before moving to Synergy for a couple of years and onto Verve since 2016. I am passionate about how the sponsorship industry is ever changing through innovation with greater experiences for the consumer to enjoy.

Throughout my career I have worked across a number of brands, most notably with DIAGEO for over a decade, with him leading Verve’s long term partnership as their retained sponsorship agency.

Sam Seddon

Ormsdale Associates
UK
Director

LinkedIn

Sam is passionate about sport and partnerships as a vehicle to drive positive impacts and societal change. He combines his strategy consultancy, business development and marketing expertise to design and grow partnerships that deliver commercial value and social impact without comprise on any dimension.

After over a decade working for international businesses (IBM, DXC), with premium sports partners (Wimbledon, Scuderia Ferrari, Manchester United) and NGBs (England Rugby, GB Wheelchair Rugby), he has developed a unique perspective on how to build meaningful relationships and innovative partnerships that authentically link across rights holders, communities and brands.

Andrew Selby

Deloitte
UK
Head of Partnerships & Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Andrew leads Deloitte’s sponsorships & partnerships. He’s responsible for leveraging these relationships to help people to understand who Deloitte is and what they stand for, and to help inspire people who believe business can make a difference on the things that matter.

Prior to Deloitte, he worked agency-side helping brands and rights holders to develop, manage and execute partnerships across several sectors and industries including FTSE100 companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs, sport, media, automotive, FMCG, and fashion to name a few.

He is driven by the transformational impact which sport, activity, and entertainment can have on our lives – demonstrated by his work in this space, including his role as a Trustee of London Sport which helps Londoners live longer, healthier and happier lives through physical activity.

Joe Selfe

Formula 1
UK
Global Partnerships Lead

Joe is the Partnership Lead at F1, responsible for the full portfolio of F1’s current partners. He has been at F1 for the past 6½ years during which the sport, audience and commercial partnership landscape has changed and grown a significant amount.

Alongside building our model for rights delivery for each partner, his role during this time has focused on where we can build and drive value for both F1 and our partners, through exciting campaigns and integrations, that continues to support our growth to a new generation of fans, regions and partners.

James Sephton

Performance Communications
UK
Director

LinkedIn

I am a passionate sponsorship and media professional with over 20 years’ experience working with big sport, automotive and FMCG brands.

I have provided trusted counsel across a range of sponsorship and media relations challenges over the years and am now working in the world of sports sponsorship.

Recent work includes introducing the automotive brand, CUPRA, to the sport of padel in the UK, activating a front of shirt sponsorship at QPR and maximising the Genesis Scottish Open for the title partner.

Amar Singh

MKTG Sports + Entertainment
UK
SVP, Content & Creative

LinkedIn

Amar Singh is a media and marketing professional specialising in content strategy and digital marketing in sport. As SVP, Content & Comms at MKTG Sports + Entertainment, he works with global brands including Mondelez, FedEx and Vodafone on creative activation of their sports partnerships. Amar is also a Professor at the Football Business Academy, teaching Masters students digital content and marketing in football.

Previously, he was Head of Global Football Content at Budweiser, leading activations with the Premier League, LaLiga and England’s teams. At West Ham United, he drove record digital growth and led the Cannes Silver Lion–winning Messi 644 campaign.

Before marketing, Amar spent over a decade in journalism with leadership roles at Goal, Squawka and the London Evening Standard. He writes about content trends in sport in his Substack, The Sports Marketeer, and mentors with organisations including Kick It Out and One Million Mentors.

Ritin Singh

hala partners
INDIA
Chief Strategy & Product Officer

LinkedIn

Ritin Singh is Chief Strategy & Product Officer at hala partners, an independent sponsorship and commercial-strategy consultancy dominant in the Middle East.

For 16+ years he has advised Fortune 500 brands, government entities and elite rights-holders on partnership strategy, valuation and ROI modelling, shaping more than US $1 billion+ in investment decisions. Agency-side he has created multiple proprietary IPs now adopted across sport, esports and entertainment.

