About

Reshmin is a multilingual journalist and sports presenter, broadcasting for BT Sport, BBC Sport and TalkSPORT.

She is the lead presenter for TalkSPORT’s “GameDay”, hosting their Premier League coverage every Saturday morning. She also works across the UEFA Champions League and Europa League for BT, the FA Cup and the BBC Women’s Football Show.

Reshmin has been broadcasting across the BBC since 2010. Among her credits are the London 2012 Olympics with BBC World, Wimbledon, hosting during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and presenting the U17 World Cup Final. She has also stepped into the Match of the Day 2 chair on occasion.

At Real Madrid TV, Reshmin conducted the world-exclusive interview with Cristiano Ronaldo, following his then record-breaking move to the club.

Reshmin’s early career took her all over the world and includes stints with Reuters TV, ITN, Bloomberg TV and BBC London.

In 2020, she co-hosted the UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw for the fourth year running. Other clients include The Best FIFA Football Awards green carpet, the FA, Aspire Sport, One Family Global and the BT Sport Industry Awards.

Reshmin spent much of her youth as a vocalist and performed alongside the award-winning musician composer, Nitin Sawhney.

She is a mother to a young daughter and son, juggling a busy globe-trotting career alongside motherhood and passions for fitness, cooking, socialising and watching sport! She is a proud Bengali, which she speaks fluently, along with conversational Spanish and French.

Janie has been an active football referee for 29 years and became the second woman to have operated within men’s professional football.

Janie worked at the FA for 12 years as National Referee Manager for Education and Training. She has a vast experience in referee development both domestically and internationally having delivered education to grassroots through to elite referees on every continent and within every confederation on behalf of The FA and FIFA. As one of only a handful of female FIFA Instructors in the world at the time, Janie has been privileged to be involved in many FIFA workshops and tournaments.

Janie believes passionately about the development of people, to this end, for 20 years she has been involved in many organisations such as Sports Officials UK Ltd a development partner of Sport England and The International Federation for Sports Officials where she is the Vice President. Janie was Vice Chair of Boccia and the current Executive Chair of Find my kit. In recent years Janie has undertaken a variety of high level contracts with World Athletics, designing and delivering their global gender leadership programme, the ECB implementing a new officiating structure and strategy and The Confederation of Professional Golf leading their governance review. Janie also sits on the SO15 Counter Terrorism Advisory Board where she shares the benefits of sport to inspire and motivate young people to make positive life choices.

Anna Kessel MBE co-founded Women in Football in 2006, and was chair of the organisation until September 2015. 

An award-winning executive with 20 years' experience in the sports industry, Anna has sought to champion women and girls in sport across her various roles as journalist, editor, campaigner and author. Most recently Sky Sports' Executive Director for Development, Anna has always been at the forefront of agenda-setting change. Fifteen years at The Guardian and Observer (2004-2019) covering three Olympic Games, as well as World Cups, Euros and World Championships, and interviewing some of the biggest stars in global sport, was followed by joining The Telegraph as Editor to lead the first ever women's sport department at a national newspaper. Telegraph Women's Sport went on to win nine major awards in its first year and helped to rewrite the script for women's sport coverage in the UK.

In 2016 Anna was awarded an MBE for services to journalism and women in sport. She also published Eat Sweat Play: How Sport Can Change Your Life (PanMacmillan), a passionate polemic longlisted for William Hill Sports Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Sports Book Awards. In 2017 Anna launched the Blue Plaque Rebellion, alongside the Women's Sport Trust, to champion forgotten pioneers from women's sports history. The Independent described Anna as a “fearless adversary of sexism” in their list of the 50 Most Influential Women in Sport.

Anna stepped down as a director from the board of Women in Football in May 2020, but continues as an ambassador.

Jacqui is a hugely respected football commentator and sports broadcaster with over two decades of experience. Having changed career, retrained as a journalist, and worked her way up from hospital radio, local radio and non-league football, Jacqui made history in 2007 as the first female commentator on Match of the Day and has been racking up the “firsts” ever since. She was the first commentator on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Women’s Super League and covers Premier League matches for a worldwide audience. Jacqui is a familiar voice in the USA as CBS commentator on the NWSL, as well as broadcasting the last men’s and women's FIFA World Cups for FOX Sports. She also presents ITV’s PDC darts coverage. Jacqui was awarded an MBE in the 2016 New Year’s honours list for championing women’s football and the role of women throughout the game.

