Mohammad Al Nimer

Esports World Cup Foundation
SAUDI ARABIA
Sales Director

LinkedIn

Mohammad Al Nimer is a seasoned expert with more than 10 years of experience in sports marketing, sponsorship and commercial. He has worked with world class brands such as adidas, Volkswagen Group and Kia and activated top tier partnerships with FIFA (FIFA World Cup 2018 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019), UEFA (UEFA Europa League 2018 to 2020), the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal, the League of Legends European Championship and the Tour de France, among many others.

Mohammad has also top tier Parisian agency Hopscotch, where he built the sports marketing strategy of Skoda France in cycling, winning a “Grands Prix Com-ent” in 2017 for the campaign.

He has also built the commercial department for the Saudi Esports Federation, the biggest national federation in the esports industry and has recently moved to the Esports World Cup Foundation, also building their sales department from scratch and striking deals with global brands like Sony, Mastercard, LG and Pepsi.

David Atkinson

Space
UK
Managing Partner

LinkedIn

I have been a marketing and sponsorship professional for over 30 years, of which 21 have been running Space, a creative agency with a specialism in sport and entertainment, which I founded.

We believe that ideas and creativity are the differentiator that helps brands, sponsorships and activations stand out.

And we have a track record of creating game-changing campaigns that deliver results and demonstrate the influence of ideas on the commercial success of the work.

We work with both rights holders and brands to deliver audience growth and commercial opportunity from their investments.

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!

Gary Bansor

EE
UK
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

Sponsorship Manager for EE, overseeing the delivery of the Home Nations Lead Partner sponsorships as well as Wembley Stadium Connected by EE.

Previously worked at Expedia Group for 5 years, implementing and delivering Expedia and Hotels.com global UEFA Champions League sponsorship alongside other European football properties.

Michael Barnard

WeAreFearless
UK
Business Director

LinkedIn

I am a sponsorship specialist with 15 years’ experience selling, negotiating and activating high profile award-winning partnerships.

In my current role I am a Business Director at WeAreFearless, an independent integrated sports, gaming and entertainment agency, committed to solving business challenges differently by harnessing the power of psychology and creativity.

A father of two, I can normally be found on the weekend supporting them from the sidelines, and coaching my daughter’s U8 football team.

Diego Bernabé

Onclusive
SPAIN
Head of Insights

LinkedIn

Degree in journalism and with background in sports marketing and sponsorship, I have more than 15 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).

Oliver Blake

AEG Europe
UK
Head of Strategy & Insights, Global Partnerships

LinkedIn

With 12 years’ experience gained across agency, media owner + rights holder Ollie heads up Strategy & Insights at AEG, working as part of the Global Partnerships division.

With responsibility across AEG venues and events outside of North America, Ollie + team run all Sponsorship Strategy & Valuation projects across the group, and also work closely with existing AEG partners and their agencies on the establishment + delivery of sponsorship measurement programmes.

Olivia Bonetti

Three UK
UK
Brand & Sponsorship Activation Specialist

LinkedIn

I am a Brand & Sponsorship Specialist with experience working both brand and agency side working across sport, music & entertainment sectors. I currently work at Three UK across our Live Nation festival sponsorship and Chelsea FC sponsorship.

My previous experience includes working at Sports & Entertainment marketing agency Fuse, managing several high-profile partnerships including Vodafone and Wimbledon & Women’s Welsh Rugby, Google Pixel and The FA, Arsenal FC & Liverpool FC and FedEx and the UEFA Champions League (with a big focus on Women’s Sport).

On a personal note, I have a passion for increasing the diversity of the workforce within our industry and I am an Associate Advisor for NoTurningBack2020 – an organisation whose mission is for 20% of all marketing and communications professionals to come from a diverse background and for this 20% to stay in the industry until they reach the very top jobs.

I am a graduate of the ESA Diploma in Sports Marketing & Sponsorship.

Tom Boyle

Manchester City / City Football Group
UK
VP, Global Partnerships Marketing & Ops

LinkedIn

Currently Vice President of Global Partnership Marketing & Operations at City Football Group, Tom has developed, over 20 years in the industry, a broad understanding across all areas of top level professional sport and has worked in numerous different markets worldwide.

Tom has a proven track record leading commercial teams across a multitude of major properties, including 2 x Olympic games, Football & Cricket World Cups, Commonwealth Games, WTA Finals, top level English Premier League & Bundesliga football clubs, and Grand Slam Tennis events.

Throughout his career, Tom has enjoyed working with world-leading brands such as SAP, Etihad, Nissan, Unilever, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Rolex, Hugo Boss, Reebok, Tesco, HP, Pepsico, Cadburys, Nestle and more.

Ryan Brambles

Right Formula
UK
Communications Director

LinkedIn

Ryan is a marketing communications leader with 10+ years experience working for global brands in a variety of sectors including technology, automotive and sport, including IBM, Honda and Shell. He is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about creating and supporting communication strategies for brands to effectively identify, market and communicate a unique and compelling proposition to global audiences.

Ryan is the Communications Director at global sports marketing agency, Right Formula, where he works with brands such as ExxonMobil, THG, SAP, Hilton and Qatar Airways.

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 – blue chip brands within Unilever, Diageo, Mondelez, to life sciences and innovation – Merck Group, fashion & streetwear – Adidas to banking – RBS to design – moo.com.

In the past 4 years, I’ve explored the role that sponsorship plays in driving business impact and helping companies connect with their audiences, employees and communities though sports and entertainment.

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. An industry leader, I was awarded a WACL Future Leader award and was Commended at the Global Women in Marketing Awards.

Rory Bryant

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
UK
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

I work for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, as Sponsorship Manager, where I am responsible for end-to-end management of all key commercial partnerships, working with brands such as TikTok and JetBlue to support the delivery of the world’s largest performing arts festival.

With a background in the motorsport industry, in a variety of different capacities, building effective and long-lasting commercial partnerships has been a corner stone of my career to date. From generating sponsorship deals with local and national brands to support my own career as an aspiring racing river, to managing partnerships with major international brands, such as Rolex and HSBC, during my role as event lead for the Sir Jackie Stewart Classic Festival.

Regardless of the environment, I always enjoy working closely with partners to identify shared values and alignments to help deliver long lasting, effective and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Kevin Bull

Standard Chartered Bank
UK
Group Head of Sponsorships & Partnerships

LinkedIn

Currently Group Head of Sponsorship for Standard Chartered Bank. A leading international banking group, with a presence in 53 of the world’s most dynamic markets.

Kevin has over 20 years of agency, rights holder and brand sponsorship and marketing experience securing, managing and implementing revenue generating partnerships. He is passionate about leveraging the power of sport and entertainment to build and execute global partnership strategies that turn brand campaigns into measurable results.

Throughout his career Kevin has worked at and with some of the world-leading sponsorship brands and agencies from General Motors, Vauxhall, Carat, Dentsu and IMG, leading to activating for clients such as adidas, British Gas, Disney, Diageo, FedEx, Manchester United and Liverpool FC.

Nikki Burgess

TSS
NEW ZEALAND
Consultant

LinkedIn

With almost 20 years of experience in marketing, Nikki has developed her expertise in sponsorship and the commercialisation of sports. Her diverse career spans consumer, business, sports, and community, working with prominent brands and sporting organisations, both in New Zealand and internationally.

Currently, as a consultant, Nikki specialises in managing athletes and helping brands and sports organisations create and activate impactful partnerships, with a particular passion for advancing women’s sports in New Zealand.

Neil Callaghan

20-Fifteen SPORT
UK
Founder (Consultant)

LinkedIn

Neil has over 20 years of sponsorship and partnership marketing experience, working with leading brands and rights holders in sport and entertainment, covering global and local strategy, management and full-service activation of sponsorship activities from grassroots to elite level, in male and female, disabled and non-disabled sectors.

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.

Having developed pioneering disability initiatives for organisations including BT and The FA, Neil has also worked with Paralympics GB, Motability Operations, The Wheelchair Football Association, created disability & accessibility focused course material for the ESA Diploma, written opinion pieces for the Sport Industry Group, and is the co-creator of TAGS (The Ability Group in Sport) a member organisation advocating and supporting disabled people working or aspiring to work in sports media and production.