Ritin leads hala’s market-intelligence, strategy and product teams on complex, multi-sector programmes.

A former co-founder of INTELENSA and ex-Nielsen Sports strategist, he mentors emerging talent and champions higher industry standards through data-driven creativity and cultural insight.

Rob Singleton

Aviva
UK
Group Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

Rob is currently Group Sponsorship Manager at Aviva. Since joining in 2021, he has played a key role in shaping high-impact partnerships, including the launch of Aviva Studios—Manchester’s landmark venue for arts, culture and music—and, most recently, Aviva’s collaboration with Amazon Music’s City Sessions.

With over 15 years’ experience in the sponsorship industry, Rob has worked across agency, rights holder and brand-side roles, giving him a well-rounded perspective on the sponsorship landscape. His portfolio includes major properties and brands such as Norwich Union’s British Athletics sponsorship, Rugby League World Cup 2013, Rugby Football League, UEFA Women’s Euros 2021, Gillette, Marriott, Specsavers and Vodafone.

Rob is passionate about connecting brands to their audiences through the power of people’s passions. He specialises in building and executing partnership strategies that transform brand campaigns into measurable results. He is committed to driving innovation, effectiveness and integrity across the industry.

David Slattery

Pinergy
IRELAND
Head of Marketing

LinkedIn

David is a senior marketing professional with over 20+ years of experience leading high-performing teams across the Financial Services, Wealth Management, and Energy sectors. He has developed and delivered integrated marketing strategies spanning digital, brand, advertising, sponsorships, content, and reputation management.

Focused on strategic thinking and delivery of results, David has a strong track record of building brand, driving engagement, and delivering commercial outcomes in complex and regulated environments.

In his current role at Pinergy, David leads the marketing programme, overseeing brand development, campaign execution, and customer engagement. He also manages a wide-ranging sponsorship portfolio that includes partnerships across Rugby, Golf, GAA and the Arts—helping to align the brand with purpose-driven initiatives and build meaningful connections with key audiences.

The Pinergy marketing team were a finalist in this year’s MII All Ireland Marketing Awards.

James Smallwood

Aston Villa
UK
Head of Retail Partnerships

LinkedIn

A senior partnerships professional with 12+ years’ experience across sport, retail and marketing. At Aston Villa Football Club, he leads retail partnerships with adidas, JD and Fanatics, delivering revenue growth and standout activations including record kit launches and product collaborations.

Previously, James managed international sponsorships at Manchester United and MoPlay, working with brands such as Marriott Bonvoy, adidas and Saudi Telecom; delivering multi-million-pound partnerships with global impact.

His career spans agency, rights-holder and brand-side roles, providing a 360° view of the sponsorship industry. James holds an MSc in Global Business Management and the ESA Sponsorship Diploma, and actively mentors students, supporting pathways into careers in sport and sponsorship.

Kevin Smit

TeamViewer
UK
Team Lead Sports Partnerships

LinkedIn

Based in London, Kevin leads TeamViewer’s global sports partnerships, overseeing collaborations with Manchester United, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the F1 Academy, and FRISCH AUF! Göppingen Handball. He brings more than 17 years of experience across sponsorship, events, and brand partnerships.

Before joining TeamViewer, Kevin spent seven and a half years at one of New Zealand’s largest banks, working nationally and internationally across sport, entertainment, culture, arts, and social impact.

Laura Spaven

Arsenal Football Club
UK
Commercial Solutions and Operations Lead

LinkedIn

Currently Commercial Solutions and Operations Lead at Arsenal Football Club, Laura has over 15 years experience working in the commercial side of sponsorship and global events. She has had the pleasure of working brand side, at global agencies and at rights holders and loves the broad experience and view that that has given her.

