Dr. Ahmed Abbassi currently serves as the executive director of competitions and football development at the Qatar Stars League, designing and leading strategies together with the team to achieve the organization’s ambitious vision and targets. Prior to that, he was serving as the director of national teams, being part of the team winning the Gulf Cup 2014 and the Asian Cup 2019. In parallel to that, he is a member of the AFC competitions committee and is the co-founder of Qatar Solar Energy.

Eric Abidal is an advisor at LTT Sports and a former French professional footballer, renowned for his skills as a left-back and central defender. He began his notable career at AS Monaco, LOSC Lille and then moved to Olympique Lyonnais, winning three Ligue 1 titles. In 2007, Abidal joined FC Barcelona, playing a pivotal role in securing four Spanish La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies. Internationally, Abidal was a key player for the French national team, participating in two FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships.

After retiring, he served as the Sports Director at FC Barcelona, applying his insights into the club’s strategy and operations. Since 2020, Abidal has been with LTT Sports, a specialised advisory team that aligns football strategy and operations for executives. His extensive experience and strategic acumen significantly contribute to clubs and leagues, aiding in the development of innovative football strategies and optimal performance solutions in the football industry.

Fathi brings to his role an extensive background and lifelong passion for football with 2 academic degrees in Football business and sports management, gaining him flexibility across different sectors of the industry.

In addition to his deep knowledge from an academic perspective, he gained more awareness of football in MENA region during his professional experience in corporate social responsibility and partnerships through his involvement in several projects with AFC and West Asia Football Federation.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Master

For more than 15 years, Adwa has led dozens of initiatives to help drive and develop the sport sector as well as playing a key role in mass participation across the Kingdom. Her early work included helping to establish the Kingdom’s first women’s football team in 2007 and founding the Riyadh Women’s Football League in 2008. Her continued to support the growth of football becoming the first ever female board member of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in 2019.In 2022, in addition to her role as Deputy Minister of Strategic Planning & Investment, she was appointed as Assistant Minister of Sport Affairs. In this role, she oversees and delivers on all international events, stadia, sport & youth affairs and MOS branches around the kingdom. In addition to delivery of high-profile special projects, Adwa has also grown the Department of Strategic Planning, enabling delivery of the National Sport Strategy.

Omar Al Hakim serves as the Head of Business Development & Brand Partnerships of Lega Serie A, capitalising on over 20 years of experience in various industries, including manufacturing, supply chain and sports.

Hammad Albalawi is an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s newly-formed 2034 FIFA World Cup bid team. He works alongside a squad at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation set out to achieve the nation’s dreams of hosting fans from across the world for the greatest celebration of football. Albalawi previously held the role of Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Planning and investment at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport. He works closely with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Saudi Pro League leadership to develop the National Football Strategy, a long-term transformative approach to all areas of Saudi football.

Hammad was the General Manager of Tourism Investment at the Ministry of Tourism responsible for the development of the National Tourism Strategy to open up Saudi Arabia to the world. He was also formerly the Director of Business Development at the General Entertainment Authority. A former management consultant, he is a Finance graduate from George Washington University.

Talal Albakr, CEO of SCCC Alibaba Cloud, has an outstanding experience in the market that exceeded 20 years in cloud, product management, ICT and sales. Talal held various leadership positions in different companies both national and international like Fujitsu, Dell EMC and solutions by stc.

He previously held the roles of VP digital solutions and VP of cloud services at solutions by stc and senior B2B advisor to the Group Chief Business Officer at stc.”

“A brand of success, a mother of two who is willing to go above and beyond to reach her goals.”

She has a BBA Major in Finance and Minor in Global Studies, Drury University, MO, USA and started her career at Project & Corporate Financing, Treasury Department, Saudi Aramco

In February 2022 she started an internship at the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), Madrid, Spain.

Coach of the FT MBA 2022 Football Team, which played against other MBA schools.

She has two careers running in parallel: a professional career with Saudi Aramco, and as a Football Coach & Manager. At Saudi Aramco. Her proudest achievement was closing a 2 billion dollar deal. The deal was a first of its kind! The feeling of success was just indescribable.

Goal-driven and highly motivated professional offering a unique combination of technical and business acumen.

Creating a vision, identifying opportunities, building organizations, and defining strategies to deliver sophisticated solutions.

-Founded Grintafy, the biggest Sportech startup in the Middle East
-Co-founded two startups in the mobile app development
-Regional director in a leading Tech firm for 8 years.
– Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida, USA
-Project Management Professional – PMI
-Risk Management Professional – PMI -Expert in BI, KPI and BSC.

After concluding his Law degree, Gonçalo Almeida was registered with the Portuguese Bar Association in 2000 (and with the Brazilian one in 2010), having subsequently attended the first edition of the MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport (nowadays known as the FIFA Master), taught by CIES in England, Italy and Switzerland.

In August 2001, he joined FIFA Players’ Status Department in Zurich, where he remained until April 2006, having founded Almeida, Dias & Associates – Law Firm in 2009, dedicating himself, since then, to Sports Law, practically on an exclusive basis. Over the past 17 years, since his departure from Switzerland, he had the privilege of legally representing numerous football clubs, players, coaches and agents/intermediaries of various nationalities, as well as national associations, particularly before UEFA, FIFA and CAS.

In June 2023, he was appointed Judge of the Agents Chamber of the FIFA Football Tribunal.

Head of Media and communication at AlNassr FC, Lecturer at Media College in IMSIU .

Line producer, and content manager for several sports TV shows from 2015 – 2020.

Master degree on Film Studies, from the university of Manchester.
Bachelor degree on TV and Films from IMSIU

Mansour currently serves as the General Manager for Investments in the Ministry of Sport. He is responsible for catalyzing investment-led growth in the sports sector through private-sector participation. He leads a team that not only creates investment opportunities, but also enables a conducive environment for the private sector to profitably engage and flourish. Simultaneously, he leads the monetization of infrastructure and assets of the Ministry and the commercialization of the Ministry’s events and activities.

Before joining the Ministry of Sport, he served as the General Director for Delivery in the Ministry of Defense, a leadership role for a portfolio critical for the success of the Transformation Program including organizational restructuring, spending efficiency, force loyalty program, military housing, and digital transformation. Additionally, He led the development of a defense asset investment strategy in partnership with key public authorities.

Tony began his professional career working in the Presidents Office of the International Olympic Committee. His next move was into major event leading teams in marketing and strategic planning across Europe and the USA. Roles included the IOC, America’s Cup, Formula One, Kappa (BasicNet) and National Geographics along with ownership of brands such as Grifone before moving on to sports advisory and infrastructure financing with Redstone.

He has served on the board of La Liga Santander club CD. Castellon from from 2005 to 2007 and since 2022 in the board of Cordoba CF. In 2023, he took over as CEO of the Spanish franchise of SailGP Spain, the global sailing competition founded by Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts and he continues advising investors and clubs in general management, strategy and revenue optimization.

Adnan Dirjal, born on October 1, 1960, is a prominent figure in Iraqi football and politics. As a former central defender, he was a key player for the Iraqi national team.

Dirjal’s football career is marked by significant achievements, including participating in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. His leadership and skill on the field were widely recognized. Transitioning into politics, Dirjal served as the Minister of Youth and Sports, where he contributed to the development of sports in Iraq.

His efforts in the Iraqi Football Association helped in advancing the sport nationally.

Meshal Alshehri is a passionate marketing professional with a proven track record in the sponsorship horizontal with remarkable nationwide recognized partnerships in the sports industry.

Notably, Meshal spearheaded the landmark deal between Half Million and the Saudi Pro League (RSL).

He leverages his expertise in market research, integrated marketing communication, and consumer behavior to develop and execute successful sponsorship strategies from inception until completion.

Through his win-win partnership’s vision, Meshal has been able to consistently deliver significant value for stakeholders across the tables, and drive impactful results in his sponsorship-forming approach.

Meshal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from KFUPM Business School.

More than 25 years of accumulated experience in sectors such as event organization, broadcasting, marketing and investment. Passionate about the world of technology, innovation and marketing. Expert in second generation OTTs.

Ignacio works as Marketing and Commercial Director of Mediapro for the Group’s B2C products such as Gol Televisión, OneSoccer or UBEAT.

He joined Mediapro 15 years ago and has worked with all the great rights properties such as LaLiga, Premier League, League 1, and Calcio, with UEFA, FIFA, Formula One or MotoGP, and with distributors around the world including the traditional as Movistar, SKY, Canal +, DirectTV, FOX or ESPN and the ones not so new like Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Youtube. Bachelor of Business Studies from the Complutense University of Madrid and Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa.

In his beginnings, he worked in the advertising agencies Young & Rubicam and in Ruiz Nicoli managing customer accounts of Great Consumption. Subsequently, he moved to the marketing environment to take charge of the Commercial Communication and Advertising of the pay TV operator of Telefónica, Vía Digital. He has also been Director of Business Development and Digital at Audiovisual Sport and Sogecable (Canal +).