Mark Carter

GIANTX esports (merger of XL and Giants esports)
UK
Chief Commercial Officer

LinkedIn

Commercial Leader with extensive international expertise in Financial Services, Fintech (gambling, P2P & B2P remittances), Esports and Gaming including Web3. Proven track record of driving significant revenue growth and enhancing shareholder value. Innovative and entrepreneurial creation of new business strategies and verticals, driving significant revenue growth and transforming market landscapes.

Working for the last 4 years in one of Europe’s leading esports organisations, driving commercial strategy and revenue acquisition winning Partnerships and activating for leading Brands – HSBC, BT, EE, Just Eat, JD Sports, Sony and Samsung to name a few.

Previous winner of the ESA Esports and Gaming Sponsorship award – EE in 2023.

Phil Catt

Sage
UK
Sponsorship Director

LinkedIn

Phil is Sponsorship Director at Sage, and has worked across events and partnerships with rights holders during his career including Six Nations Rugby, The Hundred, Major League Baseball, ParalympicsGB, England Rugby, UEFA Champions league, London Marathon, FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Phil has also supported brands to activate their sponsorships including adidas, Allianz, Aldi, British Airways, J&J, Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez, Nestle Cereals, Nissan, and Sir Robert McAlpine.

Alvin Chang

TicketManager
UK
Global Business Development & Operations

LinkedIn

Alvin is a sports sponsorships, 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. 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 and 2024 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.

Rachel Clarke

Albright Special
UK
Founder & Director

Rachel has worked in sponsorship for +25 years and is an acknowledged specialist in cultural sponsorship, having developed major arts portfolios for Unilever, HSBC, UBS, Accenture, RBC and Morgan Stanley. She won the Arts Champion award at the UK Sponsorship Awards earlier this year. Rachel started her career as a fundraiser at the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre, before moving agency side to help set up Four Sports, Arts & Sponsorship as a Director of Four Communications then her own agency Albright Special in 2015.

Rachel is also an experienced trainer and speaker. She is a trustee of the Inner Circle Education Trust supporting care-experienced young people into Higher Education and is on the Board of Women In Business at London Business School.

Harry Coe

Luscid
UK
Co-founder and CEO

LinkedIn

Harry is the co-founder and CEO of sponsorship technology firm, Luscid. He launched the platform alongside Damien Gilman in 2022 and has since led the company to work with several high-profile brands including Accor and Santander.

Luscid was born out of Harry’s first-hand experience of the pain points plaguing the sponsorship industry, having previously worked as a data analyst for Connexi Partnerships.

The proprietary platform helps brands to deploy sponsorship budgets more strategically by supplying data-driven insight that allows them to effectively analyse the global sponsorship marketplace.

In July 2024, he led the startup to a £1.2m seed funding round, backed by prominent figures in the sports and entertainment world.

Bruce Cook

SponsorLab
UK
Founder / MD

LinkedIn

Bruce Cook has spent more than 30 years in the Sport & Sponsorship industries.

With a Master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts, his career began in professional tennis (Operations & Sponsor Servicing) which soon led him to a Sponsorship role with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

A subsequent move across the Atlantic then landed Bruce as Commercial lead with the Scottish Claymores of the NFL Europe League. He later took over as General Manager of the Scottish Rocks professional basketball team.

In 2008, Bruce was recruited by RBS to lead their rugby and tennis sponsorships and eventually took over as Head of Group Sponsorship where he initiated new methods of sponsorship evaluation. Following 6 years at RBS, Bruce moved to YouGov Sport where he spent 7 years working with numerous clients on their sponsorship evaluation.

Bruce is now the Founder and MD of SponsorLab, an online platform designed to help brands, agencies and rights-holders to better manage and assess their sponsorship strategies.

Grace Crowley

O’Callaghan Collection
IRELAND
Marketing & Communications Director

LinkedIn

With extensive experience in sponsorship and communications, Grace has partnered with major brands, sports organisations, and global festivals. Her expertise spans consumer, business, sports, charity, and entertainment sectors.

An ESA Diploma graduate, she is passionate about leveraging sports and the arts for social good and maintaining excellent industry standards.

Fergus Dunn

Overactive Media
SPAIN
Director of Partnerships

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.

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

Fergus currently heads up the European business of Overactive Media, a Canadian esports company recognised as one of the top esports organisations in the world.

Ross Easton

The OVO Hydro
UK
Head of Commercial

LinkedIn

Head of Commercial at the OVO Hydro, Scotland’s Home of Live Entertainment, and one of the top ten Arena’s in the world by ticket sales.

I am responsible for the acquisition, activation and retention of our venue partners, including OVO, Vodafone Business, Molson Coors, Capital, Sky and AG Barr.

I have worked in the industry for 20 years across sport and live entertainment and look forward to celebrating the many great examples of sponsorship and partnerships from ESA Members.

Alex Fennemore

Live Nation
UK
VP Brand Strategy

LinkedIn

Alex Fennemore is VP of Brand Strategy for Live Nation UK Marketing Partnerships, leading the Strategy and Insight team to supercharge clients’ brand initiatives in live music.

Leveraging Live Nation UK’s proprietary research, Alex and his team inspire effective creative solutions that deliver client objectives through fan insights and the unparalleled power of live music.

Alex started out in brand-side marketing roles. And prior to Live Nation, he led brand and creative strategy in advertising agencies across a multitude of European brands, helping clients connect with culture and use creativity to smash brand objectives.

Matjaž Germ

Agencija 101
SLOVENIA
Chief Creative Officer

LinkedIn

As the Chief Creative Officer at Agencija 101, one of Slovenia’s leading independent advertising agencies, I’ve had the privilege of steering creative direction for global giants like Volkswagen, Sony, Mastercard, Coca-Cola, and nearly every major Slovenian brand in the realm of sports sponsorship. Beyond agency life, I played a key role in the core organizing team of EuroBasket 2013, where I was responsible for shaping the event’s creative strategy. I’ve also served as a communications consultant for the Basketball Federation of Slovenia and the Slovenian Cycling Federation.

Throughout my career, I’ve garnered numerous international advertising accolades, including leading a sports marketing project that secured a bronze at the ESA Best of Europe. My passion for excellence has also taken me to the judge’s seat at various prestigious international advertising juries, as well as the Slovenian sports marketing festival Sporto and the last two ESA Awards.

Eva Gerritse

Blauw Sponsorship Impact
NETHERLANDS
Managing Director

LinkedIn

Eva is responsible for strategy, growth and client portfolio of Blauw Sponsorship Impact: a European market research agency specialised in measuring impact of sports and sponsorships. Eva works with international brands and rightsholders on insights that enable them to improve the impact of sponsorships. She has more than 15 years of experience in sponsorship measurement and is an expert on insights that contribute to building a relationship between fans and sponsors, leading to increased brand impact.

Eva provides advice about sponsorship portfolios, activation strategies, brand development and sponsorship contracts to clients such as Amazon, PepsiCo, Nissan, FedEx, Sony and Vodafone. She works on sponsorships in global sports properties such as Formula One, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Eva was awarded Insights Professional of the year in 2022 and was commended for her clear vision in the field of market research into the impact of sport sponsorships.

Rana Ghosal

Synergy TTL Sports
INDIA
Chief Evangelist

LinkedIn

I am a marketing professional with over 22+ years of rich cross category industries experience. Specializing in activations & experiential marketing at a top global advertising agency before venturing on my own. My campaigns have resulted in winning numerous campaign wining 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 and of course, achieving objective-focused results.

Governed by the philosophy of seeking interactive communication solutions, I’m pursuing one of the most effective solutions – Using sponsorship as a platform to create & disseminate value based communication solutions for brands. Thus is the essence of Synergy TTL Sports Marketing, of which I am the Chief Evangelist. The agency was conceived in 2019 to fill the gaps in the sponsorship industry offering unique value proposition

I was fortunate to be considered a jury member at SPIA Asia Awards in 2019 and at ESA Awards for the past three years.