From the early days of her career organising ball squads and managing queues of hundreds of people waiting for their photo with the Premier League Trophy, she is proud to have worked with and activated partnerships with some of the worlds leading brands including adidas, Emirates, Unilever, Mastercard, Google and Barclays across a multitude of global properties and agencies including Rugby World Cup, Commonwealth Games, IMG and Octagon.

I am passionate about leveraging the power and connection of sport to create change and open up conversations not traditionally seen from sports teams given the huge part they play in peoples lives.

Abby Stanworth

LW Theatres
UK
Head of Partnership Development

LinkedIn

Abby is a seasoned partnership specialist with over 17 years of experience across the media and entertainment industries.

She has held numerous roles at leading organisations including ITV, Starcom and mSix&Partners, and is currently Head of Partnership Development at LW Theatres, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End theatre group. In this role she leads the strategic development and sourcing of brand partnerships across six iconic London venues, including The London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Jonathan Steel

The Sports Consultancy
UK
Associate Director

LinkedIn

I have 18 years of experience in sponsorship management, activation and sales at global agencies and sport organisations with 20 to 160+ employees and up to $1B+ annual revenue.

During my career I have worked closely with FedEx, Heineken, MasterCard, Hankook, Enterprise, HSBC, bwin and Kia Motors. A wide variety of brands across multiple product categories. Between 2014 and 2023 I managed a sponsorship portfolio valued at £350m on behalf of UEFA. In 11 years, I have secured £43m of sponsorship revenue for clients, having started early in my career focused on activation.

I am an ESA Diploma (2012) and ESA Sales Certificate (2017) alumni. Lately I have acted as a trusted advisor delivering strategic counsel and advisory work to clients involved in commercial partnerships.

Karol Tatar

Polish Football Association & CIES
POLAND
Head of Marketing and Sponsorship at Polish FA, Kozminski University lecturer and CIES Local coordinator in Poland, UEFA Marketing Committee Member

LinkedIn

With over 13 years of experience in the sports industry, my journey began at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, where I played an important role in negotiating the naming rights contract and overseeing the venue’s rebranding process.

For the past seven years, I have been with the Polish Football Association, focusing on brand development and projects commercialization. Currently, I serve as the Head of Marketing and Sponsorship, and have been part of delegations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, UEFA EURO 2024, and UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.

I am also a proud member of the UEFA Marketing Committee, lecturer at Kozminski University, and CIES Local Coordinator in Poland.

In terms of education, I hold a postgraduate degree in FIFA/CIES Sports Management and in Business Psychology for Managers from Kozminski University. I have also earned the UEFA Certificate in Football Management and the UEFA Diploma in Football Leadership and Management, both in collaboration with the University of Lausanne.

Jon Tibbs

JTA
UK
Founder and Chair

LinkedIn

CEO & Founder of JTA and its purpose-driven sponsorship division, Partner on Purpose.

Highly skilled PR & Communications professional with 20+ year experience in international sport, helping International Federations, governing bodies and clubs to achieve their objectives in international sport by providing unrivalled strategy, creativity and content in the international relations and communications sector.

Lauren Tones

Legends Global
UK
UK Partnerships Director

LinkedIn

Lauren Tones is the UK Partnerships Director at Legends Global, overseeing brand activation across iconic UK venues including AO Arena Manchester, OVO Arena Wembley, and first direct bank arena Leeds.

With nearly 20 years of experience in live entertainment, Lauren began her career at Brixton Academy before moving on to roles at Wembley Arena and The O2, managing relationships with brands such as O2 Telefonica, Budweiser, and Nissan.

At Legends ASM Global, she has played a key role in renewing first direct’s naming rights agreement and has built strong partnerships with brands including OVO, Sky, Three, and American Express.

Katerina Tornari

UK
Advisor

LinkedIn

With an impressive career spanning almost 20 years across the media and sports sector, Katerina has held senior roles at Formula 1, Liverpool FC and CNN International, working with some of the most prestigious and forward-thinking businesses and governments, worldwide. Her leadership roles have been focused on developing and activating innovative global partnerships and brand solutions across a broad portfolio of assets and platforms.