Worked as a legal counsel at Sevilla FC since 2006, promoted to Deputy CEO in 2018.

Expert in transfer matters, member of LALIGA Exco since 2016, member of different commissions and workshops at UEFA and ECA level, judge of FIFA Football tribunal since 2020

Before Alshehri set about writing EA Sports FIFA history, he had to be persuaded to actually play the game! His brother managed to talk him round, and soon young Abdulaziz was an avid player. Around four years after discovering FIFA, he qualified for his first Grand Final in Dubai in 2012. Despite going out in the quarter-final, he gained invaluable experience which he would put to good use over the following years. In 2013 he reached the semi-final and found himself within touching distance of the title for the first time, but did not manage to make it through to the decider, with record FIFA eWorld Cup winner Bruce Grannec hoisting the trophy in Madrid for the second time.

eFootball World Cup winner

That piece of silverware became an obsession for Alshehri. In 2015, the Saudi Arabian carved out another chance to take home the ultimate prize, and after an impressive undefeated run through the tournament, scoring 11 goals and conceding only three, he secured his long-awaited win in the final against Julien Dassonvile. Alshehri became the first-ever player not only from Saudi Arabia but from the entire continent to win eFootball’s most coveted prize.

-Basket trainer Maristas Málaga
– Head of Business Development in the Middle East and North Africa for La Liga
– Head of Marketing in Real Madrid
-Director of Development and Business Unit for Málaga C.F.
-Marketing manager of the NBA in Spain and Portugal.

Raj is an inspirational and collaborative CEO having previously worked at top clubs including Glasgow Rangers, Coventry City and Watford bringing over 25 years of experience of working in the higher echelons of British football to India’s top flight league.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked in the English Premiership and Championship with some of the World’s top coaches.

In his role as the General Manager of Strategic Planning at the Ministry of Sports, Mohammed is responsible for overseeing a broad spectrum of strategies, both at the sectorial and sub-sectorial levels. These strategies encompass various aspects, including overarching sports ambitions, digital transformation, and human capital development. Prior to his tenure at the Ministry, Mohammed gained valuable experience in private equity, strategy consulting, and technology sectors – across Middle East, Europe and North America.

Legal background and truly international experience within the global sports industry, having worked for football clubs, leading law firms, and sports institutions in five different countries.

Broad understanding of the football industry from different perspectives and cultures. In-depth knowledge of the governance and the commercial models of professional football. Experienced with complex stakeholders management and engagement.

Strong strategic planning skills. Creative, forward-thinking and high performance mindset.

Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

Postgraduate Education:
– MBA in Sports Management (Real Madrid Escuela Universitaria),
– Negotiation and Leadership Programme (Harvard Law School, Boston),
– UEFA Women’s Leadership Programme (UEFA, IMD Business School)
– LL.M in International Sports Law (Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía, Madrid)

Lecturer at several academic courses in Sports Management and Sports Law.
Speaker at international conferences.
Member of the Advisory Board of the World Football Summit.
Co-Director of the FIFA Diploma in Club Management
Passionate about quantum physics, neuroscience and meditation

Dominican economist, relocated to Spain, with almost two decades fully dedicated to the sports & entertainment industry. Founded and runs an international partnerships & business strategy advisory firm, under his own vision and brand called The Connect, from where he serves as Strategic Advisor to different companies, like Euroleague Basketball, Rakuten Inc., and Palladium Hotel Group, to name a few. Also co-founded and is a Managing Partner of SPORTHINK, a specialized advisory firm focused in investment capital sourcing for sports entities that seek financing and investment into technological transformation activities. Has been the Managing Director of an international sports marketing agency, leading business development for Southern Europe and the Americas, while handling the agency operations in the Iberian Peninsula. Previously, was part of the leadership structure of Euroleague Basketball in its marketing partnerships department, while also undertaking the strategic direction of the league’s digital business, and content marketing operations, creating award winning branded content and activation projects.

Member of the World Football Summit Advisory Board, and the Mentorship Board of the Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft.

Throughout his career has worked in commercial and activation projects with Euroleague Basketball, MotoGP, the NBA and some of its franchises, some of the top Major League Baseball franchises, LaLiga, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the World Surf League, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Valencia CF, and several other sports properties. On the brand partnership building and activation side, has worked and continues to have a working relationship with decision makers at some of the renowned global brands in the space, namely TAG Heuer, BMW, Santander Bank, Red Bull, TIDAL, New Balance, Turkish Airlines, Adidas, 2K Sports, Nike, Spalding, New Era Cap, and The Upper Deck Company, etc.

Lamia Bahaian is the first female Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). A pioneer of Saudi women’s football who has been involved in the game for over 15 years, she also supervises the SAFF Women’s Football Department.Lamia has been a board member at SAFF since 2021, and also sits on the Saudi Pro League (SPL) board.

She is Head of the West Asian Football Federation’s (WAFF) Women’s Committee and a member of its Executive Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Women’s Football Committee at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A former practicing lawyer, Lamia holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from Prince Sultan University, and a Master’s in Commercial Law from California’s Chapman University.

Mayur has close to two-decades of experience as a broadcaster and in the PR & Communications space. In this time Mayur has worked across the Middle East and North Africa region, South East Asia, India and across Europe for many leading organisations such as the BBC, beIN SPORTS, LaLiga and Sky Sports.

Currently Mayur leads PR, Communications and Media Relations for Raiola Global Management, supporting many of the leading athletes from the world of football.

Former professional football player turned VC Investor, investing with elite athletes in sports, media & entertainment.

Lucas is Director of Operations at 433. With more than 15 years of experience in the digital world, he specializes in building brands on social media, developing digital platforms, and creating online video formats that engage and inspire.

Lucas leads a team of experts in digital marketing and social media. He built platforms, created innovative online video formats, and optimized digital marketing campaigns to achieve maximum results. With his extensive knowledge and experience, Lucas is committed to helping clients achieve their goals and succeed in the digital world.

A former professional footballer in Australia and the United Kingdom, Beau has held numerous roles at Professional Footballers Australia, the exclusive representative of Australia’s elite professional footballers, before being appointed the Co-Chief Executive in 2020.

Since his appointment, alongside Kate Gill, he has led the PFA’s collective bargaining negotiations in the domestic leagues and with the National Teams, whilst also overseeing the organisations player programs.

Investment Management: Co-Investing with High Profile Athletes in Sports, Media & Entertainment.

Currently, CEO of SPSG Consulting, firm specialized in Sports + Entertainment. For 10+ years, Vice-President of IMG, Consulting division, and for 2+ years Vice-President of Lagardère Sports, Consulting division. Has lead Consulting projects in 25+ countries. Member of the Board of the Spanish Marketing Association and Coordinator of the “Sports” chapter. Member of the Board of Directors at RCDeportivo A Coruña, since February 2021. Member of the Advisory Board at selected Sport & Entertainment start-ups: BStadium, SportIn Global, OWQLO, BePlus B+, GGTECH. “Sport Business” and “Sponsorship” professor at ESADE, IE-Instituto Empresa, FIFA, LaLiga Business School and Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid.”.

Michele Ciccarese, a professional marketer with international managerial experience, has established a firm career in Advertising and Sports that spans for more than 15 years working as an expert consultant in developing strategic partnerships and media strategies based in major cities like Milan (Italy), Dubai (UAE), London (UK) and New York (USA).

I’m working for Juventus as Head of Next Gen Area, i’m the sport director of the Juventus Next Gen and i manage the transfers of all the loan players.
I started to work in football in June 2007 as Fifa Agent, in January 2014 i started to work in Juventus as loan players director and U23 sport director, from 2021 to June 2023 i worked for Pisa Sporting Club as sport director

An ambitious and talented sports executive expert with a Masters in Sports Management from The Johan Cruyff Institute, and a double degree holder of Business Administration and Sports Management from Ramón Llull, a prestigious university in Spain.

He has over 18 years of experience in the Sports Industry, with the past 14 years being in Asia. He has succeeded in different roles in FC Barcelona, SportSG, and agencies like Dentsu and Red Card Group, and is currently heading the LALIGA’s regional office for SEA, Australia, Japan & S.Korea. His extensive experience also includes helping global brands such as Toyota, Panasonic and General Motors navigate the intricacies of sports marketing.

Very passionate about sports, where he first developed himself as a professional athlete and later in the areas of Sports Marketing, Events, Media Rights, and Commercial Partnerships.

Nasr El Din Azzam is a Co-Founder and International Sports Lawyer at Sport Makers, an international Sports Law & Management Firm based in Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Qatar, and serving in Middle East &Africa, with many services ranging from Sports Law to Sports Management, Development and Education.

Nasr is the lecturer of Sports Law at the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Diploma at Cairo University and Lecturer of Sports Law at ISDE Madrid for Master in International Sports Law.

