MEET THE SPEAKERS FOR BE INSPIRED 2025

Abbi Summers

broadcaster/presenter

Abbi Summers is a dynamic sports presenter, journalist, and content creator, widely recognised for her insightful football analysis and engaging on-screen presence. A devoted Tottenham Hotspur fan, she has built a strong reputation in the sports media industry.

Abbi is a key member of Pixel FC, an initiative by Google Pixel designed to increase the visibility of women’s football. As part of this, she traveled to Australia and New Zealand to cover the Women’s World Cup, providing exclusive content and expert insights.

She is also a presenter for talkSPORT, where she hosts Inside Spurs, a weekly show dedicated to all things Tottenham Hotspur. The show features match reactions, interviews with ex-professionals, and in-depth discussions with journalists and broadcasters.

Additionally, Abbi is a panellist on DR Sports, regularly engaging in passionate football debates and discussions with fellow pundits.

In 2024, she worked with LADbible to cover the Men’s Euros, delivering on-the-ground content and analysis throughout the tournament.

Through her work across multiple platforms, Abbi Summers continues to be a respected and influential voice in football media, bringing expert analysis, passionate discussion, and engaging content to audiences worldwide.

Alison Lomax

Managing Director, YouTube UK & Ireland

As Managing Director, YouTube UK & Ireland, Alison is responsible for working with Government & Policy Makers and partnering with creators, brands and the music industry to ensure that YouTube remains at the forefront of the creator economy.

Alison has spent her career at the intersection of technology and creativity, both in the public sector working for Government departments including MI5 and Foreign office and in advertising agencies before joining Google in 2011 where she led various commercial & creative teams. In January 2023 Alison joined YouTube as Managing Director, UK & Ireland. Inside and outside of Google, she is a diversity champion, a member of WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications, Leadership), was Director of Trans in the City and played an integral role in the acceleration of women’s football as a Trustee for her local grassroots club, Berkhamsted Raiders (2019-2023)

Ben Carter

Global Chief Customer & Marketing Officer, Carwow; Women in Football director

Ben is the Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of CarWow tasked with revolutionising how consumers buy and sell cars. Prior to joining CarWow in 2022, Ben has worked for a number of the UK’s biggest digital businesses in Executive marketing roles helping them drive growth, build their brands and accelerate their digital transformation including Just Eat, Betfair and Notonthehighstreet.

Ben who was recently named as one of the Top 100 Most Effective Marketers by esteemed trade publication Marketing Week is also Chair of the Lily Foundation- a charity dedicated to finding a cure and raising awareness of mitochondrial disease and is a Director of Women in Football, a non-for profit organisation that is focused on making football a more acceptable place for women on and off the pitch to work, play and support. Ben is a big football fan and a season ticket holder at Southampton FC, his favourite club. 

Caroline Barker

broadcaster

Caroline has been a trailblazer in the coverage of the Women's Professional game in the UK leading the brilliant and innovative output on Sky Sports since its launch in 2021. As one of the most respected female journalists in the UK, she has covered a number of high-profile events for Sky Sports and the BBC, including Women’s World Cups for netball and football; and prestigious events such as the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Claire Bowden-Hughes

founder and CEO, En2End Sports Activation Agency

Claire Bowden-Hughes is the founder and CEO of En2End Sports Activation Agency, specialising in audience and fan engagement through online, in-person, and hybrid experiences. From her roots growing up in rural mid-Wales, Claire has carved a successful career in the sports industry through hard work and the ability to remain agile within fast paced and ever-changing environment.

Her career began at Aon’s global sports marketing agency, where she worked on their high-profile shirt sponsorship of Manchester United. She then joined Liverpool Football Club as Head of Partner Experience and VIP Hospitality, gaining hands-on experience managing partnerships and delivering premium guest experiences.

Drawing on her experience working on partnerships from both the brand and rights holder side, Claire founded En2End in 2019. The agency uses technology and creative solutions to deliver activations that connect brands and rights holders with their audiences and fans. Claire has led major projects for UEFA, FedEx, AXA, British Cycling, and others, establishing En2End as a leader in tech-driven sports activations. Claire is also a mother to a 2-year-old daughter, balancing the challenges of running a business with family life.

At the conference, Claire will share insights from her journey in sport, offering practical advice on navigating the industry and building a successful business.

Claire Morris

CEO, Sodexo Live!