Tom Glover

Tottenham Hotspur
UK
Head of Commercial Planning

LinkedIn

Tom started his career doing strategy consulting at Deloitte before fulfilling his desire to work in sports, moving to City Football Group to lead a commercial partnerships strategy team. Here he was involved in deals for major renewals & new partners and wrote sponsorship strategies for football clubs across the group.

He then joined Amazon to launch its sports ticketing platform, writing the strategy and negotiating deals with several major UK rightsholders. From there, he joined Wasserman for five years, becoming a Director in the Consulting business and working with brands and properties including NFL and its teams, NBA and its teams, Discovery Golf, American Express, and BMW.

Since May 2023 he has led commercial strategy at Tottenham Hotspur as the Head of Commercial Planning, helping develop the commercial proposition across the Men’s and Women’s teams, stadium and F1 Drive London, secure new commercial partners and extend relationships with existing partners.

Steven Gould

JUVO20 & Fifty
UK
Director & Consultant

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
Head of Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Irene is currently a consultant with Nicky Doran Advisory Services, bringing a wealth of expertise and leadership to the role.

With over 15 years of experience at one of Ireland’s largest energy companies, Irene played a pivotal role in both creating and then transforming their strategic sponsorship program. She led the development and re-development efforts, ensuring that the sponsorship initiatives aligned seamlessly with the company’s commercial goals in a highly competitive energy market.

Irene’s impressive portfolio includes collaborations with many of Ireland’s leading rights holders and activation agencies, spanning sports, arts, and entertainment. A previous ESA award recipient, she is a recognized expert across all facets of the sponsorship discipline, from negotiating rights to designing and executing activation programs that drive exceptional brand growth and industry-leading customer loyalty.

Maria Grandinetti Milton

European Tour Group
UK
Head of Sustainability

LinkedIn

With over 12 years in the Sports Marketing and Commercial industry across rugby and golf, Maria’s focus shifted to sustainability in the world of sport in 2021, developing the European Tour group and Ryder Cup Europe’s “Golf for Good” strategies.

This focuses on three programmes tackling social and environmental challenges within the golf industry: The Golf for the Disabled Tour (9 annual events); Golf Futures (community & education outreach) and Green Drive, steering the Tour to become the first professional golf Tour to join the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework with a commitment of net zero by 2040.

Camila Grasso

MKTG Sports + Entertainment
UK
Senior Director Business Development

LinkedIn

Camila is a seasoned business development professional with extensive experience in the advertising and marketing industries. She has a proven track record of identifying and developing new business opportunities, driving revenue growth, and building strong client relationships. Her expertise spans strategic planning, negotiation, digital campaign conception and activation, and hospitality.

In 2018, Camila joined Dentsu, where she worked with the global addressable media team, managing key accounts such as Burberry, Honda, Sonos, and DAZN. In 2023, she graduated from ESA Diploma and soon after joined MKTG to support the agency’s expansion into EMEA markets.

Outside of work, Camila is an avid sports fan. A former handball player, she is a passionate follower of Formula 1 and a devoted admirer of Ayrton Senna. She also enjoys watching tennis.

Michael Green

Verve
IRELAND
Sponsorship Director

LinkedIn

I am currently the Sponsorship Director at Verve, bringing with me 18 years of experience in the sports marketing industry across the UK and Ireland. Originally from South Africa, I hold an Honours Degree in Marketing with a Specialisation in Sponsorship from the University of Pretoria.

Prior to joining Verve, I spent a decade developing and executing sponsor ticketing and hospitality programs for top-tier sponsors at major global sporting events, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup for DHL, the 2014 Ryder Cup, the 2012 London Olympics, as well as the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2008 UEFA European Football Championships. During this time, I worked with global brands such as Coca-Cola, BP, DHL, Castrol, Pepsi, and Nissan.

In 2015, I relocated to Ireland to take on the role of Sponsorship Marketing Manager at AIB, where I spearheaded several successful sponsorship campaigns. Following my time at AIB, I joined Sky as a Marketing Manager across Sky Sports before transitioning to my current role at Verve.

Sandra Greer

Greer Consulting
UK
MD

LinkedIn

Sandra Greer has worked in the sponsorship, events and experiential industry for over 35 years with a focus on research, insight and strategy. Asking and answering the key questions of why, how, who and what! As well as the ultimate question of “did it work?”

Starting in the sports participation and equipment sector, she moved into sponsorship early on in her career to head a number of insight teams in specialist research and sponsorship agencies. This agency background has afforded her the opportunity to work with rights holders and brands through the full sponsorship process using data and insights to help maximise return for sponsorship selection, delivery and evaluation. Sandra has a passion for data to help guide the decision-making process, strategies and planning – all with a focus of meeting business objectives. Her specialism is working with multiple sets of data to track and measure the value and return for both brand and rights holder.

Sandra has worked with some of the biggest names and events across the sports and entertainment industry in Europe, Middle East and globally as well as on more regional/national campaigns for smaller organisations, not for profit and niche brands.

Sandra now works as an independent consultant working on a cross section of projects and training programmes. She is a full member of the Market Research Society, holds the MRS diploma and is a member of the European Sponsorship Association. She is also a Board Member of her Golf Club in charge of governance across EDI, Environment & Sustainability and Marketing/Communications.

Martin Grosse

KÖNIGSKLASSE
GERMANY
Founder & CEO, rights holder

LinkedIn

Having won TOP Social Seller Munich Award by LinkedIn EMEA (2017), Martin’s brand campaign was awarded Finalist at the LinkedIn Marketing Awards (2018) as sole German agency KÖNIGSKLASSE#1, re-branded KÖNIGSKLASSE in 2020.

He won the German Brand Award, the German Prize for Online Communications (“DPOK”), German Stevie Awards and International Business Awards, being nominated for ADC Art Directors Club Germany Awards.

As rights holder (European Trademark KÖNIGSKLASSE®, EUIPO) Martin now is relaunching the branded videocast (+ podcast) on all relevant social platforms from 14th October 2024, in Media Partnership with Germany’s leading students magazine Audimax.

As thought leader with 30k LinkedIn Followers since 2017, he is producing C-Suite psychograms – by the Gen Z, for the Gen Z, confirmed by a recent study of LMU Munich University.

He interviewed the President of Germany’s most innovative university FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, CMO Procter & Gamble or GOOGLE LLC Chief Business Strategist AI.

He is Academy member of IADAS & AIVA.

Paul Guest

OS Studios
UK
Head of Strategy

LinkedIn

With over 15 years of experience in sponsorship, Paul’s expertise lies in creative direct-to-consumer partnerships, often centered around the triple bottom line.

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

At OS Studios, Paul now engages Fan Z audiences for the likes of the NBA, Riot Games, and DoorDash, emphasizing authenticity and genuine value exchange between brands and fans. Paul has also made significant strides in women’s sports sponsorship, advocating for better commercial representation and investment returns in the sector.

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

Kate Hamer

Kate Hamer Ltd & AxisStars
UK
Managing Director & COO

LinkedIn

Kate Hamer is a Marketeer who has specialised in Digital for 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.

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.

Meredith Hampton-Love

Aviva
UK
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

A sponsorship manager with over 11 years’ experience in the industry, I have worked on some of the UK’s most prestigious music and sports partnerships and award-winning sponsorships including England Rugby, The O2, O2 Academy venues and the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards. I am currently at Aviva bringing to life our sponsorship of Manchester’s beautiful landmark cultural venue, Aviva Studios, whilst also delivering against our overarching strategy and activation plans, helping Aviva to support its customers, partners and communities.

I’m a highly motivated individual, constantly looking to develop myself both personally and within the workplace. I completed my Certificate and Diploma in Business and my BA (Hons) in Business through the Open University whilst working full-time.

Katie Hanley

Invention @ Group M
IRELAND
Director of Media Services

LinkedIn

Katie Hanley launched her media career over a decade ago with Dublin’s 104, starting on the on-street promotional team before quickly rising to manage the team working alongside the sales and marketing departments.

She then transitioned to Virgin Media Television (formerly TV3), where she spent four years as an Account Manager on the brand partnership.

During her tenure, Katie worked on major sponsorships for high-profile shows like Love Island, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, and Ireland’s Got Talent.