He is Arbitrator in the Saudi Sports Arbitration Centre and member of the International Weightlifting Federation IWF Ethics & Disciplinary Commission. And also a member of the Scientific Committee of “Football Legal”, the international journal dedicated to football law, and a member of the International Association of Football Lawyers “AIAF”.

Nasr is a registered lawyer in Egypt and boasting extensive experience in Middle East & Africa for over than 15 years in sports law and sports arbitration, providing legal services to players, clubs, federations and authorities and represent them in sports-related disputes before the international sports bodies like CAS, FIFA, FIBA, IOC, AFC and other international bodies.

He also advises sports authorities and national sports associations in regulatory matters. He contributed in drafting the new Sport Law in Egypt and Kuwait.
Being a former football player, Nasr also advises Athletes on contractual matters and doping disputes.

He was FIFA observer for FIFA GA & elections and a member of the Legal Committee at the Egyptian Football Association, and member of the Founding Committee for the first professional football league and Club union in Egypt, in addition to being an Accredited Mediator from CEDR in UK.

Born in Buenos Aires, Iris has a Degree in Law from the University of Buenos Aires, a Master’s Degree in Administration and Public Policy from the INAP-University of Alcalá, and a Master’s Degree in Digital Economics from the School of Industrial Organization.

Partner at Portas, alongside chair at smartball business Sportable Technologies, Major Event Organisers UK, England Cricket Regulatory Committee and other businesses. Adviser to the Pro Kabaddi League since 2017, India’s second biggest league. Previously General Secretary of the Premier League, and has been chair or chief executive of federations in football, horse racing, golf, athletics. Other roles included European Leagues Board, UEFA Professional Football Strategy Council, FIFA Professional Football Adviser (including major projects in China, India and South America), Wembley Stadium board, Sport Rights Owners Coalition chair. Solicitor at Freshfields before joining FA as first general counsel in 1996.

Simon Cummins is the Global Head of Odgers Berndtson’s Sports, Gaming and Media Practice, placing senior leaders into all major Sports organisations and International Federations.

Prior to Odgers Berndtson, Simon was a Director of GEMS schools and a Director at Gabbitas. He was also a Headmaster for ten years and whilst at Millfield he was Head of the Prep and a member of the Management Group for all three Millfield Schools and Millfield Enterprises. His non-executive/board experience has included an NGB, PR Agency, hospitality provider, experiential marketing agency, several schools and a Leadership Development Organisation. Simon currently Chairs the national charity, Sported and the digital marketing agency WePlay.

Simon is an accomplished sportsman, playing rugby and cricket regularly. Skiing and golf now dominate his spare time. Simon was educated at Borough Road College, London and Bath University.

Over a decade of experience in the delivery of global mega event workforce programs throughout Europe, Australia, and the Middle East, including positions held across the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Expos, and Football World Cups. With an in-depth understanding and inside knowledge of major sports and event structures, Chris is passionate about supporting organizations in building their teams for success.

Chris leads the Sport, Entertainment, and media practice across the MENA region at global executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson. Working closely with organizations throughout the region, the Odgers Berndtson Dubai office provides the expertise and tools to invest in the region through global executive search, leadership development, and candidate assessment.

Yves De Cocker brings 2 decades of expertise and know-how in hybrid grass technology.

having worked for World Cups in 2010/2014/2018/2022 and Olympics in 2012 & 2016 Yves bridges the industry know-how with end users, designers and sports event organisers. the Qatar World Cup 2022 was Yves’ latest success with the final game between France & Argentina played on his stitched hybrid pitch technology

Iñigo de Lacalle Baigorri is a partner of Senn, Ferrero, Asociados. He began his professional career in the Corporate Finance and M&A department of Lovells LLP (now Hogan Lovells) and later joined the Sports & Entertainment department of Garrigues Abogados y Asesores Tributarios (2005-2011) until his definitive incorporation into Senn, Ferrero, Asociados Sports & Entertainment, where he became a partner in 2015.

In recent years he has been involved in negotiating sports, artistic, and musical contracts of all kinds, as well as corporate management and contractual drafting, negotiation, and advice for operating and assigning image rights, sponsorship contracts, brand license contracts, etc. In addition, he has taken part in arbitration procedures in the world of domestic and international sport, and, before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, as well as all kinds of disciplinary procedures before the different commissions created for the purpose by UEFA, FIFA, and other national and international bodies.

Additionally, he has also provided legal services as an in-house lawyer for a first-division Spanish Football Club and specializes in M&A legal services provided to companies for the acquisition of football clubs.

He has been included in several directories, such as the European Chambers Directory, in its 2023 edition, highlighting him as Leading Lawyer (Band 2) in the Sports area, in which he was also recognized in previous editions (since 2013), as well as the Best Lawyers directory, has recognized him as Leading Lawyer in Spain in the area of Intellectual Property, in its editions from 2013 to 2023, and in the area of Sports, in its editions of 2019 and 2020, being selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in Madrid in 2021 and 2023.

Alfonso De Stefano is the Managing Director MENA of Lega Serie A

With a reputation for connecting global sports brands, teams, leagues and properties with revenue-driving solutions and partnerships, Elevate Sports Venture’s Chief Business Officer, International, Shawn Doss will spearhead the agency’s international corporate development strategy, leading efforts to secure and deliver results for its worldwide roster of current and future clients.

Previously, Elevate’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, the 15-year industry veteran’s resume boasts experience with an impressive roster of US-based and international professional sports teams, leagues and properties, including: the EPL, Formula 1, the FIFA World Cup, the LFP, La Liga, and EuroLeague; the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium; Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center; the Arizona Coyotes, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, and more. As a founding member of the Elevate senior leadership team, Doss played a critical role in several of Elevate’s foremost client acquisitions and project management efforts which have culminated in three consecutive nominations to the esteemed Sports Business Awards in the Best in Property Consulting, Sales and Client Services.

Doss received his Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia University and B.S. in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University. The Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada native has called Madrid, New York, San Francisco, and Sydney home; he currently resides in London, England with his wife Jacqueline, daughter Naulakha (8) and son, Luciano (5).

Doss is a 2022 recipient of the internationally renowned Leaders in Sport, “Leaders Under 40” Award; and has acted for a Judge for the Leaders in Sports Awards from 2018 – 2021.

The appointment of Doss to the international growth role in May 2022, caped three years of significant growth for Elevate; now boasting an active client roster of over 175 sports teams, brands, venues, events and properties from am…

Tony Douglas joined Riyadh Air as Chief Executive Officer in late 2022 to help establish Saudi Arabia’s new world-class airline.

Tony will oversee Riyadh Air’s mission, vision, and strategy – leading on all business and operational activities and objectives with the airline’s leadership team and Board of Directors.

Further to driving Riyadh Air’s growth and development in line with the Kingdom’s ambitious goals, Tony will lead the airline’s strategic relationships with stakeholders and government entities.

Founder of Athlos Agency and currently Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer of Al Nassr Football Club

Charlie Ebersol is an award-winning television and film producer, turned sports and technology entrepreneur. Ebersol currently serves as the CEO of Infinite Athlete™, the comprehensive and industry-leading platform for sports technology. Infinite Athlete is a single solution from which global leagues, clubs, and teams can improve all aspects of broadcast viewing, athlete performance, fan experience, coaching, and operations to empower a better experience. Infinite Athlete is the parent company for Tempus Ex Machina™, to which Ebersol co-founded in summer 2019, and Biocore.

Nasr El Din Azzam is a Co-Founder and International Sports Lawyer at Sport Makers, an international Sports Law & Management Firm based in Egypt, Saudi Arabia & Qatar, and serving in Middle East &Africa, with many services ranging from Sports Law to Sports Management, Development and Education.

Nasr is the lecturer of Sports Law at the FIFA/CIES Sports Management Diploma at Cairo University and Lecturer of Sports Law at ISDE Madrid for Master in International Sports Law.

He is Arbitrator in the Saudi Sports Arbitration Centre and member of the International Weightlifting Federation IWF Ethics & Disciplinary Commission. And also a member of the Scientific Committee of “Football Legal”, the international journal dedicated to football law, and a member of the International Association of Football Lawyers “AIAF”.

Nasr is a registered lawyer in Egypt and boasting extensive experience in Middle East & Africa for over than 15 years in sports law and sports arbitration, providing legal services to players, clubs, federations and authorities and represent them in sports-related disputes before the international sports bodies like CAS, FIFA, FIBA, IOC, AFC and other international bodies.

He also advises sports authorities and national sports associations in regulatory matters. He contributed in drafting the new Sport Law in Egypt and Kuwait.
Being a former football player, Nasr also advises Athletes on contractual matters and doping disputes.

He was FIFA observer for FIFA GA & elections and a member of the Legal Committee at the Egyptian Football Association, and member of the Founding Committee for the first professional football league and Club union in Egypt, in addition to being an Accredited Mediator from CEDR in UK.

