As International Women's Day approaches, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly gets the thoughts of two female leaders about how the sports industry can properly embrace diversity across the board.

First, with the Netball World Cup set to hit Liverpool in July, England Netball chief executive Joanna Adams discusses how the sport has built momentum through participation, elite performance and commercial development, professionalising at the top end while improving access at the same time. She also gives her views on how to create more and better opportunities for young women in the business of sport.

Then Rebecca Smith, the former Fifa World Player of the Year nominee, reveals what she hopes to achieve in her new role as global executive director of the women’s game at soccer fan platform Copa90. With the Fifa Women's World Cup coming up in France, she argues that it is time for the industry to look beyond the tentpole events to the wealth of stories and personalities throughout the game.

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