Speakers

What is the future of careers and leadership in sport? - Panel Session

Abby Carrington is a highly experienced Player Care and Athlete Wellbeing professional, currently serving as the Player Wellbeing Programme Manager at Manchester United. With a proven track record of working in elite football environments over the last 10 years, she has previously held leadership roles at Swansea City AFC and Nottingham Forest FC.  

Abby is passionate about learning and holds an undergraduate degree in Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity from Durham University and a master’s degree in Sport Coaching from Loughborough University. To add to this, Abby is also pursuing a PhD focused on Player Care Practices and Performance Cultures within UK Football Academies, aiming to provide practical insights into the future of Player Care policy and development.  

In her current role, Abby is responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive wellbeing strategies that align with the club’s philosophy, promoting mental health, personal development, and high-performance standards. Abby’s work integrates cutting-edge research with practical experience, positioning her at the forefront of innovation in Player Care. Abby’s goal is to empower exceptional athletes to become exceptional individuals. 

Sports Psychology

Alex is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (in-training) currently working through the BASES pathway to accreditation. His work so far has largely focused around university sport, being attached to the Loughborough Triathlon Performance Centre as well as being the Loughborough-based practitioner for TASS. With his other position being with England Touch and having his own private practice.

Within these roles, he has had the opportunity to work at individual and squad levels across a range of abilities from amateur to Olympic champion and is experienced in working alongside practitioners of other disciplines. His one-to-one work has seen him support members of both individual and team sports, including several para-athletes.

Alex holds both a BSc and MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Loughborough university.

Strength & Conditioning

Sports Development/Careers within an NGB

Becky works for Swim England as their Club Growth & Programme Manager, responsible for membership growth across all the aquatic sports on a national level. She is currently leading a national review of the transition space between learning to swim and aquatic sports clubs across artistic swimming, diving, swimming and water polo. 

Becky attended Loughborough University between 2003-2006, graduating with a BA (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science. Since leaving university she has held a number of different roles within sport – having worked as a PE teacher in an independent secondary school, and a sports recruitment specialist for a children’s holiday camp provider, before taking her first role with Swim England in 2013. Becky has worked in volunteer development, club development and sport specific development roles within the NGB prior to her club growth position which she started in 2020. 

Outside of work, sport, and specifically swimming, plays a big part in her life, and Becky is a competitive masters swimmer. She is also a qualified swimming teacher and swimming coach. 

Performance Analysis

Previous roles at City Football Group as Head of Analytical Solutions 

Head of Performance Analysis (Academy)- Manchester City Football Club  

Performance Solutions Manger at New South Wales Rugby, Australia 

Brad has had a wide variety of roles within sport, specialising in performance analysis and analytics. Brad will discuss his experience of working in sport performance and analytics in professional football in the UK and Rugby in Australia as well as his current role at Hudl. 

PE Teaching

Dani earned a BSc in Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences from Bournemouth University, where she was also an Athletics Sports Scholar. Graduating with First-Class Honours in 2022, she developed a strong foundation in education and psychology, fuelling her passion for teaching. During her placement year, Dani was fortunate to secure a full-time role at Dumpton Preparatory School in Wimborne, Dorset, where she supported KS2-3 classes in teaching games, PE, and general classroom studies. In addition, Dani earned her Athletics Assistant Coaching Licence for Track and Field events, further enhancing her expertise. 

For her undergraduate dissertation, Dani researched the impact of COVID-19 on the teaching of PE in secondary schools, focusing not only on the changes to physical education but also on teachers' experiences during the pandemic. This research has since influenced her approach to teaching in her current role. 

After completing her undergraduate degree, Dani pursued a Physical Education PGCE with QTS at Loughborough University in 2022-2023. This programme provided her with invaluable experience across three different educational settings, deepening her knowledge of various pedagogical approaches and teaching theories. Alongside her PGCE, Dani served as Camp Manager at a local children's activity camp, inspiring young people to develop a passion for sport. 