Jane is the former CEO of Women in Football. In 2001, Jane was appointed as Club Secretary and Solicitor at Sunderland AFC, one of the first in-house lawyers at any Premier League football club. She went on to join the Premier League, where she rose to become the Premier League’s first ever Director of Governance.

Before joining Women in Football in 2018 Jane was Head of Governance and Leadership at UK Sport where, working with Sport England, she co-authored the first edition of the Code for Sports Governance. Jane oversaw its implementation and she and her team supported sports to become fully compliant, including in its ground-breaking provisions regarding diversity. In 2018, she joined Women in Football as its first ever CEO, and remains an ambassador since stepping down in 2021.

In 2023, Jane joined DCMS’s expert panel working on the government review (chaired by Karen Carney MBE) of the future of women’s football in England. She remains an advisor to government on the women’s game. Jane also chairs the Professional Game Academy Audit Company which provides quality assurance to boys’ and girls elite talent pathways in the professional game. Jane is an author, and her book ‘The Homecoming: the Lionesses and Beyond’ tells the story of England’s wonderful victory is the 2022 Euros. In 2024 Jane was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by the Women's Football Awards.

Dame Heather Rabbatts is the founder of Women’s Sports Group.

She has wide-ranging leadership experience and expertise across sport, business, media, law and government.

Heather became The Football Association’s first female non-executive director and board member when she was appointed in 2012. Whilst at The FA, Heather served on the organisation’s Remuneration Committee and chaired The FA Inclusion Advisory Board.

She was also previously a member of FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Taskforce.

Annie is in her second season as Head Coach at Bedworth Utd Ladies Development Team, who play in the National Reserve League Midland Division.

Her remit is to watch, coach and develop individual players so they can progress through to Bedworth Utd Ladies First Team who play in the National League.

Previously head coach at Solihull Moors, she has by her own admission "thrown myself in the deep end of the pool with these roles and hoping to swim out equipped with skills, knowledge and experience to develop me as a coach and prepare me for a full-time role within women's game."

Annie's coaching achievements speak volumes for her hard work and dedication, including a UEFA A License Candidate 2019/2020, a member of FA Asians in Female Football National Party, when she was invited to be involved in helping the FA shape aspects of the new FA Women football strategy 2020/2024. Annie was also asked to be part of FIFA Women’s Football 2018, meeting with Hope Powell, Vera Pauw, Caroline Morace & Hesterine De Reus to help finalise the framework for Female Coach Mentoring Program.

Not only that, but Annie is Founder of Coach AnnieZ Foundation, a charitable organisation to empower, inspire & encourage young girls & women to achieve their potential and in 2017 she was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to football coaching.

Lisa joined Women in Football in December 2022 as Senior Commercial Manager and became Deputy CEO in 2024. Previously she spent most of her career working in commercial roles with over 20 years’ experience offering expertise in developing sales and marketing strategies to generate income across diverse categories. She has worked at some of the leading retailers in the UK, such as Argos, Currys and Ryman.

In the last 10 years Lisa has held director roles in both retail and wholesale, most recently for Professional Music Technology and Tree of Life. During the span of her career, Lisa has forged partnerships with leading brands such as Dell, HP, Samsung, Fender, Microsoft, Apple and Intel.

Lisa has always been passionate about football. She started playing football with the boys in the school playground aged five, but sadly, as was the case at that time, wasn't able to join in during PE lessons. At the age of 12 she joined her local women’s team and has seen first-hand the shifts in attitudes towards female footballers and the new opportunities that football brings to our stars today. Lisa still plays football on a weekly basis for Marple Athletic Juniors.

Lisa is a supporter of Liverpool FC and Arsenal WFC, but also follows Manchester City WFC and holds a season ticket there.

Email Lisa here.

With more than five years' experience in the sports industry, specialising in growing audiences, engaging communities, leading campaigns, and generating income, Dan first joined Women in Football in December 2021, having previously worked as a Marketing Assitant at Intersport UK.

Dan is involved with all things marketing and communications at WIF, encompassing digital strategy, website, CRM and much more. He manages the #GetOnside gender equality campaign, which has produced more than 260 pledges to improve the football landscape for women and girls. He has also helped the WIF digital community more than double in size, and helped hundreds of women find employment through the Women in Football website jobs page.

Dan continues to look for new ways to support the WIF membership – he was a key figure in the implementation of a new CRM software which has enabled WIF to improve on bespoke member offerings. He is also an active member of the professional development and marketing committees, helping to ensure consistency of all comms that align with core business and EDI values.

A lover of many sports, Dan is big on football and supports Chelsea FC, although he similarly enjoys darts, American football and basketball. He even represented the ultimate frisbee society during his time at De Montfort University.

