Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

Leaders

The biggest names in the global business of sport sit down with Leaders Editorial Director, James Emmett, and Content Director, David Cushnan.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes20

Newest first

July 23 · 40 min
Andy Burnham and the big UK sports jobs; what next for the Commonwealth Games?
As Andy Burnham takes up the reins in the UK, James Emmett and David Cushnan consider the raft of big jobs available in British sport - including successors to Juliet Slot and Sally Bolton at Arsenal and Wimbledon, and potential roles running NBA Europe and the 2035 Fifa Women's World Cup. Elsewhere, there's the final word on the World Cup - hydration breaks, Gianni Infantino - and a first look ahead to how different the 2030 edition might look, in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South America. And with a scaled down, slimline Commonwealth Games getting underway in Glasgow, there's time to ponder the relevance of the Games and its future funding and commercial format, amid a dwindling group of potential host cities. ------ The Summit, part of Leaders Week London, takes place at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October - for the latest speakers and attendees, and to book your place, visit leadersinsport.com/leadersweek
July 22 · 47 min
Charlie Buck: the Lyvera CEO on the value of 'roaming' and other sports hospitality trends
What are the most compelling hospitality experiences in sport? Who's buying what, when and why? And what can rights holders do to deliver more value to their premium clients. These were the key questions put to Charlie Buck on the latest Episode of Leaders Worth Knowing. Buck is the CEO of Lyvera, a collection of businesses focused on creating and marketing premium experiences to sports fans. It was created earlier this year by sports hospitality giant Levy as a holding company for a number of the businesses it owns: Keith Prowse, Gullivers Sports Travel, The Experience Golf, Lime Venue Portfolio, Events International, the Venues Collection and the recently acquired iLuka Collective. Lyvera plans to double turnover to £350m by 2028, and Buck, who has experience in senior sales and leadership roles across cricket, rugby, football, golf and triathlon, is the man tasked with delivering the growth. Charlie Buck will be speaking at Leaders Week London on 8th October. For more information, visit https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/
July 15 · 40 min
New York, Birkdale and everywhere in between: where sports industry bigwigs are spending the weekend
The world of football administration, business leaders, celebrities and assorted VIPs are poised to descend on New York this weekend, ahead of the Fifa World Cup final. James Emmett and David Cushnan convene to discuss the who and why, and dig into the success of Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Fest, the four-day celebrity-studded collectibles festival, which is pitching up this week in the city. They also examine who was at the highly-exclusive Sun Valley media and tech gathering this year; who found their way into the Royal Box at Wimbledon; and who is heading to Royal Birkdale this week for what’s expected to be a record-breaking Open Championship. Elsewhere, there are reflections on recent Worth Knowing conversations with Bruin Capital’s George Pyne and PSG Chief Revenue Officer Richard Heaselgrave, and the latest intelligence from around Premier League commercial departments as several clubs finalise front of shirt partnerships in the new era of no betting sponsorship. --- Join us for The Summit, part of Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC. For more information and to secure your pass: https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/
July 14 · 49 min
Bruin Capital's George Pyne - how to raise money, then spend it, build businesses up, then exit with grace
Investor George Pyne, Founder of Bruin Capital, joins the show to share his thesis for sport and his rationale for targeting what he calls 'second level enablers' - the companies a layer below the headline-grabbing team and league properties. In a wide-ranging conversation, he reflects on 12 years of Bruin, the investment firm he set up following a career that including a stint as COO of NASCAR between 1995 and 2006, and then nine years as President of ING. Pyne discusses the particular challenges of raising money - he's done it four times with Bruin - and then deploying capital; his approach for working with the management teams of the organisations he's invested in; and the art of the elegant exit. He also reflects on some of Bruin's most memorable investments, including Deltatre, Two Circles and On Location, and a current portfolio that includes production company Box to Box and Matchroom Sport, where Bruin is now a minority investor working with Barry and Eddie Hearn. The conversation was recorded in early July, shortly before news broke of Bruin's sale of golf simulation company Full Swing to Versant for a reported $530 million. -------- Join us for The Summit, part of Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC. For more information and to secure your pass: https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/
July 10 · 41 min
The Cannes Debate: how did PSG crack the cultural crossover code?