During the second phase of her PGCE, Dani secured her first full-time role as a PE teacher at Rawlins Academy in Quorn, the same school where she completed her PGCE placement. In this role, Dani is responsible for delivering PE to KS3-4, teaching the Sports Leaders programme, serving as a Year 8 form tutor, and supporting the extracurricular sports programme and fixtures. With a deep passion for athletics, Dani recently led her Year 7 Girls’ Indoor Athletics Sportshall team to victory, securing the title of Leicestershire and Rutland champions. 

Human Performance and Rehab

Since graduating from Loughborough in 2020 Eddy gained a wealth of experience in professional sport before specialising in injury rehabilitation. Eddy is now a Human Performance Coach for the UK Ministry of Defence. His talk will discuss his journey, experience in physical performance, and the skills he has developed to become an ACL rehabilitation specialist. 

Data Driven Sports Consultancy

Francesca graduated Loughborough University with a degree in Sport Management in 2022. Following a year in recruitment, she has spent the past 18 months in the talent team at Two Circles, a leading global sports and entertainment marketing business. 

As Talent Executive, Francesca has a holistic understanding of how the organisation hires, and what they look for in candidates, herself hiring over 70 new Two Circlers. She also heads up the early careers programme for those looking to break into the sports and entertainment industry.  

For three consecutive years, Two Circles has been named in The Sunday Time's 100 fastest-growing private companies. By 'knowing fans best' the business has become trusted in the industry, and now has twelve offices globally, over 900 Two Circlers, and more than 900 clients including the likes of The Premier League, UEFA, Wimbledon, World Rugby, VISA, The NFL, Nike, and many more.  

Exercise and Physical Therapy

George spent his placement year working as a Sports Science Intern at Stoke City but despite enjoying his time and learning a lot he decided that professional sport wasn’t where he wanted to work long term. Following graduating from Lboro he enrolled on an MSc in Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation and gained employment as a Cancer Prehabilitation Exercise Professional, working for the Fit4Surgery Cancer prehabilitation team. He is now part of the Paediatric Oncology and Haematology team at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, working as an Exercise and Physical Therapist. George will discuss his journey from Lboro to his current role and provide advice for anyone thinking of a future working in this space. 

Sports Marketing

After initially moving to Loughborough to fulfill a dream to attend the university in 2021, I had no intention of falling into the world of sport, but like many who come to Loughborough - loving sport is unavoidable.  

After staying up to watch the triathlon and other swim, bike, run sports at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and finishing up the last modules of my masters (MSc Marketing), little did I know 3 months later I would end up working at the home of swim bike run.  

I have worked across an array of major events (domestic and international) notably including the Paris 2024 Test Event, the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals, bringing the World Series to Leeds and Sunderland and bringing to life the first stand-alone World Para Series in Swansea, as well as supporting in the management of ‘always on’ projects across the business. Specialising in social media, the world of marketing really is endless when you say yes to opportunities that come your way.  

What is the future of careers and leadership in sport? - Panel Session

Hannah is a presenter for Sky Sports and covers a range of sport for the network.  

Hannah currently presents “Good Morning Sports Fans” on Sky Sports News and also hosts Sky Sports’ coverage of the NFL, The Hundred and the World Nineball Tour.  

Hannah has been with Sky since she secured two weeks work experience in 2010 whilst still studying at Loughborough. She began working as a runner upon graduation and essentially refused to leave, working her way up through the ranks behind the camera as an Assistant Producer, before pursuing on- screen roles as both a reporter and a presenter. Along the way she’s covered everything from showjumping to tenpin bowling, fronted a children’s sports show (Game Changers), and passionately told the stories of women in sport through Rise With Us, The Check In, and the award winning Her Huddle.  

Alongside her work at Sky, Hannah has also presented for talkSPORT, anchoring their coverage of the 2021 Lions Tour as well as presenting the breakfast show on talkSPORT 2.  