Debbie Cook

Director of Community, EFL

Debbie is Director of Community at the English Football League (EFL) where she is part of the Executive Leadership Team. Debbie is incredibly proud of the work of her team ‘EFL in the Community’; the charitable arm of the EFL, and is passionate about the work of the network of 72 EFL football club charities. These football club charities are changing lives across the country, delivering £1.24billion of social value.

As former Chief Executive and Board Member of Grimsby Town Football Club, you’ll still likely find Debbie at Blundell Park on match days . Debbie has a huge passion for the civic role a football club plays in its community, and the power of football clubs, as trusted organisations, to undertake life changing work in their communities. When not at Blundell Park you might find Debbie at Pride Park, the home of her first football-love, Derby County.

Debbie was formerly Chief Executive of YMCA Humber where she took pride in being instrumental in championing the project and subsequently overseeing the delivery of an £8.3m development, providing inspiring homes and facilities for young and vulnerable people in the area. She was also CEO of a national arthritis charity for over 6 years. Debbie started her career in local government, where she spent 22 years, mainly working with local politicians.

Debbie is a proud mum to two grown-up daughters and married to Steve who she met at secondary school! Also, part of Debbie’s family are two gorgeous (and huge) Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Dil Sidhu

Business Development & Programme Director, University of Cambridge

Dil has experience at senior levels in UK Government, Retailing, Professional Services, and Academia. For the last 22 years, Dil has researched, taught, and consulted on the Science of Influence and Persuasion, based on the groundbreaking research by his mentor, Professor Robert Cialdini. A few of the organisations he has worked with, to improve their ability to influence and persuade, include, Honda Europe, PwC, Lloyds of London, AstraZeneca, Microsoft, The Washington Post, Google, and FT Women in Leadership Forum.

Dil is currently the Director of Business Development and Learning Programmes at Cambridge University and has been a visiting lecturer at 27 universities and colleges around the world.

Dil has also served within the not-for-profit sector as Chair of the Contact Theatre in Manchester, founder of ‘Prometh3us’, and founding Trustee of Young Manchester.

In his spare time Dil enjoys watching football but has been described by family and friends as, ‘The world’s most annoying arm chair football commentator, ever!’ He’s also a self-described ‘Failed Stand-Up Comedian’ having completed a programme at the Comedy Store London but being offered a refund and firmly advised to stick with the day job!

Ebru Köksal

Chair, Women in Football

Born in the vibrant city of Istanbul in 1968, Ebru Köksal’s journey from the bustling streets of New York to the heart of Turkish football is nothing short of inspiring. She kicked off her career as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, navigating the fast-paced world of finance with finesse. Her return to Turkey saw her rise through the ranks at Citibank, where she honed her skills as a senior manager.

In 1999, Ebru took a bold leap into the world of private equity with AIG, before making a game-changing move to Galatasaray Sports Club in 2001. As CFO, and later CEO, she steered the club through a transformative era of growth and international success.

Ebru’s influence extended beyond Turkey when she was appointed General Secretary of the Turkish Football Federation in 2011. Her expertise was sought after by FIFA and UEFA, where she served as a consultant from 2012 to 2018. She returned to Galatasaray as a Board Member, continuing to shape the future of football.

Today, Ebru Köksal is a senior adviser at J Stern & Co., Chair of Women in Football, UK, Board Director at A-Leagues Australia, INED at the Professional Footballers Association UK, and an INED at the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Her accolades include the Executive of the Year Award 2011 by Stadium Business Awards and the first-ever Making a Difference Award by HBS Executive Education in 2018.

A graduate of Brown University with dual degrees in Economics and International Relations, and an alumna of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, Ebru is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Ebru’s story is a testament to her unwavering dedication and pioneering spirit in the world of sports and finance. She has significantly impacted the representation of women in sports globally through her pioneering leadership and advocacy. She broke numerous glass ceilings, becoming the first woman on the Executive Board of the European Club Association and the first female General Secretary of the Turkish Football Federation. As Chair of Women in Football, she champions gender equality, creating opportunities and raising awareness about challenges women face in sports. Ebru’s journey inspires women and girls worldwide to pursue careers in sports, and her work with various organizations promotes diversity and inclusion, making her a key figure in creating a more equitable sports environment.

Emma Hayes OBE

Head Coach, US Women's National Team

Emma Hayes is the Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Before taking charge, she managed Chelsea FC Women from 2012 to 2024, leading the team to multiple Women's Super League (WSL) titles, FA Cups, and achieving a historic domestic quadruple in 2021. Hayes was the first female manager to win the Women’s FA Cup three times and guided Chelsea to their inaugural Women's Champions League final.

