The Business of Sport - Rob Wilson

The Business of Sport - Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson is Head of Executive Recruitment and Programmes at University Campus of Football Business, which now has sites at Wembley Stadium, Manchester with a global hub in Miami.

UCFB is the first Higher Education institution in the world, dedicated to the delivery of University Degrees in the football and sports industries.

Rob on the ISC Professional Network Booster:

"I think it's a really good partnership, because it provides a huge amount of value for us at UCFB and I really hope that it provides a similar amount of value for ISC, by having those UCFB students around, by enabling them to access some of the parallel sessions and the speakers, I think it will really enrich the dynamics at the events and I hope, that in two or three year's time, we find those UCFB students that are working in middle executive leadership roles in sport, and they are on the stage at the ISC delivering a talk to the rest of the members and I think that would really demonstrate the golden thread of the partnership".

Rob on networking:

"Networking is a crucial part of achieving in any sector. Understanding the people that work in the industries you want to access, but also the environments, the behaviours, the cultures, the mannerisms, the way you need to engage, the time of day you need to engage sometimes. How many opportunities do you have to go into a boardroom at a football club to meet a Director of Football Performance or the Finance Director? You need to take those opportunities and I think what the link up with the International Sports Convention does, is to really accentuate what UCFB are trying to achieve, ie: connecting with the sector and ISC is absolutely embedded in that sector. The speakers that are on offer, the events that are driven, are all the types of people and events that our students need to be able to access, to have those informal conversations and to make their impressions on the employers that might have an influence over them in the future".

Rob on the evolution of UCFB:

"The sco-system is really important, so I would happily assume that ten or so years ago, when UCFB first started, people did begin to take notice of this new thing in the market place, but didn't really know what it was or what it was offering. But the calls I now have with executives right across the sports sector, when they ask me where I'm from, they say "oh yes, we've got an intern from there". Rick Parry, the CEO of the EFL did exactly that recently.

I think that demonstrates the way UCFB have begun to open up their brand awareness in terms of their students, but also, and this is where its critical, is the students that are going out into those organisations and are undertaking those roles are coming with a higher degree of professionalism and a really good reputation".



Episoder(176)

The Business of Sport - Hugo Inglis

The Business of Sport - Hugo Inglis

Hugo Inglis is a four-time Olympian with New Zealand. For over a decade, he scored goals at the very top of international elite Field Hockey. Nowadays, Hugo is a co-founder of High Impact Athletes (HIA), a global movement empowering athletes to fund the world's most effective climate and social solutions. Under his leadership, HIA has grown to over 220 athletes across 48 sports and 34 countries, collectively driving almost $2 million in donations, improving almost half a million lives, protecting nearly 7 million animals and mitigating more than 600,000+ tonnes of CO₂e. Grounded in science, technology, and storytelling, Hugo is committed to turning sport's cultural power into real-world impact.

24 Okt 36min

Her Business of Sport - Lindsey Eckhouse

Her Business of Sport - Lindsey Eckhouse

Lindsey Eckhouse is the Chief Revenue Officer at Mercury 13, a multi-club ownership group focussed on acquiring controlling stakes in professional women's teams in Europe and Latin America. Lindsey has previous experience in sport with the NFL and Maclaren Racing.

21 Sep 41min

Her Business of Sport - Sally Sheppard

Her Business of Sport - Sally Sheppard

With the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 in full swing, the RFU's Head of Consumer Engagement, Sally Sheppard, joined our Her Business of Sport podcast to assess the success of the tournament so far and to reveal an insight into England Rugby's plans to harness new supporters in the future.

15 Sep 37min

Her Business of Sport - Emily Heath

Her Business of Sport - Emily Heath

After more than 15 years with Unilever and over a decade as Global Lead of their Rexona/Sure brand of deodorant, Emily has led numerous high impact global campaigns and strategic partnerships. The Sure brand, known as Rexona globally, is over a hundred years old, but Emily's focus is very much on the future, developing on-going partnerships with Manchester City FC, the reigning World Club Champions, Chelsea Football Club and the UEFA Women's Euro Tournament, recently won by England. This is part of a broader strategy to drive brand growth, global visibility and deeper consumer engagement. Her work has been instrumental in unlocking new audiences, delivering measurable commercial returns and helping to establish Rexona as the world's number one deodorant brand.

8 Sep 31min

Her Business of Sport -  Thayer Lavielle

Her Business of Sport - Thayer Lavielle

Thayer Lavielle says she is never afraid of a blank page, something she has proven over the last 6 years, by leading the development of The Collective, a women-focussed division of Wasserman, designed to bridge gaps in gender equity in sport and music through community, insights, events, tools and services. Since 2019, that "blank page" has grown to include The Collective Think Tank, The Goal Post and the Collective Marketplace. Thayer has negotiated over $250m worth of deals across talent, brand, property and venues and has extensive experience with leading female-focussed brands including L'Oreal and Lancome. The Collective are partners for the ISC Women's Sport Business Summit, at the National Gallery in London on September 25th 2025.

29 Aug 29min

The Business of Sport - Justin Papadakis

The Business of Sport - Justin Papadakis

A year out from the next FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, one man is leading the charge to create a sustainable platform for soccer in the USA. For over 50 years, American soccer has relied on importing players from around the world, mostly at the end of their careers, to play in stadiums designed for more popular American sports. Now though, a former college goalkeeper turned entrepreneur is trying to change all that. Justin Papadakis is the Chief Real Estate Officer and Deputy CEO of the USA's fastest growing pre-professional and professional soccer organisation, which is developing new talent and new stadia side by side. As young and home-grown players are secured to play in teams across the country, developers are being recruited to build stadia integral to new Real Estate Entertainment Districts, to sustain the growth of truly American soccer when the World Cup has moved on.

26 Aug 30min

The Business of Sport Steven Ball

The Business of Sport Steven Ball

Imagine being a student at one of the best sporting universities in your country. An opportunity to learn from the best and to play in the greatest facilities available. Well, for Steven Ball, that dream not only became a reality, but almost 30 years later, he is still there, as CEO of The High Performance Centre (hpc) at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. HPC is a partner organisation of the ISC, offering some of the best facilities for national teams, professional clubs, universities and colleges to enjoy over 72 hectares of training and recreational facilities.

21 Aug 27min

The Business of Sport - Paul Stewart and Ian Bishop

The Business of Sport - Paul Stewart and Ian Bishop

A new organisation has been formed to offer guidance, education and legal support to those working to protect children, young adults and the vulnerable in sport. The Union of Safeguarding Officers, with a Mission Statement of "Every Child Safe, Every Voice Heard", was formed by former Manchester City and Tottenham star Paul Stewart, who has spent almost a decade raising awareness of sexual abuse in sport, following his own harrowing experiences as a young footballer. Many ISC delegates at our event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024 witnessed Paul's story as he spoke about his mission to prevent what happened to him, ever happening again. Paul has enlisted the help of another ex-footballer Ian Bishop, who has over 20 year's experience of the youth system in the USA after a top-level career in England with Everton, Manchester City and West Ham United. Ian is General Secretary of USO, Paul is Chair of the Board. They hope the union will provide support to both professionals and volunteers, tasked with safeguarding at their clubs and associations.

25 Jul 28min

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