Sport marketeer with over 15 years of experience in the sport and entertainment business.

Michael Emenalo currently serves as the Chief Football Executive of the Saudi Pro League and head of the Player Acquisition Center of Excellence (PACE). He is celebrated for his pivotal roles as the director of football at Chelsea FC and AS Monaco, where his strategic acumen and leadership significantly contributed to their successes.

Emenalo’s illustrious career in football also includes a notable stint as a professional footballer, playing for Notts County in England and the San Jose Clash in the United States. His international career was marked by representing Nigeria, earning 14 caps, and playing for his country at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Karim leads all projects for the Nielsen Sports client portfolio in Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and India. Managing accounts in the region for major rights holders and brands, he supports clients in understanding the impact of their marketing activities.

Since joining Nielsen Sports in 2018, he has worked with clients such as: Saudi Pro League, Saudi Esports Federation, Al Hilal FC, Aramco, Jockey Club Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Football Federation, UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Godolphin, Qatar Airways among many others.

Karim graduated from the American University in Cairo with a BA in Business Administration and a Marketing specialization.

Former Manchester United and France National team Captain, Patrice is now a successful entrepreneur with his ‘I Love The Game’ brand, a motivational speaker and a massively influential social media personality.

I’ve been working for Servette FC for 7 years.
I’ve been Sports Director of the women’s section for 6 years, then General Manager of the men’s club from 2020 until this summer.
Since this summer, I’ve been President of our women’s section.
I have also been a member of the Swiss Football league committee for 2 years.

Former CEO of AS Roma and currently CEO of Al Nassr FC

Luisella Fusco-Head of Media Operations & Broadcast

Is an American sports executive and Best Executive Finalist at the World Football Summit with extensive on-the-ground experience in European football. Jordan’s work in European football includes experience raising capital to invest, evaluating investment opportunities, successfully investing in multiple clubs, turning around a club’s sporting operations, securing promotion, and ultimately selling a club to new buyers. Jordan is a minority shareholder in Swansea City AFC, former board member of Irish Club Dundalk FC, and former managing partner and chairman for Danish Club FC Helsingør. Jordan is also a Consultant for Twenty First Group in their Commercial Specialist Group.

Miguel Ángel Gil Marín (Madrid, 1963) has been developing his professional career at Atlético de Madrid for over 30 years since his arrival in April 1993 as General Manager. Currently, he holds the position of CEO, which he assumed in February 2002. He is also the first shareholder of the club, alongside Enrique Cerezo, Ares Management Group, and Quantum Pacific Group, who are the other main shareholders.

Since his arrival in 1993, the club has won twelve titles: three Spanish LaLiga trophies (1995/96, 2013/14, and 2020/21), three UEFA Europa Leagues (2009/10, 2011/12, and 2017/18), two Copa del Rey (1995/96 and 2012/13), three UEFA Super Cups (2010, 2012, and 2018), and one Spanish Super Cup (2014).

During his management, he led the construction project of the Cívitas Metropolitano stadium, inaugurated in 2017, with a capacity for 70,000 spectators. It hosted the Champions League final in 2019 and will be one of the venues for the 2030 World Cup.

Miguel Ángel Gil is involved in the governing bodies of various national and international football organizations. Since February 2020, he has held the position of vice president of LaLiga. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the European Club Association (ECA) and, on August 10, he was unanimously elected by said committee as one of its two representatives on the UEFA Executive Committee.

Mustafa Ghouse is the founding General Partner of Centre Court Capital, a venture capital fund investing for India’s sports and gaming ecosystem. With over a decade of experience in the sports industry as a nationally ranked tennis player in India and the founding CEO of JSW Sports, Mustafa has become the go-to-person for sport investment opportunities in India. After years of being involved in the Indian sports industry, he identified a gap that needed to be filled, and with this fund he aims to do just that.
Before launching Centre Court Capital, Mustafa served as founding CEO of JSW Sports, where he conceptualized and developed the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), set up satellite centres in 15 locations across the country, which now trains close to 5,000 athletes on a daily basis and is the training foundation for a number of India’s Olympic medalists.
During the span of his business career, Mustafa led the acquisition and operations of sports franchises in the Indian Premier League (cricket), Indian Super League (football), Pro-Kabaddi League (kabaddi), Women’s Premier League (cricket) and South Africa 20 (cricket).

Mustafa’s work in building and executing sports development models has been acclaimed by the Indian government and sports bodies across the world. In 2015 Fortune India named Mustafa in its “40 under 40 list”.
On the court, Mustafa successfully represented India in tennis at the ATP Tour and Davis Cup and the Asian Games, where he won a bronze medal in 2002.

As one of the most diversified personalities in Indian sports, possessing the complete baseline-to-boardroom experience, Mustafa brings to the table on-ground insight and a holistic view of the future of sport in India.

Enthusiastic about system change and football (soccer) as a force for social good. With streetfootballworld we gather the best in class social enterprises that promise to increase and/or accelerate impact significantly by integrating football into their local solutions. Now trying to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem and mobilise the football industry to contribute efficiently to sustainably scale the impact.

With a career spanning over 25 years in the sports business sector, she embarked on her professional journey at Media Partners and later took a leading role at Infront Sports & Media, where she directed the media sales and operations department.
In December 2022, she transitioned to Lega Serie A as the Head of the International Media Rights department, overseeing the strategic in-housing of the sales process for seasons beyond 2023/2024.

Ben Harburg is Managing Partner at MSA Capital, a global investment firm with over $2 billion in assets under management. He sits on Boards of Directors of various private, as well as those of foundations such as the National Committee on US China Relations, and the Asian Cultural Council.

He was a Neubauer Scholar at Tufts University and a Fulbright Scholar at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. He is a co-owner of Cádiz Club de Fútbol, a team playing in Spain’s First Division (LaLiga).

Egyptian journalist, Sports Senior Editor at Independent Arabia

David Hernando has specialized for the last 15 years in the sports sector, coordinating and managing different functions with athletes, media, innovation and business. He is a professor at ESIC Business School, Sport Business Program and currently holds the role of Director of Strategy at SportBoost, the sportstech accelerator led by former footballer Iker Casillas, which exports the experience harvested during more than 20 years in the sports sector, to the field of Sportstech. Accelerating the growth of startups and driving innovation in corporations and sports institutions around the world. They co-invest with professional athletes and Business Angels.

Currently in charge of the Meta sports team as Head of Sport and International Media Partnerships, based out of Menlo Park, California and working across all the Meta platforms – Instagram, Whats App, Messenger, Oculus and Facebook itself.
His career has been a unique journey, starting as an award winning radio and TV journalist. He was one of the first faces on Sky Sports in the UK, reporting on presenting on multiple sports after originally starting as a 16 year old radio commentator in the North of England.
In 1993, he was the first producer of the world soccer programme “Futbol Mundial’, launching a weekly football show that was shown in over 100 countries. He then became the first employee of the International Management Group in India, where he built the country’s largest sports and entertainment company and directed both international cricket and Bollywood music content.
In 2002, he founded the Ten Sports channel in Dubai, which became the most viewed sports channel in the sub-continent and also produced channels for North America, the Middle East and South East Asia. He was CEO of the business when it was sold to Zee TV in 2010.
He spent the next 5 years with News Corporation, where he helped launch the international Fox Sports business, launching channels in South America and Africa as well as purchasing Asia’s largest sports channel in ESPN-Star Sports, and, as CEO, rebranding the channel as Fox.
After a spell as CEO of sports agency MP and Silva, he became CEO of Europe’s biggest sports channel Eurosport under their new owners Discovery. A successful 4 year spell at the channel included winning the worldwide TV sports award for “executive of the year’ and acquiring pan European Olympic rights for Discovery.
In 2019 he left Eurosport to take over a new role at Facebook, where he now manages the company’s sports group.

Ian brings large expertise and experience in the natural & hybrid grass agronomy domain.

Having worked all over the world, his knowledge of grasses, pitch profiles, and maintenance management is second to none.
with Ian’s large experience in the Middle East, he is considered as a central point of contact for the design, construction, and maintenance of football pitches in the region.

Andy has a global publishing & media career spanning the last 30 years with extensive experience in Europe, Australia, Asia and the USA. He is an alumni of the Stanford University Professional Publishing Course.
For the last 20 years he has worked exclusively in the football media industry holding senior positions for FourFourTwo, DAZN and now Footballco leading his teams to multiple industry awards in that time.
In his current role, Andy leads Footballco’s partnerships with football federations, leagues, clubs and players globally.
As a fan Andy has watched football matches in every continent on the planet attending multiple World Cups, European Championships and Asian Cups. He also holds an advanced ‘B’ License football coaching qualification.