Hayes has received numerous accolades, including the FIFA Best Women’s Coach (2021), six WSL Manager of the Season awards (2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), and induction into the WSL Hall of Fame in 2021.

In 2024, she was honoured with the Ballon d'Or Féminin Coach of the Year award. Additionally, she was awarded an MBE in 2016 and an OBE in 2022 for her services to football.

Beyond coaching, Hayes is a respected pundit and commentator, with appearances on ITV, Sky Sports, and ESPN. Her insightful analysis and expertise have made her a highly regarded voice in the sport.

Now leading the U.S. Women's National Team, Hayes continues to shape the future of women's football on the global stage. She was appointed Head Coach in 2024, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a track record of success at the highest levels of the game. Tasked with revitalising the squad and maintaining their dominance in international football, Hayes quickly made an impact, instilling her tactical philosophy and strong winning mentality. Later that year, she guided the team to a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Eni Aluko MBE

former footballer/football executive

Faye Carruthers

broadcaster and journalist

Faye Carruthers is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster specialising in live football and is talkSPORT's England correspondent, covering the men's and women's teams around the world. She hosts the Guardian's Women's Football Weekly Podcast and interviews incredible guests on the Seaman Says Podcast with former England goalkeeper David Seaman. An accomplished events host, her clients include the Premier League, FA, and PGMOL; she’s also narrated various sports documentaries for FIFA and UEFA. Faye additionally runs a media training and speaker coaching business for individuals, athletes and corporate clients. She’s an avid Luton Town fan and passionate about using her platform to make football accessible for everyone.

Hayley McQueen

Sky Sports News Anchor

Hayley is currently a lead anchor on Sky Sports News breaking the biggest stories from the world of sport, she has had a 20 year career in Sport broadcasting, originally working behind the scenes in a production capacity for many years at Boro TV  & then Manchester United TV before venturing in front of screen. On Sports News Hayley hosts a mid morning live football daily talk show where she is joined by experts from the game & every Saturday morning show Soccer Saturday pre match. Hayley formerly presented Match Choice for Sky Sports Football, live Scottish Premiership & Scottish Cup for 2 seasons & Champions League for Sky Sports. Hayley has also worked as an on-site presenter for Sky across many major tournament from The World Cup, European Championships & Olympics games. 

Hayley is currently one third of the new Not Just Football podcast part of the Overlap network alongside Kelly Cates & Christine Lampard.

Previous to this Hayley was part of the award winning & first all female football podcast The Offside Rule, which ran successfully for 10 years.

Hazel Brayden

Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya

Hazel is a Managing Associate in the Reputation Protection and Crisis Management team at Mishcon de Reya LLP. She is a solicitor-advocate and an experienced litigator in privacy, harassment, data protection, confidentiality, libel, and copyright legal disputes. Often instructed in times of crisis, she helps individuals, and their families protect their privacy and reputations, and deals with a broad range of unlawful intrusion, issues of safety and abuse online. She is a passionate supporter of legislative change to bring about greater protections for women and children online.

Helen Hardy

CEO and founder, Foudy’s

Helen Hardy is the founder of FOUDYS, the only official women’s sports retailer in the world with licensed goods sold from Nike, Adidas and many other major brands. Helen also founded the largest adult women’s football club in the North-West called Manchester Laces which supports thousands of participants to access football and community across Manchester. Helen was placed at 6th in The BBC Women’s Hour Power List in 2023 and was honoured with a mural of her face on the steps of Wembley in 2022 for her contribution to women’s football.

Jacqui Oatley MBE

football commentator and sport presenter

Jacqui commentates on football for TNT Sports, Sky Sports/PLP, CBS Sports and FOX Sports, as well as presenting ITV’s darts coverage. In 2007, she became the first female commentator on Match of the Day.

A former amateur player and FA qualified coach, Jacqui has presented and commentated on the major international men’s and women’s tournaments since 2005.

Jacqui is on the national committee of the Football Writers’ Association and is an ambassador for Women in Football – she was awarded an MBE in 2016 for her role in championing the role of women working in football, women’s football and for services to broadcasting.

Jane Purdon

author, Chair, Professional Game Academy Audit Company and Women in Football ambassador

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.

Jo Osborne

Head of Women’s Sport, Sky Sports

Jo Osborne is Head of Women’s Sport at Sky Sports. Formerly an Executive Producer, she has worked across a wide variety of sports including tennis, cricket, basketball and netball and has overseen many firsts for the broadcaster over her 20-year career. Her role is focused on driving the insights and strategy that will allow Sky to maximise their investment into women’s sports and finding new opportunities to grow and bring them to new audiences.

