Leaders Podcast

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin on reviewing the Rugby World Cup and running a game in the midst of change.As the tickertape settles on a record-breaking 2023 Rugby World Cup, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin reviews the tournament – the format, the performance of the Tier 2 nations, the role of technology and the experience in France – and sets out the organisation’s big priorities over the next few years.In an extended conversation on Leaders in Focus, Gilpin spends time with Leaders’ James Emmett and David Cushnan, at IMG’s London studios, to discuss what a sustainable and smart future for women’s rugby union could look like; player welfare and safety; the influence private equity money might exert over the sport in the coming years; the dynamics at play in the CEO-Chairman relationship within international federations; the boring-but-critical role of committees; and the constant evolution of sports hospitality. He also reflects on the unique way rugby stirs emotion and how he channels his own emotions as a leader.

Founder and CEO of Mercury/13 on the multi-club approach and making an impact in women’s football.Mercury/13 is one of the most talked-about companies in the global sports industry right now, and Victoire Cogevina Souki one of its most in-demand leaders.The former agent and tech entrepreneur has this summer launched a fund with US$100 million to spend on women's football clubs, in Europe and Latin America - with a mission to create a multi-club model that will supercharge the sport, and a team of experienced sports industry names, including Eni Aluko, Luis Vicente and Ebru Köksal, around her.On this first episode of Leaders in Focus, Cogevina Souki sits down with Leaders' Laura McQueen and David Cushnan at IMG's London studios, for a candid conversation in which she shares how her passion for football began; the mission underpinning Mercury/13; her thesis on women's football and its potential; the multi-club investment plan and why it's a model built for women; and her own approach to decision-making and asse

Recapitulating the learnings from our unforgettable flagship event, onsite at Twickenham Stadium.Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events, where our team will review the action and key takeaways from the on-stage sessions. In this episode, Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Managing Director Laura McQueen are joined by Stuart Rowson, Founder and Consultant at Lucky Socks Media, to recap the goings-on from a momentous return to Leaders Week London.The group discuss a range of themes and talking points spanning the week and our Business Summit on-stage sessions, which featured a stellar lineup of speakers across three stages. Alongside the dialogue, the episode will contain short snippets of sessions featuring Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, Jennifer Hills, Co-Managing Director of Globe Universal Music Group, H.E Bader Alkadi, Vice Minister of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport and more.

A run through of the week coming up on 16 - 19 October, how it’s shaping up and tips and tricks for when you go.Leaders Week London is happening on Monday 16th to Thursday 19th of October. With 3,000 in person attendees from over 70 countries and 50 sports, it’s an unparalleled opportunity to connect with those at the heart of the global sports industry. In this episode, Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan, Managing Director Laura McQueen and Events Director Hannah Redfern tell you what to expect, what to look out for and everything you need to know about everything happening during the week.Monday 16th: The Diversity Forum – a platform for executives within sport to champion equity, diversity and inclusion.Tuesday 17th: The Leaders Sports Awards - a prestigious, black-tie celebration of excellence across the industry with 500 distinguished guests, at the iconic Natural History Museum.Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th: The Summit, at Twickenham. 3 fully programmed stages, a host of private forums and gathe

Agency founder Jo Tongue on building a business around her clients.Welcome to Founders Keepers, the podcast series about entrepreneurship and business building from the Leaders Sport Business podcast.The guest for this final episode of the season is Jo Tongue, founder of Tongue Tied Media.Tongue has 20 years of experience in the industry across sport, media and commercial, beginning with an eight-year stint as a Producer at the BBC. She then moved to independent agency Somethin Else, before beginning her role as as Director at Women in Football in 2010 – a role she holds to this day. She is also a Trustee of the Jason Roberts Foundation and the Michael Carrick Foundation. She was recently recognised in the Woman's Hour 2023 Power List for Women in Sport, and was awarded an MBE for services to Football and to Gender Equality in the 2023 New Year Honours List.In 2015, Tongue founded Tongue Tied Media. Tongue Tied Media consists of two branches. The first is Tongue Tied Management, which represents the likes of