She graduated from Loughborough in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Media & Communication, and completed a Sports Journalism Diploma in 2014. 

Sports media

Jack Tompkins is a director and producer working primarily on sports documentary content. 

 His recent productions include ‘Game On – The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport’’ on Netflix and ‘Prep to Win: Harlequins', 'No Woman No Try' and 'Everybody's Game' for Amazon Prime. 

 He is a partner in a London-based production company, specialising in sports content that brings a spotlight to social issues. 

Sport Coaching

James graduated with a BSc in Sports Coaching from Loughborough University, in 2014. His journey began while studying, where he was the head coach of the women’s football programme (2015-2018), whilst gaining valuable experience at Burton Albion Academy and Boston United FC First Team. From 2018 to 2020, James contributed to the ongoing player development at Nottingham Forest FC as a Youth Development Phase Academy Coach and Futsal Specific Lead Coach, while also leading the Women’s Football and Futsal programme at the University of Nottingham. During this vast period, James held a position with England Futsal from 2014 to 2022, where he gained international experience in U19 fixtures and the Senior European Championships. 

In 2020, James joined Portsmouth FC, where he now serves as the Head of Coaching, overseeing the development of the coaches across the U9-U18 age groups. His responsibilities include the creation and implementation of the club’s coaching curriculum, one-on-one coach support, and the integration of the club’s game model.  

As a member of the Technical Board at Portsmouth, James collaborates with key stakeholders, including the CEO, Sporting Director, First Team Manager, and Academy Manager. His role extends to implementing the coach competency framework and evaluating player, coach, and programme performance. Additionally, James is deeply involved in the club’s football programme and provides strategic support to various age groups, ensuring alignment with the club's playing philosophy and core values.

Sports Events and Operations

Laura Hillyard is the Founder and Director of Yaura Management Agency specialising in Athlete and Talent Management and Global Sport Event Operations and Production.  

With a focus on ensuring performance remains paramount, Laura passionately builds platforms for sport and sportspeople to showcase their personality. 

Studying Sports Science at Loughborough between 2010 and 2013, Laura remained at the University to lead on the early inception of the Coach and Volunteer Academy. With initial hopes to achieve as an athlete, through volunteering Laura discovered her passion for sport events and instead has worked on a myriad of global events. From Olympics, UEFA Champions League Finals, Cricket World Cup to Commonwealth Games. 

From her experiences at these events, she now combines this with consulting to sports teams to effectively enhance their operations and production. Most recently she has been instrumental in the overhaul of the game night operations and production of British Basketball teams she has worked with.  

On an athlete management level, Laura manages Paralympic Champions and Commonwealth Medallists. Managing their PR and maximising their commercial opportunities. 

Keynote Speaker

Professor Lauren Sherar graduated from Nottingham Trent University combined honours programme in Sport Science and Biology in 2001. She then went on to obtain a master’s (2004) and doctoral (2008) degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada in the area of physical activity and health with a focus on child and adolescent growth and development. Since 2008 Professor Sherar worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Bath (2008-10) and an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan (2010-12). Professor Sherar was appointed as a lecturer in Physical Activity and Public Health at Loughborough University in 2012. She is currently the Acting Dean in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.

Sports Psychology

Matt has been working in Clinical Exercise Physiology for around 14 years, predominantly within the NHS. Throughout this time he has lead rehabilitation programmes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Cancer and Covid rehab respectively. In 2023 Matt became a registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist with the AHCS and in conjunction with CEP-UK.

He currently work at University Hospitals of Leicester in a Band 7 role. As part of this Matt also is the Health Inequalities lead for Cardiac Rehabilitation, focussing on patient engagement particularly with lower represented groups and people who decline rehab.

Sports Nutrition

Max is a former student of both Swansea and Loughborough University completing a master’s at the later in 2020-21. During this period, he undertook an internship with Loughborough Sport gaining first-hand practitioner experience alongside his degree.  