Jo Tongue MBE

CEO, Tongue Tied Management; Women in Football director

With nearly 20 years in the industry Jo has experience across the board in sport, media and commercial opportunities.

As a FIFA registered agent, her sports management and production company, TTM (Tongue Tied Media) is seen as one of the most highly respected and leading sports agencies in the UK.

Jo was awarded an MBE for services to Football and Gender Equality in the 2023 New Year Honours List. In 2019 she was listed on the Evening Standard's list of most influential Londoners and was also selected as one of the Leaders in Sport 40 Under 40 global leaders.

Starting out at the BBC as a sports reporter she moved into online, radio and TV before joining independent agency Somethin’ Else and editing the flagship football show 606 for 10 years.

Jo is a Director and Board member of Women in Football. She is also a Trustee of both Jason Roberts' and Michael Carrick Foundations.

Julie Uhrman

CEO & Co-founder, Angel City FC

Julie Uhrman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Angel City Football Club (ACFC), Los Angeles' professional women's soccer team that debuted in 2022 in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). ACFC is one of the world's only majority female-founded and run professional sports teams and was recently named the world’s most valuable women’s sports team with a $250 million valuation. Julie co-founded ACFC with Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman and technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman.

Justine Roberts CBE

founder and CEO, Mumsnet; non-executive director, EFL

Justine Roberts CBE is Founder and CEO of Mumsnet, one of the UK’s largest and most influential online communities sharing advice, support and product recommendations with over 9 million unique users per month. She previously worked as a freelance football and cricket journalist. Justine is a non-executive director of the EFL, FTSE100 insurance firm Admiral, and the Open Data Institute founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. In 2011, Justine launched Gransnet, a website for the original baby boomer generation. She is a mother of four and was appointed CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to the economy.

Karthi Gnanasegaram

journalist and television/radio broadcaster

Karthi is a presenter and reporter on location for Sky Sports Tennis and Amazon Prime Video's Premier League coverage. She presents the sport on BBC Radio4's flagship political show, the Today programme, BBC Radio2's Breakfast Show and BBC One's Ten o'clock News as well as being the on court post match interviewer with the tennis players at Wimbledon and Queen's plus other tournaments around the world.

She hosted shows for IMG's global Premier League Channel for 10 years,  reported on location for Amazon Prime Video's tennis coverage and Karthi is also a presenter of classical music shows for Classic FM. In 2025, she was made a Trustee of Glyndebourne Opera House. 

Kate Laurens

Chief Communications Officer, Arsenal 

Kate Laurens is Arsenal Football Club’s Chief Communications Officer who sits on the club’s Executive Team.

Originally joining the Gunners in 2003, having held previous roles in agencies working on sports partnerships and a successful bid to bring the Ryder Cup to her homeland of Wales. She is a passionate advocate of the power of sport to inspire pride, inspiration and belonging among communities across the world.

During her time at Arsenal, she has lived through iconic moments in the club’s history, being part of the communications team in the Invincibles era and during transformational change with the Gunners’ move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006.

More recently, Arsenal has seen a change of leadership and launched its redefined purpose, values and strategy. At the heart of her work is connecting with a global audience to show the world what Arsenal stands for in a distinctively Arsenal way.

Kelly Cates

journalist and broadcaster

Kelly is the leading female football presenter in the UK. She presents Sky Sports Premier League coverage working on the biggest and best games and from August will combine that with a new role as part of the new MOTD presentation team. Kelly also presents BBC Radio 5 Live Sport every Tuesday evening and has worked on every major football tournament since 2016.

Kelly Simmons OBE

sports consultant; Women in Football director

Kelly is a world leader in football with over 30 year-experience in the English Football Association (The FA). From 2018-2023, Kelly was the Director of the Women’s Professional Game for the FA in England, where she led the led the transformation of the women’s professional game in England into one the world’s leading domestic systems, including the transition of the Women’s Super League (WSL) into a fully professional league and securing record sponsorship and media deals.

Prior to this Kelly was Director of Development for The FA, overseeing the delivery of a £200M four year plan for children’s and grassroots football. Kelly is a NED of Women in Football and is now a consultant working with Portas, FIFA and Premiership Women’s Rugby.

She was awarded an MBE in 2002 for services to football and received the BT Sports Industry Award for ‘Leadership in Sport’ in 2016.

Lise Klaveness

President, Norwegian Football Association

Lise Klaveness is the President of the Norwegian Football Association.