PSG Chief Revenue Officer Richard Heaselgrave joins the show to lift the lid on how PSG have built value through an imaginative approach to brand identity and creative partnerships. Heaselgrave joined PSG in May 2025 after stints leading commercial teams at World Rugby, Tennis Australia, the EFL, the NBA, and Uefa. He joins co-hosts James Emmett and Alex Charkham, who runs strategy and consulting for global sports and entertainment marketing agency Fuse, for this third and final episode of the Cannes Debate. On the agenda: how Paris Saint-Germain built out its brand identity around Paris and everything the city stands for; the rationale and objectives behind the creative approach to activation in music, entertainment, and fashion; and a review of some of the best work and the most compelling trends at the Cannes Festival of Creativity this year.
July 9 · 36 min
Rights and wrongs: How Sky and ITV might shake-up sports media; Fifa's World Cup shenanigans
As Sky confirms its £1.6 billion deal to acquire ITV, James Emmett and David Cushnan assemble to consider the possible ripple effect on the UK sports rights market. Are we poised for a new era of creative collaboration and shared production? Elsewhere, there's reflections on this week's conversation with Tony Godsick, Roger Federer's agent, and how working with superstar talent - and the building of stories around them - is changing. And in a troubled week for Fifa and Gianni Infantino, amid suggestions of political interference in the tournament, why sport and politics have always mixed, and what impact, if any, it will have on Infantino's future as President of the governing body.
July 6 · 43 min
Tony Godsick: Tennis turbulence, finding a place for the Laver Cup and the business of Roger Federer
Few know the business of tennis as well as Tony Godsick, the long-time agent of Roger Federer and one of the founding fathers of the Laver Cup. As preparations continue for the ninth edition of the North America versus Europe men's team event, at London's O2 Arena in September, he explains the rationale for creating the event, alongside Federer, and how its commercial performance is maturing. Godsick also reveals how his professional relationship with Federer has changed, since the 20-time Grand Slam champion retired in 2022, and offers his take on the role of an agent, and working with world-class talent. And, during period of significant change in tennis, he analyses the health of the sport, the business that surrounds it, and shares his perspective on the players' quest for a greater share of Grand Slam revenues, following protests - in the form of cutting short media duties - at Roland Garros and then temporarily, before a truce was called, at Wimbledon. --- The Summit, part of Leaders Week London takes place at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. For more information head to: https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/
July 3 · 38 min
NBA Europe - the reality behind the franchise sales; plus under-the-radar moves from FIFA and the EFC
Two Circles CEO and Founder Gareth Balch joins James Emmett and David Cushnan, on location at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, to cast an expert eye over the week in global sports business. Under discussion: the latest public uttering and industry chatter on NBA Europe - with work ongoing to sell the franchises, how realistic is the NBA’s suggested October 20207 start date? There’s reaction to the news that FIFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) are coming together to help shape the future of the Club World Cup. And, as Exeter Chiefs are sold, becoming the first Prem Rugby team to come under US control, what do such deals signal for English domestic club rugby? —- The Summit, part of Leaders Week London takes place at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. For more information head to: https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/
July 1 · 45 min
Overlooked and underinvested - Matta's Marina Logacheva on the missed opportunity in disability sport
Marina Logacheva is the Disability Sports Lead at the Matta sports marketing agency. A keen amateur athlete, Marina was training for an Ironman in 2020 when she became a tetraplegic wheelchair user following a traumatic fall. Here in the UK, July is Disability Pride Month, in which Visbility, intersectionality and disabled leadership are all celebrated. Those topics were on the agenda during my chat with Marina too, as well as the huge opportunity that sports participation spaces are missing through a lack of focus on and catering for a potential disabled customer base. Approximately 25% of the UK population reports having a disability. This equates to nearly 17 million people, yet the public discourse around disability, and the specific discourse around access to sport, remains minimal.
June 26 · 46 min
Royal Ascot and Wimbledon: Dressing up for Britain’s summer season of sport
Fresh from a trip to Cannes, to take in the brands, celebrities and agencies this week at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, James Emmett provides David Cushnan with a postcard of who was there and why. Elsewhere, what does Royal Ascot’s formal dresscode say about the event? And is Ascot’s grandstand facility one of the most underrated in all of sport? Plus as the area around the Leaders studio in Wimbledon gets decked out in its tennis finery, ahead of this year’s Championships, there’s the latest on the player protests around the Grand Slams, and snap reaction to the renewal of the BBC’s contract to broadcast the tournament in the UK until at least 2033.