Since then, Max has gone on to gain part-time roles with Loughborough Sport, the UK Sports Institute where he supports England Netball and Southampton Academy/ Women’s 1st Team.  

He has recently joined the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) as a Practitioner. 

PE Teaching

Meg Macer graduated from Loughborough University in 2022 with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. During her time at university, she played an active role in the Athletic Union, serving as the team secretary for the women’s 2nd volleyball team and coaching the women’s development squad. Through the Coach and Volunteer Academy, Meg earned multiple qualifications, including her Level 2 Swimming Teacher certification and Level 1 Futsal Coach qualification. Beyond her studies, she managed local activity camps, encouraging young children to participate in fun and active pursuits outside of school. 

During her undergraduate degree, Meg secured a one-year placement as a PE-specific Gap Tutor at an all-girls independent primary school. This role allowed her to work closely with young students and experienced staff, gaining practical experience and valuable insights into the rewards of teaching. Upon completing her placement, she received a diploma of professional studies. 

From a young age, Meg aspired to become a PE teacher. After earning her degree, she completed her Physical Education PGCE with QTS at Loughborough University in 2022-23.  

Following her PGCE, Meg was fortunate enough to begin her teaching career at Rawlins Academy in Quorn, where she is now in her second ECT year. She teaches core PE and PSHCE to students from KS3-5, delivers a Year 9 sports leaders’ course, and teaches A-level PE to Year 12 students. Additionally, she serves as a form tutor and supports the extra-curricular program. Meg has taken on the role of lead for girls’ football, guiding her Year 7 girls’ team to the county finals last year. She also introduced volleyball to the school, starting a club for all year groups.  

In the future, Meg hopes to continue developing as a teacher, inspiring young people to engage in physical education and fostering a lifelong passion for physical activity. 

What is the future of careers and leadership in sport? - Panel Session

Michelle has extensive experience in the major event industry working having worked with rights holders, sporting governing bodies and federations, venues, brands and charities. 

Since joining Fast Track in 1998, post studying at Loughborough University, Michelle worked on the agency side of sport for over a decade. Career highlights include the inception, feasibility and operational delivery of several major events including UKA major event series, Paralympic World Cup, Sport Presentation for London 2012, Invictus Games London 2014 and London 2017 World Athletics Championships.  

For four years Michelle ran her own business (ThinkCanDo) providing event consultancy services to The Boat Race, Rugby League World Cup 2021, British Cycling, Major League Baseball London Series 2019, Invictus Games Foundation and the organising committees of Invictus Games Sydney 2018 and The Hague 2020. 

Michelle now works full time as the Operations Director at Wimbledon (The All England Lawn Tennis Club) and sits on a number of UK Sport panels including Major Events Panel and Euro 2028 Oversight Group. 

What is the future of careers and leadership in sport? - Panel Session

Navjeet is an award-winning leader and visionary in sport for development, with a distinguished career spanning over two decades. Recognised globally for her expertise in designing and delivering innovative, high-impact sport for social change programmes, Navjeet has empowered over 20,000 marginalised young people across 22 countries. 

As CEO at The Change Foundation, she began as a participant and has now spearheaded transformative initiatives, raised vital funds, and championed gender equality, increasing programmes for women and girls to 50%. A social change coach, strategist and facilitator, Navjeet has collaborated with global icons, including Bryan Habana, Lawrence Dallaglio, and Chris Gayle, and has trained 3,000 sports coaches worldwide. 

A though leader and trustee, Navjeet combines her expertise in corporate and charity sectors to create lasting partnerships and sustainable impact. She is the founder of the Women’s Sport Activist Academy and a passionate advocate for equity and social justice. 

Working for an International Sports Organisation

Learn how to leverage your university's resources and networks to land your dream job in sports. In this talk, Niyati shares her journey, planned-out efforts, challenges, and practical strategies for building connections, reaching out for support and turning the panic button into positive outcomes through accessible networks. 

