Football Business Trailblazer 

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Christina Taylor

Christina Taylor works with leading women’s football stars – such as England goalkeeping megastar Mary Earps – to help clients elevate their brand and success. Christina is also aiming to increase social mobility across society and was named on the Football Black List for her commercial recognition in 2023.

Anna Deignan

Anna Deignan, Director of Fans and Development at the Premier League, is working to improve football for both male and female players, supporters and stakeholders. She has been involved in several transformational campaigns within the Premier League to help young women get involved in football.

Sharon Brittan

Bolton Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan has helped the club achieve sustainable success since arriving at a club in freefall in 2019. Brittan helped save Botlon’s existence and is admired by the fan-base, implementing measures to safeguard the long-term future of the entire club.

Paul Barber

Barber, CEO of Brighton and Hove Albion, is a driving force behind the club’s push to build a purpose-built stadium for their women’s team. The Women’s Super League side will become the first team in the world to have a stadium designed specifically for their women’s outfit.

Georgie Hodge

Georgie Hodge is Head of Women’s Football for CAA Base. She has previous experience managing high profile athletes and has a particular focus on digital and commercial opportunities for her clients. Having played football she has first-hand experience of the game and has many valuable connections within the sport.

Karren Brady CBE

Brady, Vice-Chair of West Ham United, is a vocal supporter of women’s football and was appointed as a Director of West Ham United Women in 2023. She has spoken out over the need for women’s footballers to be paid more, and has been nicknamed ‘the First Lady of football’.

Susan Whelan

Susan Whelan, Chief Executive at Leicester City, was awarded an OBE in 2022 for her services to football. While at Leicester, Sarah has helped the club take significant steps towards fulfilling its potential with her passion for supporter engagement as well as celebrating the club’s history and for strengthening its ties with the communities it represents.

Catherine Forshaw

Catherine Forshaw, an Associate at Brabners, leads the focus on women in sport at the leading law firm. Prior to joining Brabners in 2018, she completed a six-month secondment at The FA, working on the bid for the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euros. Catherine has also worked is also a Trustee of the National Football Museum.

Preeti Shetty

Shetty, a non-executive director at Brentford, is thought to be the only British South Asian woman in a Premier League boardroom, is CEO of technology-based social enterprise company Upshot and has spent more than a decade working in football, most notably at the Football Foundation.

Zarah Al-Kudcy

Al-Kudcy, appointed Commercial Director for Chelsea Women in 2023, has helped strike key deals for the club including with Skoda and Lindahls, with the latter agreement helping subsidise away travel for domestic women’s matches. She has continued to drive Chelsea Women into the modern era with her business acumen.