June 25 · 36 min
The Cannes Debate: Why sport is becoming marketing’s most powerful platform
The Cannes Debate is a three-part series exploring sport’s growing role at the centre of media, marketing and culture. Hosted by Leaders Editorial Director James Emmett and Alex Charkham, who runs strategy and consulting for global sports and entertainment marketing agency, Fuse, the series digs into why sport has become one of the most powerful tools in modern brand-building. Recorded live from Cannes Lions (soundtracked, at times, by the unmistakable hum of the Croisette), Episode 2 features Dan Clays, CEO of Omnicom Media Group EMEA, on why sport is now at the very centre of how modern marketing works. On the conversational agenda: why sport still cuts through in a fragmented, scroll-first world; how brands are turning sports partnerships into full-scale creative platforms; and what's really keeping CMOs up at night. All with a few Cannes moments along the way: World Cup matches squeezed in between meetings, celebrity sightings, and the subtle art of networking on the French Riviera.
June 18 · 47 min
The Cannes Debate: what is sport's place at the 'Festival of Creativity'?
What's the point of Cannes for the sports industry? As the marketing world prepares to descend on the French Riviera for the annual 'festival of creativity' that is Cannes Lions, sport has becoming increasingly central. Kenny Annan-Jonathan, the newly installed Cannes Lions Sports Director, joins co-hosts James Emmett and Alex Charkham, who runs strategy and consulting for global sports and entertainment marketing agency Fuse, for this first edition of the Cannes Debate. On the agenda: why and how sport has taken a central position in brand marketing and communications; the evolving trends that should see sport dominate the marketing agenda; and the best examples of sports entities navigating the marketing and media landscape to create true cultural impact. Also: what to wear, where to watch the World Cup, how to discern the gobbets of insight from the globules of BS, and why the role of 'Creative Director' is seeping into the mainstream across sport.
June 16 · 41 min
Normalising hydration breaks; how F1 finessed its hosting model
With the World Cup in full swing, James Emmett and David Cushnan pause and reflect on the hydration breaks, introduced for this year’s tournament, and the new commercial avenue they’ve opened up - and ponder where they might be seen next, as fans and broadcasters, like them or not, get used to the concept. They also reflect on this week’s conversation with Louise Young, F1’s Chief Race Promotion Officer, and explain why the 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix might have marked a turning point in F1’s business story. There’s also time for some conjecture about where the sport might go next, with Argentina, South Korea, South Africa and Rwanda all making a case for a race when a coveted spot on the calendar opens up in 2029. Plus, snap reactions as Donald Trump hosts the UFC at the White House and Knicks fans take to the streets of New York. —- Leaders Week London takes place at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. To secure your pass visit: https://bit.ly/3QJra1u
June 15 · 42 min
Louise Young - F1's Chief Race Promotion Officer on the delicate dance of supply and demand on the series' global calendar
Louise Young is responsible for the F1 calendar. The Australian lawyer and her team manage the motorsport series' relationships with promotor organisations around the world. They are responsible for bringing in new races onto the calendar; for negotiating contracts with existing race promotors; and for ensuring that host venues meet all the requirements - safety, racing, logistical, commercial, fan experience - that a modern, elite, global racing series has. F1 is having a moment. Propelled by the takeover of Liberty Media in 2017, and spurred by the success of media initiatives like Drive to Survive and the F1 movie, the series is riding the wave of success; growing its fanbase around the world as well as its portfolio of partners. The calendar, too, is in a good place. There are 24 races in the 2026 F1 season. Young and her team have 26 promotors under contract and a schedule that's locked in through 2028. As she explains on this episode of Leaders Worth Knowing, her challenge is a sophisticated one: making good on F1's mission to have a truly global spread of 'Super Bowls' on the calendar, and maintaining serious interest in race hosting around the world with little short-term hope of awarding rights. But new deals have been done of late. Creative negotiating has led to annually alternating race hosting in Belgium and Barcelona, allowing Portugal and Türkiye to come on to the calendar. Madrid is preparing to host its first F1 race later this summer. And rumours swirl around future races in Argentina and Africa. But what does it take to become an F1 race host today? Any way in to Louise Young is the first requirement.