With 14+ years of experience across sport, advertising, music and tech industries, I have honed my skills in the areas of creative content, strategy, branding & marketing. Currently, as Head of Marketing at India On Track, I manage our B2B and B2C marketing & communications. I've also worked with the International Paralympic Committee for 4 years, contributing to their Digital Transformation, Internal Communications, Digital Accessibility, and the successful delivery of the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. 

Sports Psychology

Olivia is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (in-training), supporting athletes across a range of sports, from recreational to elite levels. Currently, she works with Loughborough Lightning Wheelchair Basketball and Loughborough Lightning Netball. Olivia has also worked with England Touch Rugby throughout their World Cup Campaign and the England Athletics and Cricket Youth Talent Programme.

In addition to her work with teams, Olivia runs her own private practice, offering 1-1 athlete support to individuals from sports such as football, rugby, gymnastics, and archery. In addition to her applied practice, Olivia is also a published researcher in the area of safeguarding and the duty of care in sport. Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master's degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology, both from Loughborough University.

Sports Psychology

Sam is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (in-training) and works with individuals and organisations across various levels and contexts. Currently, Sam has been the Lead Academy Psychologist of Stoke City FC for nearly 2 years in which he has designed and implemented the psychology program across age groups from u9s to u23s. Sam has also worked with Loughborough Sport as part of their applied psychology service (with both football and squash) from an MDT perspective, and as part of the clinic providing 1-2-1 support for athletes. In addition to this, Sam has worked as a part of the DiSE program providing 1-2-1 support to upcoming hockey players across weekend camps.

Sam also runs his own private practice (Sam Stewart Performing Minds) supporting individuals involved in a variety of sports (e.g., boxing, endurance running, golf etc); providing CPD sessions for sport coaches; lectures for educational institutions; and dissemination pieces to provide support and guidance around the pathway of sport and exercise psychology. Sam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Lancaster and Loughborough University, respectively.

Sports Agents

Since graduating from Loughborough University, Simon built a career as a sports agent, becoming Senior Vice President at Wasserman, before starting his own agency, ARETÉ 

ARETÉ is a dynamic global Sports Management business working across Talent Representation, Sponsorship Sales, Content Production and Brand Management with offices in London and Shanghai. 

This session will be hosted by Dr Serhat Yilmaz and will discuss Simons career and everything you need to know about working as a sports agent. 

What is the future of careers and leadership in sport?

Sue Anstiss is an author, director, podcaster and entrepreneur who has driven change in women’s sport for over 30 years. Sue is CEO of Fearless Women, co-founder of the Women’s Sport Collective, an inclusive community for women working in sport, and was a founding trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust charity. 

In 2018, Sue received an MBE for her services to women’s sport. In 2021, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Loughborough University and in 2023 was recognised in BBC Woman’s Hour Power List as one of 30 outstanding women in sport.  

Sue is the director and producer of two documentaries - Game On. The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport and Abbie Ward. A Bump in the Road. Her book, Game On, was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards and longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. 

Sue is the creator and host of The Game Changers, an award-winning podcast that celebrates trailblazing women in sport. 

She also sits on the board of the London Mavericks and Leisure Focus and is a member of England Rugby’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group. 

Finalist Networking Session

For the past 18 years Sue…Sue Tonks has gained praise as an International Trainer and Speaker on “Networking”, where her regular clients include London Business School, Bath MBA Programme, SAID Business School Oxford, Durham Business School, University College London and a host of top legal firms, banks and accountancy firms, CIMA, AAT, and ACCA. Sue’s energetic and fun approach creates long lasting impressions and people take away many invaluable skills to help them be more confident and successful at all social occasions, life and in business.

Sue…Sue Tonks delivers NETWORKING workshops with unforgettable comedy moments. Her knowledge and tips on how to get the best from your NETWORKING experiences have given her international acclaim. Her fun and practical style enables delegates to vividly remember key points and develop long lasting skills.