Elected in 2022 as the first female ever in the 120 year history of Norwegian FA to hold the position. In April, she is running for a UEFA Executive Committee seat to become the second woman in the committee.

Her experience as a former lawyer and judge, a former national team player for Norway, first female TV pundit and the Technical Director for Norway’s men’s and women’s national teams has given her a broad perspective on football's challenges and opportunities. Klaveness is deeply committed to advancing football by emphasizing the strong need for transparent and good governance in football, and summarize her work and efforts as football leader in three pillars: The health of our players, The health of the game, The health of society

Liz Ellen

founder, Livida Sport; Women in Football director

Liz is a leading international sports lawyer with 20 years’ experience advising players, agents, clubs and owners around the world. She has acted on high profile transfers, as well as a broad range of highly confidential matters relating to the personal and professional lives of her clients. She understands the unique dynamics at play when working with young athletes, especially when extensive entourages and exceptional wealth are thrown into the mix. Consequently, she is passionate about empowering players through knowledge, and ensuring they are aware of their responsibilities and their own bargaining position when it comes to legal matters.

Liz is a director of Women in Football and a lecturer on the PFA’s Business School.

Luca Russo

VP, Women’s Football Europe, Wasserman

Luca is a licensed FIFA Football Agent and VP of Women’s Football across Europe for Wasserman Global Soccer where he brings the boutique, hands on feel of his former independent agency Volante following its acquisition by powerhouse agency Wasserman.

Luca represents several players across the top two tiers of the Women's game and abroad including Lioness and Arsenal striker Alessia Russo, Manchester United's Leah Galton and Aston Villa’s Lucy Staniforth. He also played a key role in the world record transfer of Chelsea’s Naomi Girma, the first ever transfer over one million dollars.

Luca was a middle distance runner, representing England and lived in America for two years whilst competing and studying. He holds an undergraduate degree in Strength and Conditioning Science from St Mary's University, Twickenham and a Masters Degree in Positive Coaching from the University of Missouri. Before becoming an agent he was coaching football both at home and abroad, having stints in Greece and the USA.

He previously started a Women's Football division from the ground up at his previous agency Forte Sports management in 2018 before starting his own agency Volante Sports in May 2022, just before the home Euro 2022 tournament. He's been on the frontline witnessing the rise of Women's Football across the country and across the World, helping players navigate the professional World of Women's football and the challenges that it presents.

Marcia Lewis

CEO and founder, No1Fan.club

Marcia Lewis, CEO and Founder of No1Fan.club, has a diverse background spanning finance, fashion, and football. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, focusing on learning and development, Marcia then owned a retail accessories store before turning her attention to football. In 2023, she launched No1Fan.club, the UK’s first independent parent-led platform supporting families navigating the football industry. Inspired by her experiences as the mother of Myles Lewis-Skelly, a professional footballer at Arsenal and England Youth International, Marcia combines her expertise and passion to empower others through education, community support, and guidance in the world of football.

Maria Xing

Head of Investments & Corporate Development, Brera Holdings

Maria Xing is Head of Investments at Brera Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company, where she leads sourcing, negotiations, and due diligence for its expanding multi-club ownership platform. She plays a key role in executing acquisitions and growth opportunities. Previously, at 777 Partners, Xing contributed to international acquisitions, including top-tier football clubs across Europe. Her background includes private equity and investment banking at Raine, Credit Suisse, EY, and sports at Liverpool FC. Xing serves on the membership committee of Women in Football and is based in New York/Miami. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.S. from NYU Stern.

Mario Malavé

co-founder and co-CEO, Mercury/13

Mario, who plays a significant role in FC Como Women's Acquisition and Avenue Sports found incorporation into Mercury/13, is a native of Caracas, Venezuela and began his journey in the U.S. at 16. He graduated in 2013 with majors in Economics and Political Science magna cum laude. His first job was as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, where he focused on cross-border M&A transactions across Latin America before transitioning to the firm’s renowned Technology Group in Menlo Park. Fascinated by technology and early-stage investing, Mario joined Playground Ventures, a deep-tech venture capital fund with $800M AUM, where he oversaw the execution of 40+ deals before pursuing an MBA at Harvard Business School.

At HBS, Mario combined his passion for sports and entrepreneurship, leading a European Football trek and working with the Los Angeles Football Club. Before graduating, he co-founded Wagr, a venture-backed sports betting startup that raised over $16M from world-class investors and was acquired by Yahoo Sports in April 2023. Following the acquisition, Mario became the VP of Sports Betting at Yahoo Sports, making him one of the youngest VPs in the company. After overseeing his team’s integration, he joined Mercury/13 as a co-founder and co-CEO.

