News

“Our priority over the last season has been to develop a new strategy that ensures all our people feel a sense of belonging at the club. It cannot just be one team or one person's responsibility to build a culture of inclusion. It is a shared responsibility across the club.”

Hannah Mansour is Director of Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) at Arsenal FC. Before joining the north Londoners, Hannah spent nearly two decades in a variety of strategic consulting roles, supporting organisations to create amazing customer experiences, more latterly through the embrace of digital technology, and to embed corporate responsibility.

A chance encounter led to a discussion about reviewing the club’s sustainability strategy, which ultimately saw Hannah take on her current role. “That was really my first foray into the world of football about three years ago, and to be honest, I haven’t looked back. I’ve absolutely loved it,” says Hannah with a broad smile on her face.

When discussing what an average day in her role looks like, Hannah’s response outlines just how broadly her remit extends. “My role encompasses the work we do around environmental sustainability, equality, diversity, and inclusion, as well as risk management across the club, which includes health and safety.

“One day I may be looking at how we procure renewable energy. The next day I can be meeting with one of our staff networks. It may be a cliché to say that no two days are the same, but there is a lot of variety, and one of the things I love the most is that I get to work with people right across the club, whether that be at the training ground, at the academy, or the stadium.”

During the last two seasons, Arsenal’s women have played an increasing number of matches at the Emirates, consistently breaking attendance records and attracting a new generation of young girls and women to the stadium. Part of Hannah’s role is to deepen engagement with supporters and increase the level of two-way dialogue with supporter groups.

The club set up a new EDI & Sustainability Supporter Forum ahead of the 2024-25 season, which meets quarterly to share updates from the club on its fields of sustainability and EDI actions. It is also an important space for feedback from supporters as the club continues to build a safe and inclusive home.

“Our whole focus is on creating a sense of belonging for everybody at Arsenal and creating a genuine connection,” explains Hannah. For a tangible example, Hannah references a unique experience that the club facilitated in Madrid around the Champions League fixture towards the end of last season.

“In the lead-up to the trip, some representatives of the Jewish Gooners community contacted me to explain that it would be Passover at the same time, and that this would present a challenge for them to access the traditional meals that they would typically eat.

“We were able to support them to come together for a Passover lunch in Madrid hosted by a local rabbi and joined by members of our executive team. It was really rewarding for the club to show up for our supporters, and a great demonstration of the power of regular dialogue, to collaborate on events that can create a sense of belonging.”

 

Community commitments

In November 2024, Arsenal became the only football club in the world to have a net-zero target approved by the globally respected Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) with an action plan to support limiting global temperature rises.

As the topic of climate change exercises the minds of the world’s most eminent politicians and scientists alike, can a football club really make a difference? And how does such a commitment influence its daily operations?

“One of the things I absolutely love about working in football is that community is right at the heart of our club. That's been true of Arsenal since its foundation, and it has grown and grown over the years.

“I think there's a real need, particularly in the current political climate, for organisations to continue to take actions that matter, and we recognise that climate change is an unprecedented issue for our planet and our community. Having clear public targets shows we are serious about our intent and holds us to account in a positive way.

“People can see our progress, where we've still got work to do and how it comes to life in the decisions we make across the club. It’s important that it's a shared goal, not just one that my team drives.”

Arsenal’s commitment to inclusion and sustainability also extends to the culture created for staff, another area that falls under Hannah’s role. Is it important for prospective employees to share these same values? Hannah responds with barely a pause.

“A top priority for us is to ensure that people feel like they belong at Arsenal. We are striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone can belong and to close diversity gaps where they exist.

“We have three core values and some behaviours that we call our ‘True Gunner behaviours’. I would say we look for people who align with those values, who want to be part of an organisation that recognises the power of diversity and welcomes people from anywhere, and from any background.”

 

Driving inclusion forward

In November 2024, Arsenal also announced their collaboration with Women in Football as a corporate member, giving its workforce access to training sessions, as well as places for female members of staff to join the WIF Leadership Programme.

Alongside the WIF partnership, the club announced the launch of a new women’s network internally to support driving inclusion in everything they do. Within the first seven months, the network already boasts more than 140 members.

“When we created the network, I was acutely aware of the responsibility of ensuring that it meets the expectations of other women,” says Hannah. “One of WIF’s USPs is the member community it has cultivated and built, so I believe we can learn a lot from their team about how we genuinely embed our own network within the club.

“As part of the launch of our women’s network we ran an event on ‘how to network effectively’ with WIF, and it was a great way to give members some new tools, to get the most out of the network we're creating. We've also run a session on inclusive language, which was a key priority from our EDI strategy.”

The burgeoning relationship with WIF also saw Hannah herself participate in levels 3 and 4 of the Leadership Programme. This took her out of the office for two days – an unusual occurrence for one who describes herself as "rarely away from the day job". Would she advocate the course to other women employed across the football industry?

“I found it really valuable to reflect on what it means to be a leader, and how to be the best leader you can be. I thought the WIF course facilitators brought an amazing depth of experience and did a brilliant job conveying that in a way that made it very easy for us to consider how we could apply the things we learned within our own environments and our own roles,” Hannah reflects.

“The other stand-out part of the course is the other women you meet. It was brilliant, particularly for me as someone who is relatively new to football, to realise there is still so much I can learn about the industry and how it works, from these different, amazing women.”

After covering an incredibly wide array of topics, we suggested to Hannah that in the eyes of many, she herself would be considered an ‘amazing woman in football'. From whom or where has she drawn inspiration?

“There are so many brilliant people, men and women working in football driving really positive change, and creating exciting opportunities for others. I have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing women who gave me advice and inspiration along the way, including my current boss, Karen Smart, who is the COO at Arsenal.

“I also think that mentoring isn't necessarily one way. It can come from the top down, but I also work with amazing people in my team who have challenged and pushed me in ways that I have really appreciated too.”

One final question for Hannah: does she have a personal mantra? Would she have some words of wisdom to pass on to a younger Hannah, or someone aspiring to a similar level in their career?

“Probably the best piece of advice I received early in my career was that essentially, you make your own luck. The way I've interpreted that throughout my career is that if a door opens, and you hint an opportunity, seize it, and make the most of it, because you never know where it will take you.”

To learn more about the wider work of Hannah and her team, check out Arsenal FC’s 2024-25 annual ED&I report. 

Share this article