Sports broadcaster and writer with two decades of experience in news breaking and strong expertise of the Middle Eat region. Currently a Premier League commentator and Saudi Pro League correspondent for talkSPORT. Also host The Debrief podcast. Formally CBS Sports and beIN Sports.

Olivier is a leading practitioner in football club strategies and disability accessibility. Specialising in club football insights, he has an extensive expertise of club strategies, youth academy assessment and women’s club football optimisation across a range of club activities including sports, business and community activities, as well as club operations. Prior to joining LTT Sports, he was in charge of the R&D efforts at the European Club Association (ECA) for over 10 years, masterminding several innovative and industry-leading publications related to Club Management, Youth Academies and Women’s Club Analysis.
Co-author of the pioneering Club Management Guide, that aims to define all the structural components of a football club from a forensic perspective, Olivier also created a successful knowledge-sharing platform, the Club Management Programme, the first ever tailor-made executive programme covering professional football club needs for the top management of clubs.
Currently Olivier is also CEO of the Centre of Access for Football in Europe a charity championing accessibility for disabled fans in stadiums.
Olivier is a native French speaker currently based in Nyon and over the past years, he has lived in Canada, Poland, Russia, USA and Lebanon.

Widely recognised as an outstanding football administrator, Datuk Seri Windsor John has been the driving force behind the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s all-encompassing vision to propel Asian football to greater heights.

Layan Jouhari is a professional footballer for the Saudi Arabian Women’s National Team and Al Ittihad Ladies Club. A holding midfielder who started her career in 2018, Layan was an integral part of the national team’s historic inaugural matches against Maldives and Seychelles at the start of 2022. Her recent accomplishments with the team include winning the four-team Women’s International Friendly Tournament hosted in Saudi Arabia.She started off her club career at Jeddah Eagles where she was crowned champion of the 2021 SAFF Women’s Regional Football Championship. The Jeddah-born 22-year-old has since joined her girlhood club Al Ittihad when its Ladies team was established last year. She currently competes in the Women’s Premier League and SAFF Women’s Cup. Layan recently featured in a FIFA+ global documentary on the transformative story of Saudi women’s football titled Destined To Play.

Romeo Jozak (born 11 October 1972) is a Croatian football manager and former player who most recently managed the Kuwait national team.

Michael Kallback is the founder and CEO of Neverland Management, one of Europe’s leading sports agencies, with a focus on women’s football. Michael has broken some of the biggest transfers and commercial deals within women’s football in modern times. The company also represents male players, and has clients playing in Holland, Italy, and Scandinavia on the men’s side.

Partner with Portas Consulting, leading the KSA business of the company. I have been working in the Saudi Sports sector since 2017, on strategy, implementation, governance and commercial projects, with multiple entities in the public and private sector. Having a passion for football, there was always a pull to be involved in football related projects, and so far I have led strategic assignments with SAFF, the Roshn Saudi League, and multiple clubs in Saudi. Before joining Portas, I spent 8 years at Strategy& working in the telecoms, media and technology space.

James Kitching is a recognised leader in the global sports industry. He currently advises clients on governance, regulation, strategy, and integrity as Managing Director of The FC, a boutique sports advisory business.

Robert joined IMG in January 2023 to oversee the company’s global football media business. Bringing more than 25 years’ experience and expertise to the role, Robert is responsible for driving the business to new levels, working with and expanding our football team to deliver transformative growth and value for existing and new partners. Prior to IMG, Robert was Chief Executive Officer at Bundesliga International, marketing the international media rights, as well as global licensing, sponsorship, and communications. Before that, Robert was Head of Global Rights for Red Bull Media House, where he was responsible for growing the company’s global sports portfolio.

Began her professional career in New York, as a financial analyst in Corporate Finance at Morgan Stanley, before moving back to Turkey to serve as a senior manager at Citibank between 1992 and 1999. In 1999, Ms. Köksal joined private equity fund of AIG as a VP, before joining Galatasaray Sports Club in 2001.
Ebru has held several senior positions at Galatasaray including, Galatasaray Marketing General Manager (2001 – 2006), Galatasaray SC Marketing and Finance Group Head (2006 – 2009), Galatasaray Stadium General Manager (2009 – 2010). Following the merger of football, stadium and marketing companies in 2010, she was appointed as the General Manager of the merged entity, Galatasaray Sportif A.Ş.
Ms. Köksal was the first woman to be elected to the Executive Board of European Club Association in September 2010 and she served as the vice chairwoman of Institutional Relations Working Group.
In October 2011, she was appointed as the General Secretary of Turkish Football Federation and led a restructuring and corporate efficiency project, which was higly praised by FIFA.
She was the recipient of the Executive of the Year Award 2011 by Stadium Business Awards and the 1st ever Making a Difference Award by HBS Executive Education in 2018.
Ms. Köksal served as a Board Member at Galatasaray Sports Club between June 2013 – May 2015 and besides assuming the role of General Secretary for the Board, she was responsible from Foreign Relations, Stadium and Football Academy.
She is currently a senior adviser at J Stern & Co., Chair of Women in Football, UK, INED at the Professional Footballers Association, a Board Member at MNT Health Services A.S. and Doublepass BV.
Ms. Köksal is a graduate of Brown University, with dual degree in Economics and International Relations and graduate of Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Advisor to the sports industry across the full sports ecosystem, including leagues, federations, club, investors.

Currently managing strategy and industry intelligence for men’s football at FIFPRO, the global players’ union. Michael previously spent a decade playing professional football in Ireland, following which he built his professional experience working across legal roles in both Europe and Asia, including at Football Federation Australia.

Having joined FIFPRO’s global policy and strategic relations team in 2020, Michael has spearheaded the development of Player IQ, FIFPRO’s evidence-based knowledge center. Player IQ integrates key components of FIFPRO’s player-centric strategy including player workload monitoring (PWM) and provides a structural framework for the organization’s work across the increasingly prominent areas of technology, innovation, and player data management.

Kike Levy is an entrepreneur and sports media executive with over a decade of experience at the forefront of the sports, media, and technology intersection. He is currently leading NJF Sports and Media, a pioneering sports investment firm that connects visionary entrepreneurs, investors, and sports properties to redefine the industry.

Kike’s led Sports Partnerships across Southern Europe at Meta Platforms Inc., where he transformed the digital landscape of sports media, designing and implementing digital strategies for the biggest leagues, teams, athletes and media across the region. Some of his partners include LaLiga, Serie A, Moto GP, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Prior to this, he made significant contributions at Twitter Inc. and Infront Sports and Media AG. Kike’s journey in the industry is characterized by a passion for sports and a commitment to innovation, as he continues to inspire and transform the way fans engage with sports and content.

Matt is Senior Vice President at Stats Perform and Opta. Matt has more than 10+ years experience developing and driving commercial and on-field success through data for the world’s most successful professional football teams, broadcasters, publishers and beyond.

Michael Litschka founded the sports social media agency ML Marketing AG in 2015.

He studied International Business Relations with a focus on Eastern Europe as well as Marketing Communication and Sales Psychology before gaining agency experience in London, Moscow, and Vienna. Back in Austria, he set up digital communication for a Bundesliga football club and founded the agency ML Marketing in 2015.

At ML Marketing, over 60 employees across Europe support leading sports organizations and companies in the field of digital communication.

Studies:
Bachelor in Business Administration UGAL (GUA)
Coaching License Football PRO (ARG) Escuela Menotti
Coaching License Football “A” FEDEFUT (GUA)
Sports Management I and II (CONMEBOL)
Sporting Director Grupo Matilti (MEX)
I was a professional football player for 15 years (1990-2005), played in Guatemala (Comunicaciones FC), USA (LA Galaxy and Miami Fusion) and Mexico (Santos Laguna and Atlas Guadalajara).
Played for my national team of Guatemala 64 caps “A”. Had the opportunity to play 3 world cup qualifiers in CONCACAF region.
Also selected to the All Time Guatemala Men´s Dream Team by the IFFHS.
As a executive I have been the Sport President for club Antigua GFC of the Top League in Guatemala and have become an advisor for the Guatemalan Football Federation and a consultant for clubs and academies in Guatemala promoting how to structure a pro team and how to make it sustainable, investing where is needed.
Participant of the first FIFA Legends project: “The Next 90” and was selected for the 2nd edition of the FIFA DIPLOMA in “Club Management” to be finished in March 2024.
Will start my MBA in Finances January 2024.

Anmol currently serves as Snap’s Global Head of Sports Partnerships and oversees its relationships with leagues, broadcasters, and rights holders including the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, FIFA, IOC, Turner Sports, and NBC.

In this role, he focuses on strategy for several content partnerships and sales initiatives to help partners engage new audiences, experiment with innovative forms of distribution and achieve their business objectives. In addition, his team oversees Snapchat’s relationships with teams and athletes who use the platform to meet their fans, and the next generation of fans, where they are.