In her role as Director of Media Services at Invention, the creative solutions division of Group M, Katie leads her team in delivering media partnerships, influencer marketing strategies, brand activations, and experiential campaigns collaborating with top-tier clients such as Fáilte Ireland, Square, and Unilever.

She embraces Invention’s “Dare to Do More” spirit, pushing boundaries and bringing bold ideas to life.
Katie is also a proud alumna of the 2020 European Sponsorship Association Diploma program.

Youssef Hassan

World Rugby
UK
Global Commercial Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

A highly experienced sports marketer with a strong background across agency and rights-holder, working with the biggest global brands in sports sponsorship.

Previously at Octagon Sports and Entertainment agency, delivering multi-channel global marketing campaigns for the likes of Expedia and Hotels.com across major sporting events and rights-holders such as the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool FC, and Tottenham FC. Now at World Rugby as a Commercial Partnership Manager, driving and delivering impactful partnerships for the likes of Asahi Super Dry, Emirates, Tudor, Macron, and others across iconic events such as the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Fredda Hurwitz

Gingernut Thinking
USA
Founder & Chief Nut

LinkedIn

Originally from Boston, MA, life after her studies at the University of California Berkeley led Fredda to a 30-year adventure abroad by way of Paris and then London.

First a foreign correspondent at the then-named International Herald Tribune and Associated Press, Fredda found her calling elsewhere; Disney Consumer Products EMEA, the NHL & NFL, agencies including Momentum, Octagon, Ogilvy One & Redmandarin, and 8 years as Global CSO for Havas Play. In 2018 she returned to the US as CSO/CMO for a local agency, and in late 2020 (re)launched Gingernut Thinking.

She’s worked with American Express, Barclays, Coca-Cola, Essilor, Eurostar, FIFA, the IOC, MINI, the NBA, Nestle, & Yahoo! amongst others.

Fredda has two kids, and a Maltichon named Elvis. She’s passionate about supporting people who are neurodivergent, never gets tired of watching The Princess Bride and hates clowns.

Fredda’s been involved with ESA since 2004 (member/board director/judge).

In addition to various board positions and mentoring, Fredda is an adjunct professor.

George Isherwood

SportQuake
UK
Global Partnerships Director

LinkedIn

Global Partnerships Director at SportQuake, specialising in connecting brands to sport in order to drive commercial and business goals.

I currently lead the account management and customer success at SportQuake, helping brands to identify the correct strategy based upon selected criteria.

I have a passion in sport and have worked across multiple sports including Football, Esports, F1, Boxing and more.

Nicole Johnson

BLAST
UK
Senior Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

My name is Nicole Johnson and I am the Senior Partnerships Manager for BLAST, producer of a global circuit of esports events that deliver elite-level esports and world-class entertainment for everyone. My role focuses on delivering innovative rights for our partners, from broadcast assets to on-stage activations at arena events, supported by year-round content to keep our fans engaged outside of tournaments.

Before BLAST, I worked for Rocket Sports, Elton John’s sports marketing agency; managing a portfolio of athletes and rights holders, from Olympians to World Athletics & Extreme E.

Daniela Kanowsky Corral

Proactiv Entertainment (Sony Masterworks)
SPAIN
Sponsorship & Partnerships

LinkedIn

I’m a proactive and flexible person with an enterprising personality. I’m perceptive and sensitive towards market opportunities. I enjoy team work and I always give my best at work. I’m interested in developing long-lasting business ties,and in working cooperatively to achieve goals and to improve professionally. I would like to keep on learning and to extend my knowledge about events, communications, loyalty, and entertainment in a constant way. I´m interested in sustainability, conscious business and holistic approach.

Mike Keech

Impact Sponsorship
NEW ZEALAND
CEO

LinkedIn

Meet Mike Keech, a sponsorship, marketing, and commercial professional with over three decades of successful experience. As a proud European Sponsorship Association (ESA) member, Mike champions purposeful business values. His strategic acumen and exceptional project management skills ensure meticulous planning and execution of sponsorship initiatives, delivering impressive results.

Mike’s ability to unlock value and seize untapped opportunities sets him apart in the sponsorship landscape. His outstanding leadership, relationship-building finesse, and adaptability create collaborative environments that drive tangible outcomes.

With a dedication to forging impactful collaborations aligned with a greater purpose, Mike is a true leader in the field. In a fiercely competitive landscape, his presence brings unparalleled value to any sponsorship project, elevating brands towards remarkable achievements and fostering prosperous partnerships that endure the test of time.

Jillian Keene

Consultant
IRELAND and UAE
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, FIFA 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.

Lars Köhnen

FedEx Express Europe
GERMANY
Senior Brand Marketing Specialist

LinkedIn

Lars is Senior Brand Marketing and Sponsoring Expert at FedEx with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. He leads the global digital and content strategy and measurement within the UEFA Champions League sponsorship of the global logistics service provider.

Two campaigns under his control were shortlisted at the ESA Awards 2023.

Lars has worked on several sponsorships during his career 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.

Sanna Laine

WWF Finland
FINLAND
Partnership Manager, Corporate Relations

LinkedIn

I have been working in marketing, branding and sponsorship, over the last 15 years. With extensive experience across energy, photo business and environmental sustainability, I have been lucky to have chance to work with several well-known and impactful partners in sports, music & entertainment and culture.

My sponsorship projects have included versatile actions to enhance brand awareness, make customer experience extraordinary and create employee engagement.

Sponsorship are one of my professional passions and I am a current board member of Finnish Sponsorship Association Sponsorointi ja Tapahtumat ry.

Frank Lawley

House 337
UK
Commercial Director, Sport

LinkedIn

Frank has over 9 years experience in partnerships, across a range of different sectors with a particular focus on sport, entertainment and fashion.

Currently Frank leads House 337’s commercial strategy practise – advising clients on the commercial complexities of the sport world, working both brand and rights holder side to build effective partnership strategies.

Previously he was Head of Sport at UNICEF, working across partnerships, talent and campaigns, on some of the most impactful purpose sponsorships globally.

Declan Lee

Local Enterprise Offices / Enterprise Ireland
IRELAND
Head of Marketing & Communications

LinkedIn

An experienced marketing & communications professional with over 20 years working on behalf of brands, rights holders, events and athletes, Declan has 360 degree experience of the sports and sponsorship infrastructure in Ireland.

Declan has led PR and sponsorship for some of the biggest events Ireland has hosted including the Irish Open, the World Rally Championships and the European Athletics Championships.

Declan is an Irish and European award winning sponsorship advisor having worked with the likes of Aviva, William Hill, Vodafone, Electric Ireland, Three and Powerade.

Declan writes regularly for the Irish Independent & Independent.ie, Ireland’s largest independent media organisation, on the areas of sports sponsorship and marketing.

Seishane Leshaba

Playmakers Sponsorship & Marketing
SOUTH AFRICA
Managing Partner

LinkedIn

Seishane Leshaba is a seasoned communications and sponsorship expert from South Africa, with over a decade of experience in both agency and corporate environments.

Passionate about crafting unforgettable moments, she thrives on creating fan-centered experiences driven by deep insights and creativity.

Her work reflects a commitment to connecting brands with audiences in meaningful and memorable ways.

Mervyn Leslie

Psyched4
UK
Chief Growth Officer

LinkedIn

A passionate, globally-minded commercial professional specialising in complex projects and partnerships.

With 15 years of experience in sports marketing, media and technology, Mervyn has developed sophisticated full-cycle activations and alliances with leading brands, Telcos, OEMs, digital media platforms, sports federations, elite athletes, rights holders, premium broadcasters, and OTT services.

With senior in-house experience at Red Bull, plus extensive commercial partnership consulting, Mervyn has navigated a variety of complex media and sponsorship engagements from Cliff Diving to Premier League Football – and a lot more in-between.

Mervyn is now co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Psyched4, an emerging sports OTT platform.

David Levey

Macmillan Cancer Support
UK
Corporate Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

Corporate Partnerships Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support with experience representing Macmillan as rights holder in sponsorship activity, including Mighty Hikes – the largest mass participation hiking event in the UK.