Martina Pavlová

Women’s Vice-Chair, ECA; International Relationships Manager and Head of Sports Department, AC Sparta Praha

Martina Pavlová is the UEFA main contact at AC Sparta Praha. She is a specialist in international relations and diplomacy and has been working at the club since 2007. She is responsible for organising international games for both Men’s and Women’s first teams.

In the past, she has served on the ECA Women’s Football Committee. She has also completed the ECA Club Management programme and UEFA Certificate in Football Management foundation programme, and is currently a member of the Sports and Legislative Committee of the Czech League Football Association (LFA).

She completed her studies at Charles University in Prague and holds an MA in Sport Management and a BA in Media and Communication Studies.

Matthew Ryder

non-executive director, Premier League

Mollie Kmita

Presenter and Founder, The Powerhouse Project 

Mollie and Rosie Kmita are ex-professional footballers turned presenters and founders of The Powerhouse Project. The twins balance a thriving media career, working with major brands like Google as part of Pixel FC. Alongside their work in broadcasting, they founded The Powerhouse Project— An organization dedicated to empowering females in sport. Their mission is to inspire, educate, and create opportunities for women and girls, from coaching to the media industry. Their impact has not gone unnoticed, as they were proudly recognized on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Monique Choudhuri

Managing Director, Versify Consulting; Women in Football director

Monique is Managing Director at Versify Consulting. She drives strategic culture change at all levels, championing diversity and changing attitudes towards inclusion, equity and belonging to unlock opportunities for people as well as value for businesses.

Her consulting work has included developing and delivering strategic and inclusive leadership programmes for boards, ExCos and staff and redrafting governance for boards. Her extensive inclusion portfolio includes designing ED&I strategies, EDI consultancy, designing and measuring ED&I and crafting engagement surveys and audits.

Monique was formally a Non-Exec Director for Premier League club Brentford FC for six years, where she was a board champion for EDI and Wellbeing and responsible for their EDI strategy and diversifying their board.

Natalie Pirks

BBC Sports Correspondent

Neil Saunders

Director of Football, The Premier League

Nisha Vyas

executive coach, trainer and supervisor 

Nisha Vyas is an accomplished executive coach, trainer, and mentor, specializing in enabling corporate executives, leaders, and high achievers to reach their full potential. As an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and an EMCC-qualified Coach Supervisor, she is highly regarded in her field. Nisha serves as a trainer for one of Europe’s largest accredited coach training schools and dedicates time to mentoring young women in the football landscape, reflecting her commitment to fostering growth both in corporate and personal realms.

Before embarking on her coaching journey, Nisha built a distinguished career spanning over a decade in the football industry. She worked on prestigious projects, including Club Wembley on behalf of The FA, the London 2012 Olympics as FIFA Services Manager, and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Despite achieving what she once described as her “dream career,” Nisha faced the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance and navigating the pressures of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Experiencing burnout led her to seek transformation, and in 2018, she took a leap of faith to pursue a new path in personal development and coaching.

Nisha has successfully established her own coaching practice, integrating her corporate expertise with her passion for helping others. She works with a diverse portfolio of clients, delivering workshops for large corporate teams and providing one-on-one and group coaching to support professional and personal growth. Her dedication to empowering others extends to creating confidence and empowerment workshops for underrepresented groups.

Nisha’s mission is driven by her passion for helping individuals from all walks of life become the best versions of themselves. Whether through corporate coaching, workshops, or mentorship, she consistently inspires personal and professional success in those she supports. 

Paul Barber OBE

Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FC; Women in Football director

Paul is Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman at Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion FC.

His career in professional football has spanned more than 25 years, during which time he has held senior positions at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC and The Football Association.

Since joining Albion, Paul has been elected to various representative roles for the Premier League, The EFL, and The FA. He is currently a member of The FA Council and Professional Game Board. Paul also serves as one of The FA’s international ambassadors, and sits on numerous Premier League committees.

Paul was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to association football, and has since received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sussex. Paul was named Overall Chief Executive of the Year at the Football Business Awards in both 2022 and 2013, and European Sports Executive of the Year at the Stadium Business Awards in 2016. 