Snapchat reaches a key fan base (over 75% of 13- to 34-year-olds in over 20 countries) that is hard to find on other platforms. Anmol also manages international growth initiatives with sports partners across Asia, Europe, MENA, and Latin America.

Basketball Career:
Born in a sports family, Nathalie grew up to become a professional basketball player since the age of 11. She was the youngest Arab player to ever play in first division at that age and join both the Junior and the Women National Team by the age of 13.

After a career of 16 years being the captain of the best basketball teams in Lebanon and the National Team and after having won more than 65 titles on the personal, international and national level, Nathalie has decided to retire at the age of 26 being one of the most decorated players in history and pursue her career on TV.

TV Career:
In 2009 Nathalie was approached by MTV Lebanon to become the 1st woman who presents sports news in Lebanon. Throughout the years she has presented several sports and motor shows as well as created her own show dedicated for women athletes.

Nathalie has presented the openings of several international sports tournaments, award ceremonies , launches of a lot of products (mainly cars) and appeared on many TV shows.

In 2012, Nathalie was offered job opportunities with both Sky News Arabia and BeIn Sports but decided to join Sky News Arabia in Abu Dhabi to become the presenter of the sports bulletins and the sports morning show where she had the chance to interview a list of class A athletes from different sports and cover various sports events.

Nathalie resigned from Sky News in February 2017 to move to another opportunity with OSN and MBC being the host of the first WWE show in the region “WWE Wal3ooha” that lasted more than a 100 episodes. Nathalie today is the main host of of WWE Al An (WWE Now) covering all the WWE content for the region.

Along with the above, In 2014, Nathalie was chosen to be the main host of the biggest Sports TV Reality show in the region “ THE VICTORIOUS”, where she presented the daily episodes along with the weekly primes. The jury on the show were the biggest football legends such as: Diego Maradona, Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Ryan G

Tim Mangnall is CEO and Founder of Capital Block, Europe’s leading web3 consultancy dedicated to sports and entertainment. Capital Block is
an evolution of Capital Sports Media, which owns and manages Sports inventory and general media activity across football clubs in Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

Experienced advisor to teams and competitions globally, with a focus on harnessing the sporting product to build audience and create long term commercial value.

Repeatedly recognised by the Radio Academy and Sports Journalists’ Association during two decades’ presenting and making programs worldwide for Fox Sports, Star Sports and TSN amongst others, Andy now manages the careers of those at the top of the industry.

My career spans over 30 years in Finance & Investments, particularly in Private Equity, Private Placements & Real Estate. I started working for investment banks and later moved on to alternative investments.

Eventually, I spent the latter part building businesses across the Asian region by carefully selecting growth prospects with sustainable working models. A disciple of trends, my interest shifted to technology-driven ventures where I have managed to implement a complete digitization of my businesses. This caught the attention of many entrepreneurs who are now beginning to embrace the need for such escalation.

Denise joined Nielsen Sports in 2018 after spending the last 2 years in Nielsen leading the relationship with a major FMCG account in the Middle East.

Denise is responsible for managing the end-to-end business across MENA & APAC regions, working with top rights holders and brands to support them in their sponsorship strategy. She expanded the role to cover APAC region at the beginning of 2023, after spending 5 successful years in the MENA region where the team was recognized as the “Best Sports Event Supplier of the year” in the Middle East at the Sports Industry Awards (SPIA) for the past 3 years in a row.

Prior to joining Nielsen UAE, Denise has worked in Research Teams of a major telecommunication player and GfK in Romania focusing on research to guide business strategy, brand health, customer satisfaction and innovation. Denise holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Research from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Romania.

Head of Sport & Entertainment at Summa, a global branding company based in Barcelona. In this role, Joan has led branding projects with some of the main football clubs such as FC Barcelona, Sevilla FC, Real Madrid or RC Celta de Vigo as well as other sporting entities such as MotoGP or the Kings League among others. He is in charge of ensuring the accomplishment of creative and strategic objectives. Former professional football player.

Robert Micallef is a visionary entrepreneur known for his expertise in sports education and management. Born and raised in Malta, he embarked on his educational journey, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports. His passion for sports and their transformative power on individuals and communities led him to pursue a Master in Entrepreneurship, blending his love for sports with business acumen.
With an astute understanding of the sports industry and entrepreneurial spirit, Micallef founded a pioneering training academy focused on delivering accredited sports programs. This academy stands as a testament to his commitment to providing high-quality education and training to aspiring athletes and sports enthusiasts.

In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Robert Micallef holds a significant role as the President of the Santa Lucia Football Club in Malta.
His multifaceted roles as an entrepreneur, educator, and football club president reflect his unwavering commitment to leveraging sports as a tool for personal growth, community development, and professional excellence.

Ibrahim Mohtaseb is a Senior Vice President at Sela, driving the technical and commercial development of Sela’s activites in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.  Ibrahim supports Sela’s business units by contributing to concept development, strategic planning, proposals management, and partner relationship management.

Ibrahim holds a FIFA master’s degree in international management, Law, and Humanities of Sport from Switzerland. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in Marketing and Management from the American University of Sharjah, UAE.

Joe is a Live Television broadcaster of over 20 years experience with the BBC, Arab Radio and TV, Sony ESPN, Starhub, Ten Sports, Meta and now SSC Saudi Sports Company.

In depth operational knowledge of broadcasting various football leagues including the EPL, LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, Euros and FIFA World Cups across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian sub continent and Asia.

He is big advocate of using data analysis for content creation.
Constructive Deviant!

Misha Sher is one of WPP’s most senior sports marketing executives, having advised and negotiated more than £1B in sponsorship investments and activation with major sport & entertainment properties, including UEFA, IOC, NFL and F1 in more than 40 countries. His clients have included some of the most admired brands and talent including Toyota, Beats by Dre, adidas, Pele and Vini Jr.

Marcos Motta has been involved in the sports industry since 1997 when he began his career as the Director for C.R. Flamengo. He has since served as a legal advisor dealing with various contractual, commercial, disciplinary, and regulatory disputes. Additionally, he is a respected figure in the entertainment industry, guiding high-profile clients in film, TV, and fashion.

Nadia Nadim was born in Herat Afghanistan. She came to Denmark at the age of twelve and has then established herself as one of the most powerful and influential female football players in modern times.

She has played for clubs such as Manchester City, and Paris Saint-German and has over 100+ caps for the Danish National Team.

She’s a medical doctor, with an exam from Aarhus University in Denmark, and she’s fluent in 10 languages.

I am currently working as the Project Manager for Street Child World Cups and Legacy Programmes Manager for Street Child United. This UK-based charity uses sports to change the perception of street-connected/refugee children across the globe. I am also leading the Technology Innovation Department for the World Freestyle Football Association.

I have spent my last 8 years working within the commercial sports ecosystem working for FIFA, NBA, Indian Super League, Silverstone Formula One Grand Prix Sporting Events and then eventually deciding to move to the Sports for Good Sector.

Formerly Procurement Lead for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Yoan had the immense pleasure to meet Peace Nobel Laureate Prof Yunus and his advisor Hans Reitz at the beginning of 2017 while doing a world tour to advocate about the social potential of sporting events.
Shortly afterwards, Professor Yunus and Yoan co-founded the Yunus Sports Hub, facilitating the delivery of social entrepreneurship programmes within the sport sector and working closely with the International Olympic Committee, Paris 2024, Decathlon, and many other federations and brands around the world.Formerly Procurement Lead for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Yoan had the immense pleasure to meet Peace Nobel Laureate Prof Yunus and his advisor Hans Reitz at the beginning of 2017 while doing a world tour to advocate about the social potential of sporting events.
Shortly afterwards, Professor Yunus and Yoan co-founded the Yunus Sports Hub, facilitating the delivery of social entrepreneurship programmes within the sport sector and working closely with the International Olympic Committee, Paris 2024, Decathlon, and many other federations and brands around the world.

Chief Operating Officer at the Saudi Pro League tasked with implementing SPL’s transformation strategy designed to elevate the league to become one of the top-10 leagues in the world based on quantity of highest-ranking players in the world playing in the league, monetization of broadcast rights revenue and viewership, maximization of stadia capacity utilization. Carlo oversees competitions, operations, commercial, marketing, communications and content capabilities of the SPL. Prior to joining the SPL Carlo was contracted to Deloitte’s Sport Group to support the formulation of SPL’s transformation strategy.
Carlo served as VP General Manager for WWE in Asia Pacific (2020-2021) and earlier in the Middle East (2014-2020) where he was responsible for making the company and its products regionally relevant and culturally acceptable by establishing a multi-pronged strategy that localizes and customizes the brand for broader general appeal and greater accessibility to its fans.
Prior to joining WWE Carlo was Chief Executive Officer of Al Jazira Football Club, Al Ain Football Club and the new defunct UAE Football League. He previously served as Assistant General Secretary, Director Competitions at the Asian Football Confederation and VP for Corporate Strategy at the World Sport Group.