Daniel Lovat

OPRO
UK
Commercial Director

LinkedIn

I am currently the Commercial Director at OPRO, the world’s leading mouthguard manufacturer, double Queen’s award winner for Innovation and Official Supplier to major sports teams globally. In my role, I manage partnerships from licensing to sponsorship with over 60 sporting associations, including UFC, England Rugby, and GAA.

I started my career at Deloitte, where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant, gaining valuable experience in finance and strategic thinking. My passion for sports led me to become Sports Marketing Director at OPRO, where I developed and nurtured key relationships within the sports industry.

Now, I’m driven by my love of sport and the power of partnerships to highlight the importance of protection for all athletes, from grassroots to professionals.

Peter Lowry

EssenceMediacom
UK
Global Partnerships Director

LinkedIn

Peter is Director of Global Partnerships at EssenceMediacom.

As well as working across a variety of marketing disciplines, Peter has experience working across a large number of global brands. Most notably, Mars, Unilever, and Volkswagen.

With a true passion for Sponsorship, and love of European languages and culture, Peter is excited to see what the continent’s entries have to offer. Due to his specialist media knowledge, the ESA Diploma graduate is particularly keen to see how entrants have chosen to activate their sponsorships.

Massimo Mancini

Generali
ITALY
Global Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

Hi there!
I’m a Sponsorship Manager at Generali, based in Milan. With over 10 years of experience in brand communication and partnership advisory, including expertise in content production with great consideration of the media usage.

I have had the opportunity to work with top brands such as Hyundai Motor Company, Jeep, Birra Peroni and Toyota Motor Italy.

Apart from work, I enjoy going to the gym to keep myself fit. I’m an avid traveler and love exploring new places whenever possible. As a big basketball fan, I play the sport regularly with friends. I’m also passionate about reading and make time for it every day. Lastly, I enjoy playing video games with my buddies, it’s a great way to unwind after a long day.

I’m a team player and take pride in my ability to work well with others. Collaboration is the key to achieving our goals, and I’m always eager to work with my team towards success.

Lucy Mart

PrettyGreen
UK
Co-Managing Director & Chief Growth Officer

LinkedIn

A core member of the agency for the past 13 years, previously leading PrettyGreen’s PR department, now as Co-MD Lucy is accountable for the Creative Communications Agency’s organic growth strategies focusing on business development innovation, identification and conversion of future clients and B2B sales and marketing opportunities.

With two decades of experience in PR, experiential marketing, channel planning and brand communications, Lucy combines an energetic and creative approach with commercial savviness and thrives on nimble independent agency life.

As a proud champion for the role of PR in the wider marketing mix from a strategic impact point of view, Lucy is vocal about insight-driven work and harnessing the power of creative communications to solve difficult brand challenges. Lucy is passionate about championing strategic campaigns and judges for industry awards such as PR Moment and PR Week. Lucy is also on the Advisory Board for PR360 – the UK’s premier event for communications professionals.

Gary Martin

FedEx
UK
Brand & Sponsorship Advisor

LinkedIn

I am a brand and sponsorship lead for FedEx, the world’s largest express transportation company.

Following 10 years in the TV and film industry with Fremantle, Warner Bros. and Disney Channel Australia, I took on a new challenge at FedEx with responsibility for pan-European brand marketing programmes, leading the business through an exciting 14-year period in sports and business sponsorship.

In my current position as Brand & Sponsorship Advisor, I am responsible for delivering award-winning global sponsorship strategies and activations to our customers, team members and fans to drive brand awareness, commercial growth, innovative engagement and first-class guest experience for our sponsorships: UEFA Champions League, UEFA National Team Football, inc. UEFA EURO 2020 and NFL. Previous sponsorship management included UEFA Europa League, ATP Tour, Roland Garros, Ryder Cup and the Heineken Cup.

James Masters

Havas Play
UK
Strategy Director

LinkedIn

James joined Havas Play in early 2022 to lead the agency’s strategic support of EE’s industry-leading sponsorship portfolio, as well to work with the likes of JLR, Carling, and PayPal.

He has been in the passion marketing and partnerships industry since 2012, having joined Synergy on the ENGINE Graduate Scheme. After cutting his teeth in activation, notably across various Coca-Cola sponsorships, strategy beckoned.

Since then – and through stints with The Space Between and CSM – James has devised a refreshed sponsorship strategy for Vitality, created a Europe-wide brand positioning in sport for Zalando, and led creative strategy on projects for BMW and The FA amongst many others.

James was named a Campaign ‘Face to Watch’ in 2019 and was a member of 2020’s Sport Industry NextGen cohort. He is a regular contributor to the industry conversation, having written pieces for ESA, Sport Industry, AdForum, and Campaign.

Wim Mathues

Wasserman
BENELUX
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 Sports & Entertainment Connections Agency “Wasserman” since 2023, and Partnership Consultant at Decathlon Sports Marketplace

Worked for or with brands like Coca-Cola, GfK, Nielsen Sports, Mastercard, Entain Group (bwin & Ladbrokes), Classified Cycling.

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

Anna McCarthy

Allianz Ireland
IRELAND
Partnerships Lead

LinkedIn

With over 10 years’ experience across sponsorship, communications and marketing, Anna has worked on both agency and brand sides, developing and managing award winning brand and partnership activations. Her experience ranges from bringing to live household consumer brands such as Canon, Molson Coors and Crown Paints as part of Dublin agency Teneo to moving in-house with national energy provider Bord Gáis Energy where she narrowed her focus from her background in public relations and communications to sponsorship and marketing.

In her current role as partnerships lead for Allianz Ireland, Anna is responsible for the multi-platform management and activation of the brands extensive sponsorship portfolio including their partnerships with the GAA, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and their charity partnership with Women’s Aid.

Shireen McDonagh

Legacy
IRELAND
Head of Brand

LinkedIn

Shireen has agency & client side experience in sponsorship, communications, marketing and advertising, and has helped to shape many well-known brands strategically and creatively across the full marketing mix. She has led several teams during her time at Legacy; recently growing the Brand & Sponsorship division to the point of being large enough to divide the team into two separate units. Her focus within the business is omnichannel with a focus on developing clever, creative, brand building campaigns that deliver results.

Throughout her career she has played key roles in award-winning campaigns both nationally and internationally. Prior to her current role, she was Head of Brand Marketing & Sponsorship for LifeStyleSports & has worked for agencies inc. TBWA and Atomic. Shireen has lead accounts including Energia, Indeed, ASICS, McDonald’s, Dublin Airport, HSE, ,Rory McIlroy, MINI.

Outside of her role at Legacy, Shireen is a hurdles coach and recently served a term on Athletics Ireland National Coaching & Development committee.

Lisa McEneaney

Aer Lingus
IRELAND
Brand Manager

LinkedIn

With over 12 years’ experience in advertising, brand, strategy and sponsorship, I’ve had the privilege of working on some of Ireland’s most impactful, award-winning sponsorship campaigns. From Electric Ireland’s sponsorship of the 2016 Olympics to the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, I’ve gained invaluable experience in creating influential campaigns that resonate with audiences, align with brand goals and deliver on commercial objectives.

As Brand Manager at Aer Lingus, I’m passionate about building meaningful connections between our brand and customers across Europe and North America. This role allows me to combine creativity with strategic objectives, ensuring our brand initiatives create lasting value.

I’m driven by a love for storytelling and brand-building. And I often remind my team that brand is a feeling, and working in brand is like being part of that feeling every single day – pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and inspiring one another to reach new heights!

Sharon McFarlane

Game Changing Media
UK
Managing Director

LinkedIn

I am the managing director of Game Changing Media, a sports marketing agency that specialises in sponsorship activation. We focus on working with both the entity and the sponsor to ensure the partnership is working for both parties.

I also own Digital Footprints, an award-winning digital agency that I’ve had for 15 years which is an iGaming specific agency who are traditionally major sponsors particularly within the sports market. I’ve been a jusge at the EGR Awards, the iGB Awards, and the SBC Awards which are the most prolific in the iGaming sector.

I have also judged marketing category awards within other sectors such as The Scottish Aesthetic Awards, The Scottish Private Hire and Taxi Awards and The Scottish Health and Fitness Awards.

Mary McGuire

Legacy Communications
IRELAND
Head of Sponsorship

LinkedIn

Mary is Head of Sponsorship with Legacy Communications, a leading creative communications agency in Dublin, Ireland.