Preeti Shetty

CEO, Upshot; non-executive director, Brentford FC

Preeti is the CEO of Upshot, a tech social enterprise that helps non profit organisations manage, monitor and evidence the community work they deliver. Preeti focuses her efforts on proving the difference sport can make to people's lives and communities through impact measurement and evaluation. Built in 2012 by the Football Foundation, Upshot is now used by over 1,400 organizations across the UK and internationally. Outside of her day job, Preeti is a Non Executive Director of Brentford Football Club. She is also the Vice Chair of Street Child United, a Founding Advisor of Ready Sport Global, and the co-founder of Valeur Sport. In 2024, she was named one of the 50 most influential women in sport by the Telegraph and was named as Leaders in Sport 40 Under 40. Preeti is passionate about the powerful blend of sport and purpose and leverages her expertise in data, technology and social impact to create a more equitable sports industry.

Rachel O'Sullivan

co-founder, GirlsontheBall

Rafaela Pimenta

football agent

Remmie Williams

FIFA-registered agent, Tongue Tied Management

Remmie is a FIFA-licensed football agent at TTM, with a background in marketing and commercial roles. She began her career at Manchester City, supporting and managing marketing campaigns across all teams and co-ordinating the women’s team player appearances. At The FA, she supported the delivery of player activations for commercial partners, coordinating in-camp commercial days and out-of-camp activities. After a brief stint at a sports marketing agency, Remmie took the leap into full time talent management. Recognised on the Football Blacklist’s Ones to Watch list in 2021 and winning the Commercial Award in 2022, she is committed to empowering female athletes to reach their fullest potential.

Reshmin Chowdhury

sports journalist and broadcaster

Rosie Kmita

Presenter and Founder, The Powerhouse Project 

Mollie and Rosie Kmita are ex-professional footballers turned presenters and founders of The Powerhouse Project. The twins balance a thriving media career, working with major brands like Google as part of Pixel FC. Alongside their work in broadcasting, they founded The Powerhouse Project— An organization dedicated to empowering females in sport. Their mission is to inspire, educate, and create opportunities for women and girls, from coaching to the media industry. Their impact has not gone unnoticed, as they were proudly recognized on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Rowena Samarasinhe

founder and Managing Director, GENSport

An ex-athlete, Rowena has spent more than 20 years in commercial sport and is a specialist in international sponsorship and broadcast agreements. Rowena has negotiated and implemented commercial deals for the largest properties in the industry, from groundbreaking deals for international sports bodies to major endorsements with the most renowned athletes in the world. Rowena has driven the development of new sports concepts in some of the most historic and complex sports in the industry. Today, Rowena works with owners and investors to unlock the commercial potential in women’s sport – delivering innovative, consumer-centric strategies tailored to unlocking a new generation of sports fans.

Ruth Careaga

Financial Advisor, Thomson Private Wealth

A Financial Advisor with a wealth of experience in providing tailored financial solutions and services. Ruth's unique specialism is to provide bespoke solutions to South American clients and professional players living and working in the UK or seeking to re-locate to the UK.

She has developed a key understanding in communicating and navigating her clients through the many obstacles when seeking sound financial advice. Ruth strives to build long lasting professional relationships with her client’s and seeks to nurture and build trust. Her client’s individual well-being are at the heart of her goals to successfully fulfil their needs and expectations.

Ruth Shaw OBE

CEO, Premier League Charitable Fund

Ruth is the Chief Executive of the Premier League Charitable Fund, one of the largest sports charities globally. The fund empowers individuals and communities through football. She has held senior roles in Government, including Head of Soft Power at the Foreign Office, Deputy Director at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Chief Executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. Ruth has served on the Women in Football board, the Premier League’s Equality Standard Panel, and founded TEDxWhitehallWomen. She was awarded an OBE in the 2024 King’s Honours for her contributions to football and gender equality.

Ryhanna Parara

presenter and content creator

Ryhanna Parara is a passionate women’s football enthusiast, seamlessly balancing her roles as an actress, model, footballer, presenter, and content creator. With a growing presence in the football media space, she has cultivated an audience of over 40,000 followers on TikTok, where she provides engaging coverage of all aspects of women’s football.

Her expertise and influence have led to high-profile opportunities, including covering the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final in Bilbao with DAZN. Ryhanna is also a key member of Pixel FC, an initiative by Google Pixel aimed at increasing the visibility of women’s football, where she delivers expert insights and appears in regular England Women’s team TV idents.

Ryhanna’s media career continues to thrive, with appearances across BBC Sport, including coverage of the WSL and featuring in a segment with Jess Naz. Recently, she hosted the Women’s FA Cup Fifth Round Draw in collaboration with Adobe.

