Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

Examining how sport franchises have tailored their apparel to appeal to the masses. 4se Material explores some of the many stories at the intersection of sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture. This episode was originally published on the 4se Material feed in April - to hear more like it, search '4se Material' on your chosen podcast platform.It seems sports fans and non-fans alike are sporting licensed sportswear. From jerseys to caps, a passerby on any city street can spy some of sports’ most famous logos worn on the bodies of many a trendsetter. But how did this happen? How did pieces of memorabilia, originally designed for die-hard fans, develop this mass appeal? Why would sports organisations seek to make their merchandise more wearable, and why would non-fans buy into it? And how much power really is there in recognisable company iconography?   To help us stitch this sportswear story together, we spoke to Matthew Primack, SVP of International Business Affairs and Development at Fanatics, and to Samantha Gibb, Head of PR and Digital Communications EMEA at New Era - two world-class organisations retailing and manufacturing licensed sports merchandise; we also consulted Dr Lauren Burch, Senior Lecturer in Sports Business at Loughborough University London, to help us understand how organisations benefit from investing in merchandise; and last but certainly not least, we spoke to Mirko Borsche & Kolja Buscher from global design studio Bureau Borsche, whose portfolio includes heading the design of the rebranding for Venezia F.C, whom the media have labelled “the world’s most fashionable football club”.

In conversation with the Chief Strategy Officer at the commercial media arm of the ATP Tour.This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).This episode features Nick Bourne, whose role as Chief Strategy Officer at ATP Media is to lead the organisation’s build out of new services and capabilities built on centralised data, content and platforms – and support the wider business' development as the sports media rights market continues to transform. Bourne joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett for an insightful discussion around execution vs planning, driving the Netflix deal and when and how strategy can sometimes fall down. 

Insights on strategic thinking with the VP of Strategy and Business Intelligence at one of the NFL’s cornerstone franchises.This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sports' most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).In this episode, Russell Scibetti, who created and manages the Business Intelligence department at the New York Football Giants, joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett to discuss strategy as alignment, how to correctly maximise use of data and how the leagues work with clubs for a fan-first approach. Note: This interview was conducted over video call, so there may be some slight distortion in the panel segment but this should not take away from your listening experience.

In conversation with the Chief Commercial Officer at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport. This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sports' most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t). In this episode, Heidi Pellerano, who leads commercial initiatives at CONCACAF, joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett to outline her approach to strategic thinking, how and why investing in data is critical, and how working with member associations requires a flexible strategy. 

Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series features perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them. Joanna Abeyie is a journalist, broadcaster and social impact entrepreneur who has spent the last 15 years committed to the EDI sector. She is Founder and MD of Blue Moon and Partners, an organisation designed to find the best talent for business and create inclusive environments for employees to thrive and drive business success. She is also Co-Secretariat at Creative Diversity APPG, a cross-party group in UK Parliament to identify and tackle obstacles to diversity in the creative sector, and acts as Commissioner at Civil Service Commission UK and Common Councillor at City of London. She recently stepped down as Head of Creative Diversity at the BBC, where she was tasked with ensuring on-air diversity and inclusions strategies across the broadcaster. The wide-ranging conversation, beginning at 3:05, includes insights into facilitating communication with and between production companies and commissioners, avoidance of stereotypes, and the current lack of socioeconomic inclusion in the creative industry - as well as talk around the best ways to implement EDI strategies, reliability of data (or lack thereof) and what more sport can do to mobilise against discrimination. 

The Blueprint returns with a conversation with the EVP of Business Operations & Chief Strategy Officer at one of the most storied team brands in sport. This is the Blueprint, the podcast brought to you by Leaders and Deltatre about straightforward strategic thinking in sport.This series teases out insights from leading industry executives about how they strategise. They’ll provide a fresh perspective on sport’s most recognisable organisations, with real life examples of where strategy worked (or didn’t).Kicking off season two is Alex Sugarman Executive Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Strategy Officer at the Chicago Cubs. Having spent 13 years at the famed franchise, Sugarman joins Leaders’ Content Director David Cushnan and Deltatre’s Commercial Strategy Lead Max Barnett for a conversation covering how to work with ownership and operationalise their goals, measuring your strategy framework, and aligning with other local teams.