Her career has spanned across music, entertainment and sport in both Ireland and Australia. From working with rightsholders, artists, promoters directly, she has taken her learnings into the role of Head of Sponsorship where she uses her culture first mindset to lead out for numerous top tier sponsorships in Ireland.

Mary takes pride in delivering integrated sponsorship campaigns for her clients which help turn the dial for clients in line with key business goals such as brand affinity, awareness or otherwise. Her portfolio of work includes working with Electric Picnic, Bluesfest Byron Bay, U2, Domain Chandon x McLaren, PTSB x Team Ireland, Aviva x IRFU/FAI and many, many partnerships across the realm of sport, arts and entertainment.

Michelle McLeod

Freelance
UK
Sponsorship & Engagement Consultant

LinkedIn

Michelle McLeod has over 20 years experience in marketing and 16 years in sponsorship working for brands and rightsholders across in the arts, entertainment, sport, CSR and academia.

After 15 years brand side, she currently freelances in marketing, sponsorship and events and is contracted to The National Robotarium in industry engagement. She has experience across the private, public and charitable sectors, and has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious brands. She has a BA in Business Studies, an MSc in Marketing and is a Non-Executive Director of East of Scotland Tennis.

Caitlin McRoy

Sage
UK
Sponsorship Manager

LinkedIn

I’ve been working in the sponsorship world for over a decade and think I’ve nearly hit the full suite with experience in consultancy, rights holder, agency and now, brand.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the biggest global brands on some award-winning campaigns (yes, even an ESA!), from Deloitte to Dulux, Heineken to HSBC UK and now have settled into life at the brilliant, Sage.

Two years in, I’ve been lucky enough to lead our partnership with Six Nations and work across The Hundred, as well as be part of the team that are shaping our strategy as we look ahead to the future. Most recently, I’ve been focussing my efforts on how we create greater impact within communities through our partnerships and feel immensely proud that we’ve launched two bespoke programmes, Tackling Insights and Decision Makers of Tomorrow, which use our partnerships as a platform to promote and innovate STEM learning in young people. We’ve had over 1,200 participants involved so far, and we’re only just getting started.

Karen Morris

Reg&Co
UK
Managing Director

LinkedIn

Founder and director of Reg&Co 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 that gets results.

Over 30 years of experience, specialising in creating value for clients through brand partnerships, sponsorship, or fundraising. Clients have included 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, Radix Big Tent, Moniker Art Fair, IWSC, Volunteer It Yourself, Photo London and Somerset House among many others.

Natalie Moss

Southbank Centre
UK
Head of Corporate Partnerships

LinkedIn

I am an experienced brand partnerships manager with twenty years experience working within the arts sector. Skilled in managing and brokering commercial partnerships (highlights include Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards & M.A.C suporting BAFTA’s activities in Hong Kong), event and successful strategic partnerships, I have strong business development and problem solving skills.

I am currently the Head of Corporate Partnerships at Southbank Centre where I am working on a strategy for brand partnerships ahead of their 75th anniversary in 2026, formerly having been Head of Partnerships at BAFTA (16 years), Partnerships Manager at Royal Court Theatre (3 years) and the English National Opera (1 year).

John Mulcahy

Sport Science Agency
UK
Director

LinkedIn

John Mulcahy is the Director and Founder of Sport Science Agency (SSA), a unique sports marketing business positioned at the intersection of performance and marketing.

With a career spanning agency and roles at British Cycling and UK Athletics, John brings a distinct perspective on how performance insights can elevate sponsorship and marketing strategies.

His innovative approach at SSA has enabled brands, broadcasters and other industry partners to benefit from credible performance stories which have led to marketing and commercial successes.

Fiona (Fi) Murphy

Freelance
UK
Consultant – Sponsorship

LinkedIn

I am a brand partnership expert with 20 years of international experience in sports and entertainment marketing for high-profile brands. I’m passionate about using the power of sports, entertainment and fan engagement to drive brand and business objectives and societal change.

My sponsorship career has included significant global and local market experience. I spent 12 years leading sponsorship and events for Vodafone in Australia, and NZ, before moving to the Vodafone Global team to head up their Global F1 sponsorship programme and their ground-breaking Vodafone McLaren Mercedes partnership.

I have held sponsorship roles at O2, Shell, and most recently Charles Stanley Wealth Managers, leading their partnerships in rugby and the arts. I have worked across a multitude of sports and entertainment platforms including F1, rugby, football, netball, cricket, art, theatre and music, always delivering 360 activations that are customer-centric and insight-led and have also been award-winning.

Melissa Noakes

Santander UK
UK
Head of Sponsorship & Events

LinkedIn

Melissa Noakes has spent over 20 years connecting brands to their audiences through the power of people’s passions. As Head of Sponsorship and Events at Santander UK, she is responsible for Santander Cycles, Scuderia-Ferrari, Silverstone, Ant & Dec, the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and The Numbers Game.

She is passionate about building impactful campaigns that join the dots between culture, brands and their audiences and has delivered award winning brand experience and sponsorship activations across the globe for Santander, Sony Mobile, Sony, Shell, L’Oreal, Budweiser, Jack Daniels and Disney to name just a few.

Outside of work Melissa is an author, guest lecturer and professional coach. Her interest in personal development led her to co-found Elevate, the largest UK mentoring programme for the events industry, which has supported over 1,500 people to date.

Metin Odemis

Interactive Sponsor
UK & USA
Founder/Director

LinkedIn

I am the Founder and Director of Interactive Sponsor, a brand partnership and sponsorship agency, based in Los Angeles and London, connecting leading brands worldwide with high-profile properties, rights holders, and projects, serving sport and entertainment, along with clients in industries ranging from fintech to fashion,

I have worked with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Golden Globe® Awards, Dick Clark Productions, The Recording Academy and GRAMMY® Celebration, Live Nation, major movie studios, countless movie premieres and after-parties, concerts, along with major properties and rights holders via brand partnership and sponsorship campaigns and activations, throughout the U.S., and Europe.

We have lately been engaging with the startup/scale-up ecosystem and assist with disruptive innovation hubs; and Corporate VC partnerships working with brands and clients from all over the U.S., UK and Europe.

Ciara O’Grady

ONSIDE
IRELAND
Senior Consultant

LinkedIn

Ciara is a Senior Consultant on ONSIDE advisory team, delivering research and advisory services to guide brands and rightsholders on their sponsorship strategies.

Ciara has a wealth of experience in marketing, sponsorship programme management and preferred partnership programmes from her previous roles as Director of Arts, Innovation and Corporate Services at the Gleneagle Group (Leading Hospitality Provider in the South West of Ireland & operators of the Gleneagle INEC Arena – the largest entertainment venue outside Dublin), Sponsorship Programme Manager with Bord Gáis Energy (part of the Centrica Group and Naming Rights Partner to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre) and Director of Fundraising and Events at the National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght (with responsibility for fundraising targets of €1m per annum).

Ciara’s broad range of industry experience, as well as her ability to understand the perspectives and objectives of both brands and rights-holders, gives her a unique and richly layered understanding of sponsorship dynamics.

Alyson Orme

Edinburgh International Festival
UK
Corporate Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

Alyson is a corporate partnerships professional with over a decade of experience in fundraising and event management for cultural institutions throughout Edinburgh.

Since 2021 Alyson has worked with the Edinburgh International Festival, an unparalleled annual celebration of international artistry and cultural exchange presenting world-class music, theatre, dance, and opera by globally renowned artists in Scotland’s capital city.

As Corporate Partnerships Manager, Alyson forges purposeful partnerships with global, national, and local organisations. Her role entails crafting bespoke collaborations that deliver on partner objectives, enable positive and lasting impact, and reflect shared values whilst bringing international culture and live performance to the people of Edinburgh and Scotland.

Shane O’Sullivan

Prism Sport + Entertainment
UK
Managing Director

LinkedIn

Shane has more than 20 years’ experience consulting in the digital, sport + entertainment space. During this time, he’s been the force behind a multitude of brand teams brands spanning Sport, Entertainment, Finance, Technology, Automotive, FMCG and QSR sectors.