Unmish is Founder & Executive Director of Picture Board Partners, a Singapore based growth practice dedicated to Gaming, Edutainment, Media and Sport; aka the ‘G.E.M.S’ sectors.

A Design Thinking practitioner, he triangulates content, code & capital to curate solutions that drive sales, brand recall or equity appreciation.

Founded in 2019, the clients roster of Picture Board Partners spans tech (Dolby, Nielsen, Microsoft), gaming (Twitch, Nodwin), sport (ICC, BWF, WTT, AFC), startups (NIUM, ONE, Amagi, Quidich), governments (Singapore, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia) and investors (Apollo, Jungle, Lumikai Ventures).

In a past life, Unmish held leadership roles at IMG Media, BBC Technology, ESPN STAR Sports, News Corp., and the International Cricket Council (ICC) whilst being based in Singapore, Dubai, London, Johannesburg, New York and Delhi.

A self-confessed Cricket Tragic, he represented Cambridge, is a graduate of INSEAD’s Board Directors Program and was appointed Chairman of the GoSports Foundation (Bangalore) in April 2023.

Juan Francisco Paz is an architect, focused on sports and health, specializing in sustainability, accessibility, and aerial urban mobility. He has 33 years of experience, working mainly in SENER where they have developed projects such as the Krakow Stadium in Poland or the World Cup Stadiums of Corinthians and Fontenova in Brazil.

Co-author of several patents including the retractable turf system developed for Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He has worked on several national and international projects in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia, including some projects in the Middle East and contributing to business development. As of 2023, he is the General Manager of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Benjamin Reichert
Dad, gamer, football and esports enthusiast.

Benjamin Reichert, born 17 May 1983, is a German former professional football player. He started his career in the junior teams of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, where he became a regular and captain of the team that was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in 2008.

Reichert is also notable as an esports pioneer. In 1997, he founded the clan SK Gaming with his brothers Ralf and Tim Reichert.

After his professional football career, he successfully worked as a football agent at KL Sportsbase. KL represents, among others, Chris Führich who recently got nominated for the German National Team.

Benjamin never got away from his passion for gaming. In 2018 he founded POGA. A company that produces portable gaming cases for consoles. Loved by celebrities & athletes all over the world.

Ralf grew up as a native gamer with a passion for competition in the physical world as much as the digital. In the late 90s he founded SK Gaming with his brothers Tim and Benjamin as one of the first esports teams and competed at the highest level, which subsequently made him fall in love with the industry.

Excited to build this industry, Ralf and team co-founded ESL on its quest to build the largest stages for the new sport that turn players into stars worldwide. What was intended to be a quick win evolved into a lifelong journey. ESL has since become the largest esports brand and company culminating in a billion dollar transaction in 2022 to form ESL Faceit Group – EFG. which he served as Chairman at EFG on the mission to create worlds beyond gameplay where esports and gaming collide.

In October 2023, Ralf took on the role of CEO at the Esports World Cup Foundation with a mandate to elevate esports to one of the world’s premier sports while expanding the foundation as a driving force in its development.

From 2008, CEO & Founding Partner at ZERTIOR, an international company specialized in consulting and management projects in the the Sports & Entertainment Industry, with a main focus on the Football Industry.
Expertise and knowledge in all management areas, with a special focus on the development and management of Stadiums and Sport facilities under a business approach.
Former executive director at Real Madrid CF, coleading during 8 years the strategic and business transformation of the Club and leading and managing all services and business regarding Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Rob is a modern cultural anthropologist and ethnographer observing, analysing and understanding audiences for business purposes.

Currently Head of Brand Communications at the sports tech scale-up Veo, Rob is formerly Head of Strategy at McCann London, Global Insight Director at PANDORA Jewelry, Business Strategy Director at Leo Burnett, and Co-Founder of the boutique cultural strategy firm BANDIT.

Rob’s experiences have given him a unique perspective of the world. He has owned and run his own business for almost a decade, worked with leading adverting agencies and within global marketing at multi-national brands.
He has advised some of the biggest brands in the world, such as adidas, Xbox, eBay, Samsung, Nike, PANDORA, GAP and Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1, on how they can authentically capture the hearts and minds of their target audiences.

Outside of work, Rob is proud to be Guest Faculty at the Hyper Island School of Marketing and the Berghs School of Communications and a D&AD Masterclass contributor.

Other notable stuff:
2016 TED Talk “How Do We Raise A Generation To Save The World?”‘
A former amateur American Football player and coach with 12 National Titles, Rob is also a fanatic of most sports and sports video games!

One of the most talented and complete attacking midfielders in football history, Clarence Seedorf has delighted generations of fans with his great technique, powerful and precise shot, and extraordinary leadership on and off the pitch.He is the only footballer in football history to have won the Champions League with three different clubs (Ajax 1994-95, Real Madrid 1997-98, AC Milan 2002-03

Began his career at Arthur Andersen in 1990, joining Grupo Prisa’s AS newspaper in 1998 as Deputy General Manager of Finance and HR. In 1999 he joined Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, working as General Manager, executing the club’s comprehensive reorganisation and modernisation project. He joined Garrigues in 2002 as partner in charge of the Sports & Entertainment area, where he has provided comprehensive advice to entities in the world of sport and entertainment, as well as comprehensive advice to sportsmen and women, artists, and professionals in these sectors. In 2011, together with Javier Ferrero, they founded SENN FERRERO ASOCIADOS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT SLP, the largest boutique in Europe specialising in the sports and entertainment industry, where they remain at the forefront of professional advisory services.
He is an advisory member of the Centro de Gestión Empresarial del Deporte (CSBM), holds the title of auditor of the Registro Oficial de Auditores de Cuentas (ROAC) and is a member of the Colegio de Economistas de Madrid.

Misha Sher is one of WPP’s most senior sports marketing executives, having advised and negotiated more than £1B in sponsorship investments and activation with major sport & entertainment properties, including UEFA, IOC, NFL and F1 in more than 40 countries. His clients have included some of the most admired brands and talent including Toyota, Beats by Dre, adidas, Pele and Vini Jr.

Misha co-authored one of the industry’s leading books on entertainment marketing, The Art of Branded Entertainment’ and his opinions are regularly featured in leading media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, CNN, Sky, CNBC and Bloomberg.

A former professional footballer, Misha began his business career in banking with Brown Brothers Harriman before returning to sport as an executive. He is a board director at European Sponsorship Association and holds an MBA in Football Industries.

Dr. Erkut Sogut is a sports law and sports management professor, player agent, sports lawyer, and author. Dr. Sogut holds a doctorate in Sports Law. He has always been passionate about sports, especially football. Dr. Sogut is the founder of the player representation agency “GROW”.

The agency works across top European leagues and the North and South American markets. GROW is responsible for clients such as Mesut Özil, Kieran Gibbs, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, and many more top prospects in World football. Dr. Sogut is well-known for having negotiated a record Premier League contract in 2018 for one of his clients.

He also has vast experience in commercial business, brand deals, and projects to monetize opportunities for players off the pitch. One of his goals is to help the next generation of football agents become the experts of tomorrow with his Academy.

Monika Staab took on the role of Women’s Football Technical Director at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) after 1.5 years as the women’s national team first-ever head coach. She is responsible for overseeing the transformative development of Saudi women’s football – from regional training centres and talent discovery programs to national teams and domestic competitions.

A former professional player, her biggest accomplishments at the helm of the national team include winning the 2023 International Friendly Tournament and leading the team towards entering the official FIFA Rankings for the first time. One of the world’s leading pioneers and advocates of women’s football, she visited over 90 countries over the past 14 years promoting the development of the women’s game. She is also currently a UEFA women’s football expert and technical observer

Casper Stylsvig is Chief Revenue Officer at Chelsea Football Club. He joined Chelsea in 2023 from AC Milan, where he held the same role from 2019, and oversaw the club’s commercial transformation and return to profitability.

Franco-Cameroonian Robins Tchale Watchou is the CEO of Vivendi Sports, a n entity of the Vivendi Group (16 billion dollars in revenue in 2020) Vivendi Sports specializes in the operational and strategic organization of sports mega events and advises countries on bidding processes, sports tourism, and the design and implementation of long term National Sports Strategies Vivendi Sports is responsible for organizing the Africa Cup of Nations 2024 and the Jeux de la Francophonie 2023.

Honey Thaljieh is the co-founder of women’s football in Palestine, the first captain of the Palestinian national football team, and the first woman in the Middle East to obtain a FIFA Master and be employed by FIFA as Communications (special projects) Manager. She managed to break through social and political barriers and become a role model to women and girls throughout the Arab world and beyond. Through her extensive network of partnerships, she has created, developed, and maintained sports initiatives for thousands of boys and girls throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, providing them with alternative avenues and opportunities.