A perspective on the music & events industry from the man who brought #Merky Festival to Ibiza before making his mark at the world’s leading talent agency.Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series will feature perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them.This episode features Jordan Hallpike speaking on the music and events industry. Hallpike holds the unique title of Crossover agent at WME, a world-class entertainment agency whose music roster features the likes of Adele, Bruno Mars, The Killers and Olivia Rodrigo. Prior to starting his current role in April 2022, wherein he facilitates new creative opportunities for WME’s esteemed roster of talent, Hallpike held the position of Director of Talent and Programming at Ibiza Rocks group. Having first joined the organisation in 2011, throughout his time there Jordan oversaw the expansion of Ibiza Rocks events from evening events to pool parties - successfully launching a residency with Craig David - and went on to conceptualise the #Merky Festival, which quickly became an Ibiza staple. Hallpike has also co-founded Applebum events (which celebrate Black and street culture) and creative design studio Midnight Movement.The insightful and engaging conversation, beginning at 5:07, includes talk of socioeconomic barriers to entry, the glass ceiling for minorities, gender imbalance and where the sports industry is learning from the music industry – as well as discussions on platforming artists from all backgrounds, and helping them to forge a brand and legacy.

The Founder of Black Eats LDN joins the series to discuss inclusivity in an industry that, through necessity, affects every living person.Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and neighbouring industries. This season of the Leaders in EDI podcast series will feature perspectives from outside of the sports industry to develop a more holistic view of the EDI sector, to discuss what specific challenges other industries face, and to understand what we can learn from how they tackle them.This episode features Jackson Mclarty, speaking on the food, beverage & hospitality industry. Mclarty is the Founder of Black Eats LDN, the UK’s first and (so far) only Black-owned restaurant directory. The organisation is a purpose-led platform that offering resources, consultancy services and curates exciting events content in order to platform Black-owned business and offer others the opportunity to engage with the culture. The organisation has hosted events that have seen 150,000+ attendees, and features 300+ restaurants with brand partners including Uber and Apple.The conversation, beginning at 4.27, includes conversation around appropriation vs. appreciation, the importance of affordability, how and why the traditional gender role of ‘woman as cook’ is not reflected in the number of professional chefs, and how diversifying food options at sports venues could positively impact the fan experience.

This is Threats, a podcast about the changing sports media landscape and the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model.In this series, Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Synamedia’s Head of Sport Simon Brydon will identify the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model. Alongside a handful of prominent industry experts, they also explore ways that leaders can navigate the ever-evolving sports broadcast space for optimum success in the field.This episode focuses on innovation – how ever-changing technology provides both challenges and opportunities, and how to maximise on the latter. The featured guest is Sharon Fuller, VP of Content and Social for Europe and the Middle East at the NBA, who prior to joining the organisation in February held prominent content positions at Red Bull Media House and at the UK’s very first broadcast innovator, the BBC.

This is Threats, a podcast about the changing sports media landscape and the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model.In this series, Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Synamedia’s Head of Sport Simon Brydon will identify the conditions that threaten to undermine the traditional model, and alongside a handful of prominent industry experts, explore ways that leaders can use these challenges as opportunities for innovation.This episode focuses on choice and price, featuring a discussion with Sebastien Audoux around the difficulties in engaging an audience that already has an abundance of offerings. Audoux is a content technology rights specialist who followed a 15-year television career as a sports commentator with a stint as Head of Sports Digital Content at Canal+. He now works with numerous clients as an independent consultant, and holds board member positions at HYPE Sports Innovation and Decyfr Sport.