Most recently, Katerina has taken on various advisory roles with entities including UN Women UK, helping shape gender – equality initiatives. Katerina is regularly invited to chair and judge at high-profile industry events, sharing her insights on the sports landscape, media platforms and innovative sponsorship activations.

Chris Treece

Williams F1
UK
Head of Commercial Strategy & Insights

LinkedIn

I am fortunate to lead the largest Commercial Strategy & Insights team in Formula 1, having been with Williams for nearly a decade.

I began my career in the automotive manufacturing sector, and throughout my time at Williams I have experienced both the highs and lows of the sport — from an initial resurgence under family ownership, through the COVID-triggered sale of the team, to its ongoing rejuvenation both on and off the track.

I am proud to be part of the team as continues it’s journey back to the top of world sport and hope to make a meaningful contribution to this.

Tonje Tuntland

Lyse Tele AS, ice & altibox
NORWAY
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

With over 15 years of experience across sales, marketing, sponsorship and sponsorship activation, I have worked within academics for BI Norwegian Business School, the sports industry for Stavanger Oilers ice hockey team, Norway’s largest financial group DNB Bank ASA and now in the telecom industry at Lyse Tele for ice and altibox. Lyse Tele is one of the largest and leading infrastructure and telecommunications service providers in Norway. Lyse possesses very modern and nationwide digital infrastructure, and now has the same share of 5G frequencies as the largest player in the market. Our goal is to roll out 5G across the country for both mobile telephony and wireless broadband to increase customer experiences.

In my current role as Sponsorship Manager for ice and altibox, I am responsible for the brands
commercial sponsorship portfolio and activation across Norway.

I’ve previously judged ESA Awards in 2024 and also the Norwegian Sponsor and Event Awards for the Sponsor and Event Association in Norway in 2025.

Martyn Turze

Publicis Sport & Entertainment
UK
Head of Consumer Research & Insights

LinkedIn

Martyn has been working in research & insights, specialising in sports and entertainment for over 10 years, working with rights-holders, broadcasters and partnering brands.

He uses research and insights to measure the impact of sponsorships and campaigns, understand fandoms and advise clients on how they grow their engagement and revenues.

Throughout his career, his clients have included The IOC, FIFA, Sky Sports, WBD Sports, Samsung, Ralph Lauren, Jaguar Land Rover and EE.

Whether for his clients, or his own interest, he is constantly evaluating the power of partnerships and is fascinated by the many different ways in which they are used, and can be assessed.

Outside of work, he juggles watching as much live sports as he can, with going to concerts and the theatre, and having become a father in the last year.

Neal Van Loock

UCLL
BELGIUM
Lecturer Event Sponsorship

LinkedIn

I am coordinator of and lecturer in the elective track Event & Project Management under the bachelor degree Organisation & Management at University College Leuven Limburg in Belgium.

I teach courses as Event Management, Event Trends & Skills, Event Production and Event Sponsorship so our students can become event professionals.

My favourite part within event organisation is by far event sponsorship, probably due to my different educational and professional backgrounds coming together nicely: event management, marketing and communication sciences.

Last three years I had the honour to be judge for the ESA Awards and that was so inspiring!

Katie Wallis

rEvolution
UK
Senior Director, Account Management

LinkedIn

Katie is a dynamic sports marketing and partnerships leader with over ten years’ experience, connecting brands and fans through world-class sporting events. Currently Senior Director of Accounts Management at rEvolution, she drives creative strategies and impactful partnerships for global clients across motorsports and sport.