Today, Honey continues to be a poignant voice for empowerment and equality through sports. She is an international activist, inspirational speaker and community leader, and strong advocate for the role of sports in changing lives and creating hope and opportunities.  Honey is also recognised as a Champion for Peace by the organisation Peace and Sport and serves as ambassador for several pro-social sports organizations. She speaks regularly at global conferences and prestigious international organisations and universities and gave two talks at the world-famous TEDx in Zurich & Lausanne.

Javier Tebas Medrano (San Jose, Costa Rica, 1962), of Spanish nationality, holds a degree in Law from the University of Zaragoza. He has been a practising lawyer since 1987 and founded his own legal firm, specialising in Company Law and, subsequently, in sports and bankruptcy law.

Tebas’s direct involvement in football began in 1993, when he was named president of Sociedad Deportiva Huesca, a position he held until 1998 (a period during which the club competed in Spain’s Tercera Division and Segunda Division B). He later served as a board member at C.D. Badajoz S.A.D. and C.D. Toledo S.A.D. before being elected vice-president of LaLiga in 2001. In 2003 he headed up the G-30, a group representing 30 small LaLiga clubs that was set up to collectively negotiate their audiovisual rights. He has been LALIGA president since 2013 and was re-elected in 2016 and again for a further four-year term in 2019. In 2021 he was appointed as representative of European Leagues on the UEFA Executive Committee.
Tebas’s tenure as LALIGA president has revolved around three core areas; the introduction of a financial controls system which has enabled the clubs to restructure their finances; the collective sale of audiovisual rights which boosts the clubs’ revenue in a balanced way, and the league’s internationalisation strategy, which has seen LALIGA and its member clubs establish themselves as a benchmark reference on the global stage, not just on the field but in the entertainment industry as a whole. In addition, Boost LALIGA, the strategic project of LALIGA and CVC Capital Partners, was recently created to promote growth and consolidation in the areas of technology, innovation, internationalisation and the sporting sphere.

Henrik is a recognized entrepreneur with experience in co-founding numerous successful tech companies before his love of sports and technology inspired him to start Veo. As CEO of Veo Henrik won the EY Entrepreneur of the year in 2020. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark.

Zubair is a serial entrepreneur, who is currently Partner and Global Vice President, Culture at Meltwater.

With his experience focusing on SAAS, global strategy and expansion, Zubair has a pedigree for developing leadership talent and high performance teams across markets.

Specializing in the sports and luxury sector, he has been involved in developing esports, specifically, chess to an award winning level.
Based in Dubai, his commitment towards inclusivity has enabled various social and community initiatives, namely executive allyship for female leadership.

Having extensively developed commercial operations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, China, Japan and South-East Asia, his passion is emerging markets and their interplay with innovation.

He has a degree in European Law and Masters in Medical Law. Given his thirst for education, he has a Post Grad in Global Business from the University of Oxford.

Zubair is a published contributor for Forbes and Campaign Magazine, he continues to be an active commentator for inclusivity in sport and culture.

Soheil Var is a pro footballer and the owner of Al Qabila FC, the fastest-growing and most influential football club made from scratch in the Middle East. He has a social media following of over 1,300,000 people and +50,000,000 views every month. Soheil has documented his journey to signing a pro contract in 365 days.

His current challenge is building a pro football club in 365 days in Dubai. Throughout his career, he has worked with top global brands like Real Madrid, Adidas, Puma, Nike, and Pepsi. These campaigns have surpassed +30,000,000 views across all content pieces and activations.

UK based expert football consultant with middle east expertise and over 30 years of experience working at the highest levels of the sport across the globe. Significant experience over the last three decades working with some of the world football’s most notable players, biggest clubs and most important institutions. Speaking at WFS to present unique opportunities to advise and transform developing football clubs, give them a platform to achieve their potential on and off the pitch and most importantly give them the tools needed to secure their place at the top table of global football, shaping the future of the game.

Samuel Westberg is the CEO of LaSource, co-founder of LiveLike, and in charge of the development of Greenfly in Europe.

LaSource helps bridge the gap between sports organizations and sports organizations having expertise in identifying the best tech companies and an extensive background working in sports organizations.

I am working in the sport industry for more than 23 years and have a strong expertise in managing events, selling global and national sponsorship rights for athletes as well as for international events as well as for football clubs.

Moreover I have a long term expertise in developing brands and restructuring commercial and marketing football teams. Since 2014 I am working as marketing and commercial director for Bologna FC, one of the most historical football clubs in Italy.

Is a Nobel Peace Laureate, Olympic Laurel awardee, Bangladeshi economist, and founder of the Grameen Bank, the world’s first dedicated microcredit institution. He is one of seven individuals to have received the Nobel Peace Prize, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom and the United States Congressional Gold Medal. He is also known as the “father of social business” and as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time.

Elías holds a master’s degree in physics and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Seville. After finishing his Ph.D. in 2008, he worked till 2012 at the ETH Zurich (Switzerland) as a research scientist in the framework of the development of machine learning methodology oriented towards mathematical modeling in cell biology.

From 2012 to 2021 he worked in the German quantitative asset management boutique GET Capital AG as head of the Quantitative Research & Product Development department. Specifically, from 2019 he was a partner and member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of GET Capital AG. Serving in these positions he was responsible for the development and implementation of advanced financial products based on novel AI technology and the creation of new business lines based on consultancy around data-intensive technologies.

Since 2021, Elías Zamora is the Chief Data Officer (CDO) of Sevilla FC and has grounded the data department of the club. As CDO he is the executive responsible for the transversal data strategy of the club. His main mission is to use data as a key input to enhance the entity’s strategic football and business processes. This goal is achieved through the so-called AI-Projects: self-developed web-based applications in which the data is transformed and presented to be naturally integrated in the key decisions of the club.

Bex Smith is an internationally successful footballer who’s transitioned to a global executive in sports and business.
She founded Crux Sports which consults with some of the world’s leading stakeholders in football including brands, governing bodies, clubs, leagues, media platforms, AI technology, esports, agencies and some of the world’s top players, using its collective experience of years in football to identify and capitalise on mutually valuable connections across its network.

Andre Zanotta is the current Chief Soccer Officer & Technical Director of FC Dallas, one of founding member clubs of the Major League Soccer. Zanotta joined FC Dallas in January 2019 and is going to his sixth season with the Texan club in 2024.
At Dallas, Zanotta oversees the planning and execution of many of the club’s technical operations including player acquisitions, hiring, as well as contract negotiations and renewals. Zanotta was instrumental in the sale of players like Chris Richards, Bryan Reynolds, and Ricardo Pepi from Dallas to clubs in Europe.
Zanotta was previously executive director of Brazilian first-division team Grêmio where he was part of the club’s success in the 2017 Copa Libertadores, 2018 Recopa Sudamericana and 2018 Campeonato Gaúcho. The club also reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2017.
Zanotta also served as sporting director for Santos FC from 2012 to 2015 and for Sport Recife during the 2016 season. A trained lawyer, Zanotta’s connection to the sports industry emerged when he began working on player training contracts for the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) and other Brazilian soccer clubs. To further his career in soccer, Zanotta is currently enrolled in the FIFA Diploma in Club Management, as well as participated in the prestigious FIFA Master Program, receiving an MBA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport in 2010.

Robert (38) is an award-winning international sports marketeer working with advertisers, publishers, streaming platforms, sports clubs, leagues and athletes for more than 15+ years as a professional in the sports & entertainment industry. His expertise originates in brand marketing, sponsorship, digital content, social entrepreneurship and international relations.

Beyond his role as chief executive & partner at Jung von Matt SPORTS, Robert also serves as honorary board member for Sheffield FC – The World’s First and Oldest Football Club, and is part of the digital advisory board of the German cult football club FC St. Pauli.

Last year Robert was also selected as part of the prestigious under 40 Class of 2022 by ‘Leaders in Sport’ in London – the world’s leading executive platform in sports business. Additionally, Robert – on behalf of Jung von Matt SPORTS – received the award for ‘Best for overall Engagement’ by the Hashtag Sports Academy in Las Vegas, the leading award show for creativity in sports in the Americas.

Co-founder and the CEO of N3XT Sports, a sports consulting firm that specializes in innovation, digital transformation, technology & investment strategy, founded in 2018. Mounir oversees several projects on digital transformation, technology roadmap, innovation ecosystem development, and new monetization.

Prior to this, he was the Director of Technology & Innovation at the United States Olympic Committee leading many projects related to technology, data, and innovation as Director of Technology & Innovation.

Between 2009 and 2019 I have been working as a players’ agent, a sports lawyer and a FIFA licensed match agent in my own agency, representing players, dealing with legal aspects of sports and consulting clubs and associations. In 2019 I took on a significant role as the CEO of FC Spartak Moscow covering the position of the Sporting Director at the same time. In 2021 I transitioned to become the Sporting Director of FC Lokomotiv Moscow, focusing on the strategic and sporting aspects of the club.