ONE Championship’s Founder and CEO on creating Asia's largest billion-dollar global sports media empire.Welcome to Founders Keepers, the podcast series about entrepreneurship and business building from the Leaders Sport Business podcast.The featured guest on this episode is ONE Championship Founder Chatri Sityodtong, a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist.Sityodtong was raised in Thailand, cut his teeth in the US, and now runs his MMA and media empire from his base in Singapore. His is an extraordinary story.Inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame, he has over 35 years of martial arts experience as a student, a fighter, a teacher, and a coach. He is a certified senior Muay Thai instructor under the legendary Kru Yodtong Senanan, and holds a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Renzo Gracie. Sityodtong is also the star of the first-ever global edition of The Apprentice, and was recently named Asia’s King of Martial Arts by the Financial Times, and Asia’s 2nd Most Powerful Person in Sp

Two Circles co-founder Gareth Balch and his entrepreneurial journey.Welcome to Founders Keepers, the podcast series about entrepreneurship and business building from the Leaders Sport Business podcast. Two Circle co-founder Gareth Balch is the featured guest on this episode. Balch represented Great Britain as an 800 metre runner before moving into the world of sports business, first with Goodform, and then in the commercial strategy team at Manchester City. In 2011, at the age of 28, Balch founded Two Circles alongside Matt and Claire Rogan.Conceived as a digital agency focused on helping sports rights holders develop direct relationships with fans, Two Circles’ marketing mandate matched its business plan perfectly, and it very quickly established itself as the data driven agency in sport. It’s gone on to hoover up business across the UK and Europe – and latterly in the US and internationally too – and is a serial winner of the Agency of the Year gong at the Sport Industry Awards.Since inception, Two Circles

Examining how sport franchises have tailored their apparel to appeal to the masses. 4se Material explores some of the many stories at the intersection of sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture. This episode was originally published on the 4se Material feed in April - to hear more like it, search '4se Material' on your chosen podcast platform.It seems sports fans and non-fans alike are sporting licensed sportswear. From jerseys to caps, a passerby on any city street can spy some of sports’ most famous logos worn on the bodies of many a trendsetter. But how did this happen? How did pieces of memorabilia, originally designed for die-hard fans, develop this mass appeal? Why would sports organisations seek to make their merchandise more wearable, and why would non-fans buy into it? And how much power really is there in recognisable company iconography?   To help us stitch this sportswear story together, we spoke to Matthew Primack, SVP of International Business Affairs and Development at Fanatics, and to Sama

In conversation with the Chief Strategy Officer at the commercial media arm of the ATP Tour.This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).This episode features Nick Bourne, whose role as Chief Strategy Officer at ATP Media is to lead the organisation’s build out of new services and capabilities built on centralised data, content and platforms – and support the wider business' development as the sports media rights market continues to transform. Bourne joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett for an insightful discussion around execution vs planning, driving the Netflix deal and when and how strategy can sometimes fall down. 

Insights on strategic thinking with the VP of Strategy and Business Intelligence at one of the NFL’s cornerstone franchises.This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).In this episode, Russell Scibetti, who created and manages the Business Intelligence department at the New York Football Giants, joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett to discuss strategy as alignment, how to correctly maximise use of data and how the leagues work with clubs for a fan-first approach. Note: This interview was conducted over video call, so there may be some slight distortion in the panel segment but this should not take away from your listening experience.

In conversation with the Chief Commercial Officer at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport. This series teases out insights from from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t). In this episode, Heidi Pellerano, who leads commercial initiatives at CONCACAF, joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett to outline her approach to strategic thinking, how and why investing in data is critical, and how working with member associations requires a flexible strategy. 

Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series features perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them. Joanna Abeyie is a journalist, broadcaster and social impact entrepreneur who has spent the last 15 years committed to the EDI sector. She is Founder and MD of Blue Moon and Partners, an organisation designed to find the best talent for business and create inclusive environments for employees to thrive and drive business success. She is also Co-Secretariat at Creative Diversity APPG, a cross-party group in UK Parliament to identify and tackle obstacles to diversity in the creative sector, and acts as Commissioner at Civil Service Commission UK and Common Councill

The Blueprint returns with a conversation with the EVP of Business Operations & Chief Strategy Officer at one of the most storied team brands in sport. This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).Kicking off season two is Alex Sugarman Executive Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Strategy Officer at the Chicago Cubs. Having spent 13 years at the famed franchise, Sugarman joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett for a conversation covering how to work with ownership and operationalise their goals, measuring your strategy framework, and aligning with other local teams.