Email Dan here.

Amy has spent most of her career working in sport in a variety of roles, starting in sponsorship account management with Macesport, mainly managing Vauxhall's Home Nations sponsorship with Northern Ireland and the FA Vauxhall Youth Programme.

She then worked for Global Premier Soccer in Portland, Maine, USA before returning to work for her hometown club Nottingham Forest, leading on media and communications for their charitable trust.

Her love of women’s football landed her a role at the City of Football, a Sport England-funded project aimed at increasing participation and opportunities for underrepresented groups. After funding ended, she moved on to work for William Hill, working across its sport sponsorship portfolio, activating rights across the Scottish Cup, Matchroom Boxing, World Darts Championship, and Football Writers' Association. She also managed the ambassador and influencer portfolio.

After exploring opportunities within education and running a female-only five-a-side league on the side, Amy’s passion for football and equality has brought her back into the industry and what she describes as the perfect role and organisation to bring her experience and skills to the Women in Football team. 

Email Amy here.

Sarah is the Events Officer for Women in Football, having joined from IMG Media where she was Head of Production. During the 12 years at IMG/Premier League Productions, she was instrumental in the growth of PLP. They went from producing and broadcasting 10 live matches and one magazine show to the current 24 hour channel with daily live studio of up to nine hours per day, seven magazine shows and a staff of over 100 with up to 250 freelancers per week.

Sarah played a significant role in all stages of the planning, finance, commercial elements and launch of the PLTV channel that broadcasts to over 200 territories worldwide and was key to the growth of the multi-million pound budget. Sarah's previous clients include the Premier League, NBC, Channel 4, HBS, UEFA and the European Tour. Sarah's background is live outside broadcast of major sporting events, including the Premier League, World Cups, European Championships, Wimbledon and the Grand National.

Sarah has been in the television sports industry for over 20 years and previous employers include ISL, IAAF, HBS, Octagon CSI, Charter Broadcast and Fountain Studios.

Email Sarah here.

I am an EEDI leader with over 20 years of experience including within professional football, social housing, the Civil Service, refuge and asylum, and recruitment.

EEDI is more than a job for me; I come from multiple lived experience backgrounds. Since my teenage years, I’ve been involved in community organising and campaigns always focused on ensuring that people who struggle, or are without a voice, are centred in my approach and my professional practice. EEDI is about who I am, as well as what I do in my 9-5.

What is your background connection to football? 

I’ve been fan of Spurs for the past 40 years. Well, “fan” is doing some heavy lifting in this sentence, it’s been a long-suffering relationship, but nice to get some recent success!  

Professionally speaking, I spent four years leading EDI at City Football Group (CFG) before moving back into the public sector with the NAO.   

This year I had the honour to be a judge at the 2025 Football Black List awards for the Community and LGBTQ categories and have recently been appointed to the role of Vice Chair at Out There, a Greater Manchester charity that supports the families and children of people in prison.  

Why did you want to join the EEDI Advisory Group and what are you hoping to bring? 

I am a passionate advocate for intersectional gender equality and have been a supporter of WIF since the early days of my time at CFG. The opportunity to formally contribute to WIF’s mission, act as a critical friend and help drive EEDI not just within the organisation, but across the industry, was too good an opportunity to miss. I am sure my passion, knowledge and activist leader approach will make a positive impact.   

I look forward, with relish, to getting stuck in with my new EEDI Advisory Group colleagues and thank WIF for the opportunity.

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? 

Being part of a community of people determined to make a difference.

Find Justin on LinkedIn

With over 20 years’ experience of working in sport development with a particular focus on driving inclusion and equity across the sector, I’m excited by the opportunity to contribute to the Women in Football EEDI group. I am currently the Chief Executive Officer of Northamptonshire Football Association, having previously held senior roles at Activity Alliance, Stonewall, Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby and Sport England.

What is your background connection to football?

Having played football from the age of 16, it has been integral to my identity, and it is now an absolute honour to be leading a county FA. 

Why did you want to join the EEDI Advisory Group and what are you hoping to bring? 

First and foremost, I want to make a difference. I acknowledge the ways in which my lived experience influences my decision-making, particularly my experiences as a female leader in sport. Reflecting upon this while applying my professional expertise, I hope that I can support WIF in maximising impact in its EEDI ambitions. 

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? 

Being part of an active and dynamic network that supports, celebrates and promotes women working in football is incredibly important, particularly as we acknowledge while things have changed, women continue to face challenges in the sector and there is still so much to do.  