As Managing Director at Prism Sport + Entertainment Shane oversees the integrity of the work across our entire client portfolio and is responsible for ensuring the team deliver top level strategy combined with flawless execution.

Shane lives in London with his wife and young family, in his spare time you can find Shane watching sports such as Football, GAA, Rugby and Formula 1.

Scott Over

Sporting Giants
UK
CEO

LinkedIn

Scott has dedicated his career to the development and performance of international sports (ITF and World Sailing), major events, commercial partnerships, and sustainability initiatives. He has contributed to four Olympic Games and successfully managed global sponsorships in over 40 countries, delivering for brands including Rolex, SAP, BNP Paribas, Cisco, Aberdeen Asset Management, Hugo Boss, and Jaguar Land Rover.

Known for his ability to diversify revenue and lead teams through strategic projects and purpose-driven partnerships, Scott held the role of Commercial Director at World
Sailing from 2019 to 2023, growing and overseeing key relationships with partners and stakeholders, including Special Events and sponsorships. In addition, he served as a Trustee and Charity Director of the World Sailing Trust.

Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Sporting Giants. Sporting Giants team now collaborates with over 50 hand-selected global brands, International and National Sports Governing Bodies, and prestigious events and venues.

Laura Palairet

AEG
UK
Senior Director, Global 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 innovative charity in Europe and running the partnerships function. For the last seven years, Laura works at the music and entertainment company AEG, leading the partnerships activation team at The O2 arena.

Sam Piccione III

Oak View Group International
UK
President, Sales

LinkedIn

Sam brings over 25 years of global experience in the sports & entertainment industry, where he successfully secured numerous high-profile sponsorship deals at OVG, AEG, and Formula E.

Sam’s expertise spans a diverse range of naming rights agreements for major venues and sports properties worldwide. Notable achievements in his portfolio include orchestrating Mercedes-Benz’s 20-year naming rights deal for the Arena & Entertainment District in Shanghai, securing Accor Hotels’ 10-year naming rights for the Bercy Arena in Paris, Co-op’s 15 year naming rights deal of the 1^st purpose built music arena in UK/Europe in Manchester, Mastercard’s 7 year naming rights deal of the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena, Mercedes-Benz 10 year naming rights in Berlin and ABB’s 7 year naming rights of FIA Formula E Championship.

Sam currently leads a team responsible for securing sponsorships for OVG International’s owned & operated venues, as well as for like-minded 3rd parties, including EF Pro Cycling, Ethara in Abu Dhabi and Birmingham City FC.

Zoe Prothero

The Premier League
UK
Director of Commercial Development

LinkedIn

Zoe Prothero is a dynamic marketing and commercial leader with over 20 years of experience delivering award-winning campaigns for iconic brands, sports entities, and entertainment properties. As Director of Commercial Development at The Premier League, she manages engagement with partners and licensees, while developing new commercial opportunities.

With expertise in digital, experiential, PR, and partnership strategies, Zoe has impacted sectors from beverages to luxury, tech, and media. Her career includes roles at The Coca-Cola Company, FIA Formula E, Fuse (Omnicom), and Havas (Cake), working with clients including Carlsberg Group, Nissan, PepsiCo and YouTube.
Zoe is a REBUS – Balance the Board mentee and has served as a Non-Executive Director at Liverpool Feds Women’s Football Team.

Zoe holds an Executive MBA from London Business School, where she was co-President of the Strategy & Marketing Club. Her diverse experience across brand, agency and rights holders make her a pivotal figure in the marketing and sponsorship landscape.

Tanya Rabin

London Sport
UK
Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications

LinkedIn

Tanya has significant experience in partnership marketing, communications and consultancy. She has helped a number of brands including Lloyds Bank, Aviva, TSB, Coca-Cola, Samsung and Reebok, maximise their investment in a range of commercial and purpose-led partnerships, and engaged multiple audiences through creative marketing communications campaigns.

Tanya joined London Sport in March 2021, and leads on London Sport’s fundraising, commercial partnerships, marketing and communications.

She is passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives, and outside of work when she’s not out running or walking the dog, she’s ferrying her son around to multiple sporting activities.

Marco Raggi

42 Racing SA
SWITZERLAND
President

LinkedIn

I am a professional with over 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.

Sha Rasti

OMD EMEA
UK
Executive Director – Sports Partnerships

LinkedIn

I have over 12 years’ experience in the world of sport and entertainment, working both agency and rights holder side, specialising in partner activation, brand strategy, rights management and commercial sales.

This has included time at leading rights holders and global advertising groups, WPP and Omnicom Media Group, within their sports marketing divisions – Fuse and MediaCom Sport & Entertainment.

During my career I have also consulted for and worked with a multitude of premium brands and properties, such as FedEx, Santander, Subway, Samsung, Allianz, Toyota, Panasonic, HSBC, Just Eat, EE, McLaren Racing, UEFA Champions League, Arsenal FC and Formula 1.

I am currently Executive Director – Sports Partnerships at OMD EMEA and agent to racing driver Logan Hannah.

Peter Raymond

PRS / ESA Diploma
UK
Course Director

LinkedIn

I’ve been in the industry over 35 years and have worked on many iconic sports sponsorship projects. The highlight of my career is probably as Head of International Sponsorship for Orange (1994-2002).

I have since run my own consultancy – PRS – and founded the ESA Diploma of which I am now Course Director.

Dan Reading

Sporting Giants
UK
Co-Founder

LinkedIn

A world-renowned purpose professional, responsible for several landmark evolutions for sustainability in sport and events.

Dan has spent the last 18 years working with National and International Sport Federations, Olympic and Paralympic organising committees and major events specifically on sustainability.

Dan was a Co-Chair of the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Framework, is a Board Member for the British Association for Sustainable Sport, and a Sustainability Commission member for British Triathlon, RNLI and World Squash.

Dan is a Chartered Environmentalist, winner of the Society for the Environment’s Environmental Professional of the Year 2021, winner of the Global Association of International Sports Federations Sustainability Award, winner of the International Olympic Committees Carbon Award, full member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

At Sporting Giants Dan works with a variety of events, brands and rights holders ranging from COP28, Sydney Opera House and World Aquatics on sustainability projects.

Sarah Riggott

Wasserman
UK
Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications for EMEA & APAC

LinkedIn

Currently Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications for EMEA & APAC at Wasserman, with nearly 20 years’ experience of working in a variety of agency roles predominantly in the marketing communications sector and most latterly in sports sponsorship and now music, entertainment and culture.

Following the acquisition of CSM by Wasserman earlier this year and working closely with the Global CMO, I am now responsible for the development and delivery of Wasserman’s brand marketing strategy and integrated marketing communication across the EMEA & APAC regions.

I also support Wasserman’s global Impact initiatives, where I am the Executive sponsor for Environmental Sustainability and help champion this important topic both internally and externally.

I am also a full-time member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Oliver Rockett

The Value Xchange
UK
Business Development Executive

LinkedIn

Originally from California, I moved to the UK to study Sports Management at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where I also played for the football team. During an internship with Herbalife Nutrition, where I assisted with sports sponsorships, I discovered my passion for the industry, blending my love for sports with a strong acumen for business and marketing.

Currently, I work at The Value Xchange in London, where 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 experience 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 favorite and most notable projects to date include Signify & Mercedes F1, Rugby League Commercial, British Triathlon, Mentholatum, and Movember. My expertise spans both brands and rights holders, covering everything from activation planning to sales, measurement, and consulting.

Anubhav Roda

SportQuake
UK
Global Partnerships Manager

LinkedIn

Anubhav Roda is a seasoned sports management professional with over a decade of experience across India, Middle East, and Europe. Anubhav has a proven track record in driving commercial growth and fostering strategic partnerships in the sports industry. His expertise spans sponsorship management, strategic planning, and sports business operations, honed through roles at prestigious organizations like RISE, PwC, Deloitte, etc.

Anubhav has successfully managed large deals, developed comprehensive commercial strategies for brands and rights holders, and led innovative activation campaigns for global brands. His experience demonstrating a deep understanding of the sports ecosystem.

