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In April 2025, Women in Football published an advertisement seeking passionate, knowledgeable and experienced Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) professionals to join a vital new group.

The WIF EEDI Advisory Group will guide and challenge the organisation to become more inclusive, representative and impactful in the football industry. After an extensive recruitment process, ten members were appointed who will contribute lived experience, professional expertise and insight to shape and support WIF’s internal and external strategies.

We spoke to each of the members to learn more about their background and why they wanted to join the group. Here, we introduce you to the next three.

 

Ruth Shaw, Independent Consultant at Affleck & Co  

I’m a consultant with over 20 years’ experience working across sport, culture, and the charity sector. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on creating inclusive, purpose-driven organisations where people can thrive, often in spaces where women's voices and stories have historically been underrepresented.

I bring professional and lived experience to my work in EEDI as a leader who’s navigated and challenged traditional systems, championed inclusive leadership, and supported others to do the same. 

What is your background connection to football? 

I’ve held various roles in football. From a year at the National Football Museum, to five years as CEO of the Football Licensing Authority (which later became the Sports Grounds Safety Authority) and seven years as CEO of the Premier League Charitable Fund.

In each of these roles I worked alongside fans, clubs, communities, and partners to widen access and opportunities through the game. I’ve seen first-hand how football can be a catalyst for social change and a powerful platform for underrepresented voices. I was also a Board Member of Women in Football from 2012-2015 and was awarded an OBE for service to association football and gender equality in 2024. 

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

I wanted to join the advisory group because I believe in the power of collective leadership and the need to shape environments in which all women can lead, play, work, belong, and thrive in football. I hope to bring strategic insight, challenge, and a values-led voice to the group - supporting creative ideas and meaningful change, particularly around leadership pathways, inclusion, and storytelling. 

How have you benefitted most from being a WIF member? 

Being part of Women in Football has connected me to an incredible network of women who champion each other, speak up for what matters, and drive positive change. It’s given me peer support, inspiration, and the certainty that working together we can make football a better place for everyone. 

Where can we find you? 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-shaw-obe-30534728/

 

Zarah Earnshaw, Partnerships and Engagement Manager at Manchester City (City Football Group)

I’m an energetic, versatile and experienced senior business professional from Ireland with Pakistani heritage who is crazy about all things football. I am a Muslim and have lived EEDI experiences along with professional EEDI expertise within football, having worked as an EDI specialist at Man City. Aside from the day job, I currently sit on The FA’s South Asian Inclusion Advisory Board, along with being on WIF’s Director Development Scheme.

I have a huge passion to drive change in the football industry, aiming to make it more equitable both on and off the pitch, particularly for women through an intersectional lens. I’m a strong believer in the power of sport to enable positive societal change and see this as a personal purpose to be fulfilled. 

What is your background connection to football? 

As well as my current role at Man City, I have been a coach and football player in Ireland, the UAE and Pakistan, and a massive Liverpool FC supporter all my life! 

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

Having first-hand knowledge and experience of working with WIF, I could see the great work being done, along with areas for improvement. I also wanted to help WIF enhance its own EEDI goals and devise a strategy that will aim to progress WIF’s internal, external and member EEDI agendas further. 

How have you benefited most from being a WIF member?  

I’ve benefited in a countless number of ways including being a beneficiary of a #GetOnside pledge from the Football Business Academy, with a scholarship place on its Football Business Masters Programme.   

I currently also benefit from the Vikki Orvice Director Development Program with WIF where I sit on the board and gain invaluable insights and experience. 

Where can we find you? 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarah-shah-3b811939/ 

 

Erica Puppo, Head of EDI at FIFPRO  

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 advisory and what are you hoping to deliver? 

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.  

Where can we find you?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericapuppo/ 

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