June 11 · 29 min
The World Cup lands at last: Opening week pointers, ongoing concerns and online dominance
As the Fifa World Cup finally kicks off in Mexico City, James Emmett and David Cushnan run the rule over the major business storylines, commercial implications and ever-present politics to keep eyes on in the opening phase of the tournament. Building on the first edition of Scroll Stoppers, our new series on digital content with Ten Toes, they consider who the breakout content stars in and around the tournament could be, from established football pundits to as-yet undiscovered creators. Plus, what role will Donald Trump have on the tournament now the action has started? And why Iran's unlikely and restricted presence in the US will be one of the major stories of the opening round of games --- Leaders Week London takes place on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October, at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC. For more on who's speaking, who's attending and what to expect visit: leadersinsport.com/leadersweek
June 9 · 52 min
Scroll Stoppers: World Cup Special
What does it actually take to win on social at the biggest tournament in sport? In this opening episode of Scroll Stoppers - a new series from the Leaders Worth Knowing podcast exploring how to make an impact with digital content - Henry Breckenridge, Senior Content Manager at Leaders is joined by Ten Toes Founder & CEO Ben Weisfeld to unpack how the industry is gearing up for a World Cup like no other - driven by American culture and relentless competition for attention. From campaigns planned months in advance to the moments you simply can’t predict, this episode dives into what it really takes to create content that cuts through - and why speed, creativity and instinct matter more than ever. Ten Toes Social Media Director Ella Jerman also joins to take you inside the content operation at the tournament - from building teams and workflows, to storytelling and why the content that flies is often the least polished… and the least expected.
June 2 · 38 min
In praise of Josh Kroenke; Rethinking the pre-game concert model
In the red afterglow of Arsenal’s Premier League title win and celebratory parade in North London, James Emmett and David Cushnan shine a light on Josh Kroenke’s role in the multi-club, cross-sport success story that is Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. They also reflect on the winners elsewhere across Europe as the club football season ends. Also on the show, reflections on James’ conversation with International Cricket Council Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya and the development engine the organisation is revving up in new markets. And, after the Killers at the Uefa Champions League final in Budapest, there’s a discussion about a possible new way forward for pre-match and half-time music shows at football’s showpiece occasions.
June 1 · 28 min
Anurag Dahiya - the ICC CCO on growing reach and revenue in new and uncompetitive markets
Anurag Dahiya has been Chief Commercial Officer at the ICC since 2020. He is responsible for all revenue generating activities at cricket's global governing body and looks after a portfolio of events ranging from short format T20 world cups through to newly established World Test Championships. Formerly of Singtel and ESPN Star Sports, Dahiya joined us as a speaker for the latest edition of the Indian Sports Summit, hosted by the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL team. Joining us backstage after his session, Dahiya covered the biggest commercial issues facing cricket today: from a plethora of product, to a reliance on Indian money; from unbundling women's rights, through to influencer strategy and developing audiences through OTT offerings, and the ongoing work to develop the USA as the next major market in cricket.
May 28 · 34 min
Jennifer Mackesy and Julie Uhrman: the bold business case for 7-a-side women's football
This week, London is the stage for the third edition of World Sevens Football, the pioneering 7-a-side women's football competition, and Co-Founders Jennifer Mackesy and Julie Uhrman broke into preparations to join David Cushnan in the studio to discuss the concept and its creation. Eight WSL clubs will compete at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium for a prize pot of $1.5 million. Mackesy, who has led the investment in World Sevens, which launched with two events last year, is also a minority owner of Chelsea Women and NWSL club Gotham FC. Uhrman, Co-Founder and President of Angel City FC over the past few years, and now a special advisor at the NWSL club, is this week making her public debut as Co-Founder. On the show, they assess the current health of women's football and deliver a message to sceptics who doubt its business sustainability. They also explain the entertainment-infused mission behind World Sevens; its unique format; how clubs have been convinced to participate; the player buy-in that is critical to its success; and the way the tournaments can work as part of the existing and increasingly crowded club football calendar. ----- Nominate the rising star in your organisation for this year's Leaders Under 40 class - entries close on Monday 8th June. Visit www.leadersinsport.com/lsa for more information.
May 21 · 36 min
Deciphering India’s major event plans; who will succeed Sally Bolton at Wimbledon?
India’s appetite and readiness to host major global events was one of the main topics at this week’s Indian Sports Summit in Bangalore, and James Emmett is on the ground with the mood and the colour from on and off stage. With the IPL in full swing, there’s the latest on the league’s media rights planning and what its strategy might be in a changing domestic market, and James has the inside line on Royal Challengers Bangalore’s new ownership. Alongside David Cushnan, dialling in this week from New York for SBJ’s Sports Business Awards and Leaders’ Attention Seekers series, there’s also time to discuss the news that Sally Bolton is standing down as CEO at Wimbledon and the expertise her successor might need as the All England Lawn Tennis Club expands in line with the other tennis Grand Slams. ------ Put your best work and best people in the mix for this year’s Leaders Sports Awards, taking place in London on Tuesday 6th October. To nominate, visit https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-sport-awards/