Her career spans both agency and rights holder, giving her a unique perspective and strong negotiation skills to deliver value for clients and campaigns. At England Rugby, she managed major partnerships including British Airways, Irwin Mitchell and Papa Johns, launched new commercial initiatives, and championed inclusion and diversity. She also held senior roles at the Goodwood Group, delivering partnerships for the Festival of Speed and Revival, and at Essentially Group (now Wasserman), where she worked on World Rugby properties and partnerships with AXA, Liverpool FC, and Vitality.

A passionate rugby player and coach, Katie is proud to be an active contributor in women’s sport and partnerships.

Cillian Walsh

Just Eat
IRELAND
Senior Marketing Manager

LinkedIn

I’m a senior marketing professional with over 10 years’ experience building brands through sponsorship, content, and digital media, particularly within sport.

I’ve led high-profile partnerships and activations with brands such as Heineken, Vodafone, Three, and AIG, creating campaigns that delivered both brand and business impact.

At Just Eat, I currently lead our sponsorships in Ireland, including our sponsorships of Leinster Rugby and UEFA. Through these, I’ve delivered several award-winning campaigns that brought the brand closer to fans while driving measurable results. I’m passionate about the power of sponsorship to connect brands with culture, and I value work that combines creativity, strategic alignment, and commercial effectiveness.

Diarmaid Walsh

DWC
IRELAND
Communications and Sponsorship Specialist

LinkedIn

Diarmaid has over fifteen years working at the forefront of the communications and sponsorship industry, having worked in one of Ireland’s leading PR agencies and more recently in a freelance role, with a focus on sponsorship, communications and strategy.

Throughout his career, Diarmaid has worked on some of the country’s largest sport sponsorships including the main sponsor for the Irish Rugby team, the Republic of Ireland men’s and women’s national football teams, lead sponsors of the Olympic council of Ireland, numerous national GAA sponsorships as well as provincial and regional partnerships.

Working with some of Ireland’s top athletes to leverage partnerships, drive awareness and create bespoke meaningful content has been a highlight in his portfolio of sponsorship work.

In his current role, he works with both brands and rights holders to identify, manage and activate partnerships to add value and delivery key business goals.

Kieran Walsh

Wasserman
UK
Senior Director, Brands & Properties

LinkedIn

Global partnerships and brand strategist with 10+ years building culturally resonant, high-impact campaigns across sport and entertainment.

Currently Senior Director at Wasserman, I lead multi-disciplinary account teams and programmes spanning motorsport and music. Strengths include end-to-end sponsorship strategy, creative activation, talent relations, measurement, evaluation and governance.

I’ve operated rights-side, agency-side and with federations, giving me a 360° view of how great partnerships are designed, resourced and scaled. My work has been recognised at industry awards and I’m known for embedding clear objectives, audience insight and evidence-based evaluation to drive brand and tangible business outcomes.

As a judge, I look for clarity of problem, brave but brand-true creativity, seamless multi-channel execution, inclusive design and results that prove incremental impact – not just reach. Above all, I value integrity, fairness and transparency that advance our industry.

Filip Waegemans

SKAUT BV
BELGIUM
Sponsorship Expert

LinkedIn

I am a dedicated expert in sponsorship and partnerships with over 20 years of experience in sponsorship strategy, activation and contract negotiations. I have worked for brands, agencies and events to develop and execute their sponsorship strategies on a national and international level.

Our company Skaut was born after my career of +10 years in telecom and event sponsorship. Skaut’s mission is to inspire and connect brands and event organisers with one clear goal; to make sponsorship and partnerships more effective and efficient. We have a large event network that allows brands to easily enter the Benelux market.

Birgitta Wasserfall

Champions Uncovered
SOUTH AFRICA
Sponsorship Specialist

LinkedIn

Birgitta has always had an interest in the business of sport, having graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Science and worked on several high profile sports events namely; ICC T20 World Cup, IPL, FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon Championships, UEFA Euro and SA20.

Birgitta’s sponsorship experience ranges from Agency (UK) sponsorship activations for international brands to securing sponsorships for Rights Holders for mass participation events in South Africa.