Find Kirsty on LinkedIn

I’m an experienced EDI practitioner with just over seven years in the inclusion space, dedicated to fostering equitable and inclusive environments across sport. My work has focused on integrating inclusive practices, advocating for male allyship, and delivering impactful EDI education across football. 

I have held roles at Fulham Football Club and the Football Association and previously served as a National Council board member for the Football Supporters’ Association. 

Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, I bring a strong insight into the challenges and opportunities that exist within the sport. 

What is your background connection to football?

Football has been central to both my personal and professional journey. Working in EDI capacities across multiple organisations within the sport, I’ve contributed to shaping inclusive strategies, influencing policy, and helping drive positive cultural change across the football ecosystem.

Why did you want to join the EEDI Advisory Group and what are you hoping to bring? 

I joined the advisory group to accelerate meaningful and sustainable change in football. My aim is to elevate equity, cultivate male allyship, and support inclusive education that empowers stakeholders at every level of the game. I hope to help deliver tangible progress that supports future generations of diverse talent, both on and off the pitch.

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? 

My WIF membership has offered a strong, supportive network of professionals who are equally committed to inclusion. It’s provided a space for shared learning, professional development, and collaboration on impactful initiatives. The community has deepened my understanding of intersectionality and reinforced the power of collective action in creating a more inclusive football landscape.

Find Jamie on LinkedIn

I am a multi-award-winning senior independent consultant working across EEDI, corporate and public affairs and HR, with cross-sector and global clients. My career has spanned corporate, charitable, and public-sector spheres in both an executive and non-executive capacity.

I also bring my lived EEDI experience to the table. I am a Black British-born Sierra Leonean female, with a long-term health condition, who grew up in south-east London after moving back from Sierra Leone to the UK as a toddler.

As well as an extensive career in financial services, working for companies including Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and KPMG, I was International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director at the Football Association.

Outside of football, I have held various non-executive roles at organisations including the NHS, Ofcom and NASA, with many of these specifically focused on EEDI.

What is your background connection to football?   

As well as the aforementioned FA role, I am currently a Senior Independent Director at The Amateur Football Alliance, a WIF Membership Committee Member and a member of Crystal Palace’s External Advisory Group.

Why did you want to join the WIF advisory group and what are you hoping to bring?

I am passionate about driving change across society and the football industry and believe that I can support WIF by providing open, honest and direct feedback.

Simultaneously, I hope to support WIF on being a beacon to the wider industry while continuing to break down arbitrary barriers to entry, participation, progression and engagement, while allowing people to be their true authentic selves and not to have to be forced to conform to the historical ways of the "old boys' network".

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member?

Being a WIF member has enabled me to develop a network of women and people passionate about equality who want and need the football industry to do better.

Find Edleen on LinkedIn

"I’m Brazilian and Italian, but if you ask me during any World Cup, I’m fully Brazilian! I’ve lived, studied, and worked across five continents, helping me learn the value of bridging differences, challenging my own biases, and creating spaces where everyone feels they belong."

I now lead on EDI at FIFPRO, the global union for professional footballers, where I work closely with the leadership, player unions, and industry partners to help shape a football industry that is fair, inclusive, and truly reflects the diversity of its players and communities.

What is your background connection to football? 

Football has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, even though I’ve never played. I still recall watching videos of Garrincha with my dad when I was four or five.  

As a university student, my first part-time jobs were at Old Trafford and San Siro and then I was lucky enough to work on the 2014 men’s World Cup in Brazil, in transport operations for national teams and referees.

Since joining FIFPRO in 2020, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of football’s responsibility to create fair, safe, and inclusive environments for everyone involved in the game, and a stronger desire to help drive that work.  

Why did you want to join the EEDI Advisory Group and what are you hoping to offer? 

I’ve always seen Women in Football as a powerful platform to help advance gender equality in what remains a deeply male-dominated industry, I want to support WIF in expanding and strengthening its efforts to increase the visibility and opportunities for more women in the game, while ensuring an intersectional approach that truly reflects our diverse realities.  

I believe WIF’s potential is incredible and still untapped in many contexts where I hope to help make a difference. The lack of women in football leadership is something I care about deeply, and I’m committed to helping change that. 

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member?

At FIFPRO, we drew on WIF’s know-how to deliver a programme in 2021-2022 aimed at bringing more women onto board positions, and we also partnered with WIF to organise EDI workshops for our staff. That work helped us focus more intentionally on diversity and inclusion, and WIF has been an important partner in that journey.  

Find Erica on LinkedIn