Alice Samtoy

Samtoy Consulting
UK
Consultant

LinkedIn

Alice is a corporate partnerships expert with significant experience of fundraising in the cultural sector. She has 17 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, Capital Theatres, Durham University, Edinburgh International Festival, and National Museums Scotland, among many others. She is a regular trainer for Culture & Business Scotland. Alice lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two young sons.

Andrew Selby

Deloitte
UK
Head of Partnerships

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.

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.

Current client sponsorship activity covers a variety of sports including golf, football, horse racing, swimming and the world’s fastest growing sport, padel.

Jenny Seymour

Paralympics GB
UK
Commercial Director

LinkedIn

Accomplished sports sponsorship professional with +10 years’ experience in elite multi-sport competition, mass participation events and the charity sector. Currently, Commercial Director at the British Paralympic Association, across partnership activation, income generation and strategic planning.

As a rights holder for a membership organisation (comprised of NGBs/ key stakeholders), that works at both local and international level, I have knowledge and expertise across the sporting landscape, sponsorship trends and a network across UK and global sporting/ commercial organisations. The BPA’s partner portfolio includes those with global reach, with activations supporting brand awareness, consumer preference and driving positive societal change.

A well-networked rights holder, with expertise in the territories that ESA operates, I believe that collaboration breeds success and enjoy championing the ESA membership cohort’s needs.

Hina Sharma

Freelance
UK
Head of Marketing Communications

LinkedIn

Hina is a seasoned B2B communications and marketing expert, known for using strategic storytelling to drive business transformation and enhance brand reputation. With commercial insight, she drives narratives that align with business goals, helping companies navigate challenges and build market presence across diverse geographies.

Her expertise spans reputation management, strategic communications, and aligning internal and external perceptions to grow brand awareness. Passionate about fostering diverse experiences, she believes they contribute to personal learning and strengthen company culture. Hina excels at delivering impactful strategies that shape business success through the mix of compelling marketing communications and having fun whilst delivering it.

Anna Shaw

ECB
UK
Commercial Strategy Lead

LinkedIn

I am currently the Commercial Strategy Lead at the England & Wales Cricket Board where I oversee the delivery of a consistent and impactful sponsorship strategy that drives both ROI and ROO for existing partners and coherently introduces potential new partners to the business benefits of a partnership with the ECB.

I am passionate about building long-term authentic purpose driven partnerships that help us to grow the game and enable more people to say “Cricket is a Game for me”.

When time allows, I also enjoy identifying opportunities for revenue diversification and maximising partnership revenue, which means I can often be found reading about the latest sponsorship trends and innovative partnership activations.

Prior to ECB, I have worked across multiple areas within the Sports Industry including Repucom (now Nielsen Sports), Generate (now Mongoose) as well as MediaCom.

Amar Singh

MKTG Sports + Entertainment
UK
SVP, Content & Creative

LinkedIn

Amar Singh is an experienced media and marketing professional specialising in content strategy and digital marketing in sports.

As Senior Vice-President, Content & Creative at MKTG Sports + Entertainment, he collaborates with global brands like Mondelez, FedEx, and Vodafone on activating their sports partnerships.

Amar also teaches digital content and marketing in football at the Football Business Academy.

Previously, he was Head of Global Football Content for Budweiser, managing partnerships with the Premier League, LaLiga, and England’s national teams. He also led the digital strategy on the Cannes Silver Lion award-winning Messi 644 campaign.

As Head of Content at West Ham United, Amar grew the club’s global audience helping it achieve record metrics across platforms.

Amar’s journalism career includes leadership roles at Goal, Squawka, and the London Evening Standard.

He also runs The Sports Marketeer, a Substack and podcast on sports marketing and culture, where he regularly shines a light on the best industry work.

Kevin Smit

TeamViewer
UK
Team Lead – Sports Partnerships

LinkedIn

Based in London, Kevin is responsible for leading TeamViewer’s global sports partnership Team. TeamViewer’s portfolio of sports partnerships include Manchester United, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and the FRISCH AUF! Göppingen Handball team.

Prior to his current role, Kevin spent 7 ½ years at one of New Zealand’s largest banks working at a senior level nationally and internationally across sports, entertainment, culture and arts and social impact.

Early in his career, Kevin spent 10 years cutting his teeth in the events industry delivering a range of conferences, expos and community festivals.

Matthew Stevenson

1986
UK
Partner

LinkedIn

I run a sponsorship company called 1986, with my best mate from school. We work with both brands and rights holders to devise and activate sponsorships across the world of sport, music, gaming, film and TV.

My experience? I’ve spent the last 25 years or so in sponsorship and marketing departments at Nike, O2, Orange and EE, including 15 years as head of sponsorship for BT Group. During this time I’ve led on some pretty major deals: The England Football Team, Wembley Stadium, Scotland Rugby, Glastonbury, BAFTA and GX.

Karol Tatar

Polish FA / Kozminski University
POLAND
Head of Marketing & Sponsorship / Lecturer

LinkedIn

With over 13 years of experience in the sports industry, my journey began at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, where I played a key 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, and UEFA EURO 2024.

I am also a proud member of the UEFA Marketing Committee, and FIFA/CIES Programme in Sports Management lecturer and content coordinator at Kozminski University.

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

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

Highly skilled PR and communications professional with more than 20 years’ experience in international sport, helping International Federations, governing bodies and clubs build their brand, protect their reputation and activate meaningful sponsorships that make a positive change in society.

Lauren Tones

ASM Global
UK
UK Partnerships Director

LinkedIn

Lauren Tones is the UK partnerships director at ASM Global.

She has a wealth of experience in the sponsorship world, having been involved in brand activation at live entertainment venues for well over ten years. In her current role as UK Partnerships Director, she oversees the activation and renewal of brand partners at ASM Global’s arenas and theatres. Across a UK venue portfolio that includes OVO Arena Wembley, AO Arena Manchester, first direct arena Leeds, and P&J Live Aberdeen, she is working with brands such as OVO, first direct, Sage, Three, and Sky.

Recent successes include the renewal of first direct’s naming rights agreement in Leeds, and an extension to AO’s headline sponsorship of Manchester Arena.

Lauren was previously part of AEG’s Global Partnerships team for seven years, driving sponsorship activity at The O2 from the likes of O2 Telefonica, Sky, Budweiser, and Nissan.

Gregg Turner

Trackhouse MotoGP
SWITZERLAND
Commercial & Marketing Director

LinkedIn

Over 25 years working within Sports Sponsorship across multiple areas of delivery, brand side, agency side and rights holder side has offered me a fortunate career working on and with many iconic moments, deals, events and athletes.

Sport remains a constant in both my personal life and professional life and I deeply enjoy finding new ways to improve experiences for fans, participants, indeed all those involved, drawing from those experiences.

I am now based in Switzerland working with the new Trackhouse MotoGP to build a new commercial platform in readiness for the transition to the exciting ownership transition to Liberty Media.

Neal Van Loock

University College Leuven-Limburg
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 such 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 two years I had the honour of judging the ESA Awards and that was mind blowing!

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.

Calum Watkins

Sony PlayStation
UK
Senior Manager, Global Sponsorships

LinkedIn

Calum is responsible for managing PlayStation’s global activation of key sports sponsorship programmes, with a focus on UEFA men’s and women’s football competitions.

Emmerson Wood

Charles Stanley
UK
Senior Sponsorship Executive

LinkedIn

Having started my career as an Army Officer, and finishing in a role in media and communications, I left to begin my adventure in the world of sponsorship, firstly by becoming a registered agent with the RFU, followed by becoming the Business Manager to Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, opening my eyes to F1 and the natural growth the sport has experienced in recent years. My challenge – to keep the oldest living F1 World Champion relevant in an era of Drive To Survive. During this time, I proudly worked alongside blue-chip brands and high performing agencies to achieve our wider aims.

I am now working at Charles Stanley looking after their sponsorship portfolio, including the partnership with Harlequins Rugby and the exciting new partnership with the National Theatre, whereby we are supporting the War Horse tour. I am passionate about sponsorship with deeper experience in sport, enhanced by my studies of an MSc in Sport Business, Management and Policy.

I’m also the number 1 supporter to my wife, Holly, an international rugby referee.