Breaking into sports in 2017 - A roundtable discussion
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Main Building, Malet Street
A Roundtable Discussion as part of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre Public Seminar Series.
Convened by: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, Birkbeck Careers & Employability Service, and Sheridans law firm.
Synopsis
The sports industry has enjoyed dramatic growth in the last ten years with a significant expansion in employment opportunities across a range of disciplines. This success has been matched by the development of a highly competitive market for positions within the sector. In this roundtable event hosted by Birkbeck Sport Business Centre and Birkbeck Careers & Employability Service, and Sheridans law firm, the leading legal practice in the sport sector, and chaired by Sheridans’ partner Jonny Madill and Birkbeck Sport Business Centre’s Sean Hamil, four successful practitioners from the sector – Tony Alabi, Jo Binding, Alex Oviawe and Nick Robinson – discuss their varying professional experiences and offer insights on how best to start a career in the sport business.
Biographies
Tobi Alabi – Heart4More Foundation, Base Soccer Agency
Tobi is founding CEO of the Heart4More Foundation. The foundation was founded in February 2014 after founder Tobi suffered a cardiac arrest aged 19 in 2013 while playing a football match. Tobi was a professional footballer at Millwall FC where he spent 11 years. As a result of this he set up the foundation to help families and individuals who have been victims of sudden cardiac death and also to help aid awareness of how people can avoid cardiac arrest. He is also a FA licensed football intermediary as part of the team at leading football industry agency Base Soccer.
Jo Binding – Discovery & Eurosport
Jo is Vice-President, International Digital, Corporate Development at Discovery Communications. She was formerly Head of Media at Manchester City Football Club (MCFC), General Manager, Strategy & Product Development, BT Sport, and Head of High Definition & TV Products at Sky UK. She is also a Non Executive Director/ Member of Council for the University of Exeter.
Jonny Madill is a lawyer in the Sports Group at Sheridans, and advises clients across the sports sector on regulatory, dispute resolution, commercial, broadcasting and technology issues, including a number of football clients. He specialises in digital sport and regularly advises on a range of issues relating to sports data. Jonny regularly writes for sports law publications such as LawInSport.
Alex Oviawe, Precision Sports Technology
Alex leads the team at Precision Sports Technologies, a high growth start up that helps athletes of all levels, all over the world, reduce their chances of injuries and improve performance & success in sport.Alex has an MSc in Sports & Exercise Science and spent 7 years as a Sports Scientist working with the likes of West Ham Football Club and Team GB before beginning his entrepreneurial journey. He has overcome the ultimate setbacks to make Precision Sports the success it is today, attracting significant interest across the sporting world. They’re making sports science mainstream and offer the next generation in wearable tech using the latest sensor and motion technology to prevent and predict sports injuries.
Nick Robinson – International Sports Consulting
Nick is founder and Managing Director of International Sports Consulting (ISC). ISC is a sports management, marketing and sponsorship business across multiple sports. Nick has negotiated transfers that have broken club records at clubs such as Southampton FC and Bristol City FC as well as managed the careers of England rugby internationals and Olympians. ISC’s marketing & consulting division clients include Premiership football clubs, National Governing Bodies and various brands with a presence in sport. Nick was formerly Head of Football at the Octagon Sports & Entertainment Agency.
Reading
- www.sportbusinesscentre.com
- http://www.bbk.ac.uk/student-services/careers-service/
- http://www.sheridans.co.uk
Contact details
- Tobi Alabi – twitter – @TobiAlabi
- Joe Binding – twitter – @JoBinding
- Daniel Geey – twitter @FootballLaw
- Alex Oviawe – twitter – @PST_Xander
- Nick Robinson – twitter – @weareisc
Seminar series details
For further details on this seminar series contact:
Sean Hamil
Department of Management
Birkbeck College
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HX
Tel: 020 7631 6763
Email: s.hamil@bbk.ac.uk
Twitter: @Birkbecksport
Contact name:
Isobel Edwards