Currently a consultant for various sports properties, varying from concept phase to more established events.

Birgitta is a graduate of the European Sponsorship Association Diploma programme.

Fi Watherston

Metro Bank
UK
Head of Partnerships

LinkedIn

I am a sports marketing professional with experience across agency, rights holder and brand.

Having previously worked across marketing and participation at the England and Wales Cricket Board, I currently head up the partnerships team at Metro Bank, who are the inaugural Champions of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket. This award winning partnership pans across the professional and the recreational game and aims to genuinely transform the game for future generations, whilst also making a huge impact for the Metro Bank brand.

I am passionate about the impact sport can have on the lives of young people, and the difference it can make for them into adulthood.

Calum Watkins

Sony PlayStation
UK
Senior Manager, Global Sponsorships

LinkedIn

Calum is responsible for managing the global strategy for how PlayStation activates key sponsorship programmes, with a focus on the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League and the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros.

Conrad Wiacek

GlobalData
UK
Head of Sport Analysis

LinkedIn

Conrad Wiacek is the Head of Sport Analysis for GlobalData, leading a team of analysts in providing clients with a detailed understanding of the commercial landscape in the sports industry.

He has over a decade’s worth of experience in the sports industry, specialising primarily in sports sponsorship while also developing wide-ranging knowledge of media rights, sports event hosting and event bidding.

Conrad has extensive experience of working closely with clients to help them map the sports rights landscape, guiding clients in evaluating and valuing their sponsorship portfolios, working with top rights holders such as FIFA, the English Premier League, Bundesliga, Premiership Rugby, the UCI and Formula One.

Jamie Wilson

The ValueXchange
UK
Director and Co-Owner

LinkedIn

With over 25 years at the forefront of sports, media, and entertainment marketing, Jamie Wilson brings unmatched sponsorship acumen to the judging panel. As EVP of Media, EMEA, at Perform, a leading digital sports content and media group he structured and delivered high-impact global sponsorships and partnership campaigns, collaborating with top-tier media owners and rights holders. His hands-on experience spans the entire sponsorship lifecycle: from asset valuation and strategic deal crafting to creative activation and rigorous measurement of outcomes.

Jamie is now Co-Owner of The Value Xchange, a sports and entertainment sponsorship agency helping brands and rights holders maximise the value from their partnerships. Their vision is for every brand on earth to recognise the value of sports and entertainment as a marketing platform that engages audiences, drives brand love, and delivers a measurable return on investment.

Anna Wyatt

SportsAid
UK
New Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

Anna is a sponsorship and partnerships specialist with experience across the sport and charity sectors.

She currently leads new partnerships at SportsAid, connecting brands with opportunities to support the next generation of British athletes.

Her career spans grassroots initiatives through to Paralympic podiums, with a consistent focus on partnerships that drive inclusion, purpose and social impact.

Anna has worked with leading brands, including adidas, Virgin Media, Mondelez, Allianz and Sainsbury’s.

Shin-Tsyi Yang

Bupa
UK
Head of Brand and Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Shin-Tsyi Yang is Head of Brand and Sponsorship at Bupa, with more than 20 years’ experience in brand, marketing and communications. She leads global brand and sponsorship initiatives that bring Bupa’s purpose to life on an international stage.

Last year, Shin-Tsyi delivered the multi-award-winning Picture of Health campaign, collaborating with Annie Leibovitz and six para-athletes to challenge traditional perceptions of health. The campaign highlighted that health is not one-dimensional – it’s unique, individual and diverse.

Most recently, this year she has spearheaded Bupa’s partnership with New Zealand Rugby – the organisation behind the iconic All Blacks and Black Ferns. This included two major brand activations in 2025: Human After All, which showcased the personal health stories of world-class athletes, and Let’s Talk Girls’ Health, developed with the Black Ferns to spotlight the barriers girls face in continuing sport beyond adolescence and the impact on health and wellbeing.