Best Sports marketing campaign:
Recent ASICs campaign featuring Brian Cox and emphasising the importance of exercise on mental wellbeing
Best young industry talent:
The Hundred has run a successful content creator programme, giving 16 young people each year an opportunity to lead the content creation for each of the 8 teams. So many of the participants have gone on to take up roles in the sports industry.
Best sporting event attended:
From an emotional point of view the final of the Women’s Euros at Wembley in 2022.
Best sporting event on TV:
The Ryder Cup
Best brand ambassador:
Thierry Henry for Renault has left a legacy of va-va-voom. Or the ambassador for Ferrero Rocher
Best industry event or conference:
I prefer smaller roundtable events where there is informal discussion and everyone participates to a greater degree. I have attended a couple of Deltatre-hosted sessions before the ISC event which have been good value.
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports business:
Less a sports business film, but Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is incredibly innovative, (and somewhat prescient).
Best book recommendation:
I’ve recently read and enjoyed Long Island and Brooklyn (fiction/non-sport) by Colm Tóibín.
Best bar or pub:
Long been a fan of the Queen’s Head and Artichoke on the Eastern side of Regent’s Park. Good pub vibe combined with excellent tapas and an upstairs dining room.
Best restaurant:
Barrafina
Best holiday resort:
Santa Eulària des Riu in Ibiza
Best box set:
A tie between Succession and The Wire.
Best influence on your career:
I have a lot to thank Sarah Rose for (now President of Channel5/ Paramount UK). Sarah mentored me when we worked together at Channel 4 and she combines so much knowledge with an excellent style of working. Definitely a role model for me.
Best dinner companions:
A selection of GOATs – Daley Thompson, Michael Johnson, Serena Williams, Marta, Simone Biles and Roy Keane.
Best job in the sports biz:
Nikki Doucet’s role at WPLL or presenting MOTD.
Best professional regret:
Not investigating the opportunity of working in sport earlier in my career. Although having said that, working at Channel4 was really special and each of my roles has brought cumulative experience to then be able to land the job at the ECB.
Best skill you most covet:
Presenting without notes.
Best trait you admire in others:
Authenticity every time.
In terms of a business trait - meeting chairing. It is rare to find someone who has the ability
to stick to an agenda and time, whilst at the same time encouraging enough debate and
ensuring that everyone in the room has opportunity to contribute
Best overrated virtue:
Thinking that you need to use 200 words when 20 will suffice. There can be richness in brevity.
Best ambition:
You don’t always know or need to know the role you want to do or the industry you want to work in so always be open to opportunities – you never know where they could take you.