A perspective on the music & events industry from the man who brought #Merky Festival to Ibiza before making his mark at the world’s leading talent agency.Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series will feature perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them.This episode features Jordan Hallpike speaking on the music and events industry. Hallpike holds the unique title of Crossover agent at WME, a world-class entertainment agency whose music roster features the likes of Adele, Bruno Mars, The Killers and Olivia Rodrigo. Prior to starting his current role in April 2022, wherein he facilitates new creative opportunities for WME’s esteemed roster of talent, Hal

The Founder of Black Eats LDN joins the series to discuss inclusivity in an industry that, through necessity, affects every living person.Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series will feature perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them.This episode features Jackson Mclarty, speaking on the food, beverage & hospitality industry. Mclarty is the Founder of Black Eats LDN, the UK’s first and (so far) only Black-owned restaurant directory. The organisation is a purpose-led platform that offering resources, consultancy services and curates exciting events content in order to platform Black-owned business and offer others the opportunity to engage with the cu

This is Threats, a podcast about the changing sports media landscape and the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model.In this series, Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Synamedia’s Head of Sport Simon Brydon will identify the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model. Alongside a handful of prominent industry experts, they also explore ways that leaders can navigate the ever-evolving sports broadcast space for optimum success in the field.This episode focuses on innovation – how ever-changing technology provides both challenges and opportunities, and how to maximise on the latter. The featured guest is Sharon Fuller, VP of Content and Social for Europe and the Middle East at the NBA, who prior to joining the organisation in February held prominent content positions at Red Bull Media House and at the UK’s very first broadcast innovator, the BBC.

This is Threats, a podcast about the changing sports media landscape and the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model.In this series, Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Synamedia’s Head of Sport Simon Brydon will identify the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model, and alongside a handful of prominent industry experts, explore ways that leaders can use these challenges as opportunities for innovation.This episode focuses on choice and price, featuring a discussion with Sebastien Audoux around the difficulties in engaging an audience that already has an abundance of offerings. Audoux is a content technology rights specialist who followed a 15-year television career as a sports commentator with a stint as Head of Sports Digital Content at Canal+. He now works with numerous clients as an independent consultant, and holds board member positions at HYPE Sports Innovation and Decyfr Sport.

This is Threats, a podcast about the changing sports media landscape and the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model.In this series, Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Synamedia’s Head of Sport Simon Brydon will identify the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model, and alongside a handful of prominent industry experts, explore ways that leaders can use these challenges as opportunities for innovation.The first episode in the series features a conversation with Rhys Beer, with focus on viewing habits and Gen Z. Rhys Beer, who currently serves as SVP Platform & Content at OneFootball, has 20+ years of extensive experience in the sports media landscape across traditional and emerging platforms. Starting with his role as a Media Rights Manager at the FA, Beer went on to hold positions such as Commercial Director – Media at DAZN Group, VP, Sports Distribution & Business Development at NBCUniversal and Head of Content Strategy & Programming, Internationa

Reviewing the action from the new event experience where sport meets entertainment, lifestyle and culture.Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events, where our team recap the goings-on and key takeaways from the on-stage sessions. This week, the Leaders Team have been in New York, working with sister company Sports Business Journal, for the big launch of 4SE following a pilot event last year. 4SE is a unique event experience that provides a much-needed opportunity for senior executives to explore and navigate the collision of sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture.In the episode, Leaders Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan elaborate on the intentions and objectives of 4se, and identify and discuss key themes and takeaways from the sessions – all followed by an insightful conversation with Elke Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at GMR Marketing. The analysis also features snippets from the on-stage content, featuring speakers such as Eli Manning, F

For our season finale of Leaders Live, IMG’s EVP of Head of Global Production joins the show to run the rule over the sports broadcast and production sector.Leaders Live, produced in partnership with IMG, is our studio talk show on hot button issues in the industry, featuring conversations with leaders from across sport.This edition features former Sky Sports chief and current EVP, Head of Global Production at IMG, Barney Francis, who offers his industry-wide assessment of the sports broadcast space. With Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Editorial Director James Emmett, Francis explains who’s innovating and where the big technical and creative leaps are happening, pinpoints the sector’s biggest challenges and details why it’s never been a more exciting time to be in the sports production game.Francis also takes the Leaders team behind the scenes of IMG Studios at Stockley Park in West London, the home of Premier League Productions, CBS Sports’ Uefa Champions League coverage, ITV’s EFL highlights sh