With her dynamic presence both on and off the pitch, Ryhanna is dedicated to championing women’s football and inspiring the next generation of fans and players.

Sarah Nurse

Programme Editor, ITV Sport

Sarah Nurse is a Programme Editor at ITV Sport. She leads on ITV’s women’s football coverage; ITV have been the home of the Lionesses since September 2021 and showed the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Sarah joined the department in 2001 as a Junior Producer and having covered many of the roles in the departments started editing shows in 2010, working across many sports from football to darts and snooker!

Sarah has worked on over 10 major tournaments and has been one of the main Programme Editors on ITV's coverage of football World Cups and European Championships since 2016.

Simon Barker

Director of Player Services, Professional Footballers' Association

Simon is a former professional footballer who played for Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers and Port Vale in a 19 year career between 1981 and 2000, appearing in a total of 624 competitive matches and scoring 84 goals. 

After retiring from professional football, he joined the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) in 2000 where he has worked for the past 25 years. 

In his current role as Director of Player Services, Simon manages a team of former professional players whose job is to educate and assist all current players in the Premier League and English Football League on issues that affect their playing careers. 

In the last few years, Simon’s role has been to manage change in the organisation and develop the new Player Services department in reimagining the PFA’s relationship with its members.

Sofia Thomas

partner, Juno International

Sofia is a sports tax expert and current chair of the International Sports Tax Association. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, holds a Master's in Taxation, and is a Partner at Juno Tax. Sofia regularly publishes technical articles and is the author of the upcoming publication Taxation and the Elite Athlete. Alongside writing, Sofia lectures on sports tax matters and has spoken at both FIFA and UEFA.

Uma Cresswell

Senior Independent Director (SID), EFL in the Community

Uma is a Board Member/Non-Executive Director serving on a number of boards including the English Football League in the community.

Prior to her NED portfolio career, Uma spent over 25 years within investment banking/financial services.

Uma has operated at C-Suite level leading on EDI initiatives, corporate governance, organisational design, HR transformation, and change management.

As a migrant from Uganda, Uma is passionate about supporting organisations to create high performance inclusive cultures that support the development of its employees and the wellbeing of the communities they serve.

Uma is CIPD accredited, an NLP Practitioner, a Mentor and a Strengthscope coach.

Valerie Goldstein

Senior Advisor, Livida Sport

Valerie is a corporate and commercial lawyer who focuses on sport and media transactions. She has extensive experience in private equity, institutional investing and fundraising, and has a particular interest in multi-club ownership models.

Valerie assists sports clients involved in complex, international deals, advising on transactional and regulatory matters.

Her interest in the economics behind women’s professional football led her to create The Women’s Football Finance Podcast – the first to focus exclusively on the business side of the women’s game.

She holds a BA from Berkeley, an MSc from the University of Oxford and a Professional Certificate in Football Finance from Loughborough University.

Yasir Mirza

Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, The FA 

Director of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Yasir joined the FA as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director in July 2023 and is responsible for developing and executing our ‘A Game Free from Discrimination’ strategy. His work involves working on initiatives to improve diverse participation across the game, to promote inclusion through effective campaigns, and to develop anti-discrimination education for footballing environments.

Yasir has extensive EDI experience in the journalism and broadcast sectors. He has a track record of diversifying global content, audiences and workforce for some of the world’s leading brands, including The Guardian, Channel 4, BBC Studios, and the Financial Times.

Yvonne Harrison

CEO, Women in Football

A multi-award-winning sports industry executive, Yvonne was appointed as the CEO of Women in Football in 2022 where she has led the team to significant growth in commercial revenue, membership, influence and impact. Yvonne was recently featured in Telegraph Sport's 50 most influential women in sport list for 2024, as well as being awarded the title of Women’s Football Champion at the prestigious Women’s Football Awards in 2024. Her previous accolades include the Northwest Institute of Directors' Director of the Year for Public and Third Sector.

From grassroots participation to the boardroom, equality is a huge passion for Yvonne, whose previous achievements have helped to make a difference to people's lives through sport and physical activity. Before joining Women in Football, Yvonne established her own sports consultancy, Stryve; worked as Managing Director of Project 92, the business of former Manchester United stars the 'Class of 92’; and was Chief Executive at GreaterSport, a charity changing people’s lives across Greater Manchester. In addition to her role current role, Yvonne is involved with a number of organisations in a non-executive director capacity, as an executive coach/mentor, and as chair of trustees for the Class of 92’s charity, Foundation 92.