CEOs in Sport magazine

CEO of a Sports
Organisation

ACTIVATE YOUR AMBITION

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................. 3
CMI Recognition...................................................................................... 4
The Course in Brief................................................................................... 5
Programme Aims .................................................................................... 5
Our Partners ............................................................................................. 7
Course Content ....................................................................................... 9
Course Dates ......................................................................................... 10
Core Delivery Team .............................................................................. 11
What our Delegates Say....................................................................... 17
To Apply ................................................................................................. 18

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Introduction

VSI Executive Education aims to pioneer tomorrow’s leaders in sport. At
VSI our vision is to deliver programmes at Executive level that enhance
knowledge but critically lead to improved performance. Since 2014 VSI
has run a very successful MSc in Sports Directorship, the first of its kind
designed to develop all the personal, leadership & management
attributes to become a successful Sporting Director. Delegates on VSI
programmes are senior level individuals from across sport and business
and include current and former professional athletes, managers across
sport and business and elite industry professionals. Delegates get to meet
and learn from top industry experts, to gain valuable real-world insights.
In the world of sport, the position of chief executive has never been as
critical or as high profile, so in 2018 VSI launched a new MBA for aspiring
CEOs in the sports industry. The course is designed to provide executives
with the knowledge, understanding and skills to succeed in one of the
most demanding positions in the sports industry. VSI programmes are
supported by leading professional bodies, in sport & business who
support their members across a range of programmes, and are very
keen to see more of their members move into senior executive roles.

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CMI Recognition

This programme is recognised by CMI (Chartered Management
Institute), the only Chartered professional body dedicated to
management and leadership.
As a delegate on the programme you will receive free CMI membership
for one year from the start of the programme, membership benefits
including access to ManagementDirect, an online multi-media
knowledge base for leadership and management. You will also receive
a CMI certificate on completion of the programme.

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The Course in Brief

Designed for athletes and executives with aspirations to be chief
executives in the world of sport, the CEO programme will help transition
those with sporting experience and others with leadership ambitions into
the highest roles, by marrying their experiences of competitive sport with
an educational understanding in business.
Managing huge financial growth, increasing corporate governance
responsibilities and the demands of challenging stakeholders, chief
executives need advanced skills and knowledge to succeed in this
challenging but immensely exciting industry. Executives are often thrust
into the role without any preparation and this course will help with that.
The course is tailored to meet the real demands of leading sporting
organisations. Covering leadership, strategic planning, operational
management, commercialisation, marketing and communications, the
programme will provide unrivalled preparation for the role of a CEO in a
sporting organisation. The course is delivered part-time over one year in
eight blocks of two days, in a blended format which allows you to
combine study and work in a way that best suits your working life.

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Programme Aims

By the end of the programme, delegates will be able to:
• understand the role of the CEO
• develop the leadership skills required to drive high performance
• recognise the fiduciary and financial responsibilities of a CEO
• understand the corporate governance and legal responsibilities
of a CEO
• develop strategic and operational plans to grow the organisation

“I have spent years interviewing sporting leaders and they have
always complained that there is no ‘school for CEOs’. Having
spoken to leaders from major corporations, sporting organisations
and even military leaders it became clear that it is a huge gap in
the market.”
Professor Chris Brady, Director for the Centre for Sports Business at
the University of Salford

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Our Partners

Shoosmiths Elite Advisory

VSI is proud to work in collaboration with Shoosmiths Elite Advisory on the
CEO programme. The collaboration is designed to assist the strategic
vision of VSI and Shoosmiths aligned to Executive Education in
professional sport.
Shoosmiths Elite Advisory is an innovative legal service that provides one
house of experts catering to the specific needs of clubs, associations and
intermediaries.

“VSI are taking the lead with developing new
education programmes at executive level for
strategic leaders in sport. As sport continues to
grow across the globe commercially and
politically, organisations need people who have
the ability to lead these businesses. We look
forward to a healthy collaboration that continues
to pioneer and strive to provide a service appropriate for the market of
sport.”
Haydn Roberts, Head of Elite Advisory

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Elite Performance Partners

VSI is proud to work in collaboration with Elite Performance Partners
(EPP) on the CEO programme. The collaboration is designed to assist the
strategic vision of both VSI and EPP aligned to Executive Education in
professional sport.
Elite Performance Partners are performance and search specialists
providing consultancy, recruitment and coaching for sports
organisations. Driven by helping teams and individuals reach their
potential, EPP’s clients range from elite football, rugby and cycling teams
to national governing bodies and they have experience placing high
performing candidates at all levels from the boardroom to performance
leads and their support staff.
“Elite Performance Partners are lucky enough to have worked with some
of the most talented individuals in sport and, while they are all different,
what they share is a sense of curiosity and desire to be always learning.

We are thrilled to work closely with VSI as they help to develop great
leaders through practical programmes with a real balance of theory and

application.”

Anna Edwards, Managing Partner

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Course Content

MODULE ONE – THE ROLE OF THE CEO
• The role of the CEO within the corporate structure
• Responsible for making major corporate decisions & managing

stakeholders internal & external
• Understand your fiduciary responsibilities as a CEO
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and representative for the

organisation
• Lead the development and implementation of the

organisation’s strategy

MODULE TWO – THE PEOPLE GAME
• Creating, communicating and implementing the

organisation’s vision, mission and overall direction
• Understand how to provide leadership to develop the senior

leadership team
• The CEO as the Brand Ambassador
• The non-negotiables of a high-performing executive team

MODULE THREE – THE NUMBERS & GOVERNANCE GAME
• Effectively establish and have financial understanding for

performance targets
• Maintain high standards of conduct and integrity aligned to

compliance with best practice
• Understand the legal landscape relevant to your competitive

market
• Identify new products, new events and initiatives that will align

with strategic plans to grow the organisation

MODULE FOUR – WHAT SETS SUCCESSFUL CEOS APART
• Deciding with speed and conviction
• Engaging for Impact
• Adapting Proactively
• Delivering Reliability

MODULE FIVE – PREPARING FOR A CEO ROLE
This module will be delivered bespoke to the needs and wants of
delegates moving towards the end of the programme. It will be
delivered by Elite Performance Partners.

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Course Dates

Module Date
The Role of the CEO in a Sports
Organisation 13 November 2019
14 November 2019
The People Game 3 December 2019
4 December 2019
The Numbers and Governance
Game 15 January 2020
16 January 2020
What Sets Successful CEOs Apart 19 February 2020
20 February 2020
Preparing for a CEO Role
18 March 2020
19 March 2020
15 April 2020
16 April 2020

20 May 2020
21 May 2020
17 June 2020
18 June 2020

16 September 2020
17 September 2020

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Core Delivery Team

The Role of the CEO – Barry McNeill

Barry is an internationally
experienced executive with a track
record of building and realising
value for disruptive, high growth
companies. Barry is a business savvy
leader, motivated to inspire,
develop talent, commercial
sustainability and create enduring
organisational health.

His career has focused on establishing and building visionary
technology and leveraging SaaS commercial models. Barry is
well-versed in change management and the creation of
significant value both at revenue and EBITDA levels – plus private
sale and IPO transactions. He has established two of the most

recognised brands within the global sports/tech landscape.

Barry is a Chartered Director with the UK Institute of Directors and
Australian Institute of Company Directors, has served as a
CEO/MD for over a decade with Prozone Sports and more
recently Catapult Sports. Barry holds advisory and consultancy
roles under BPM Performance and has advised a range of
national governing bodies in the UK and Australia.

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The Role of the CEO – Dr Ian Lawrence

Ian is a sports business lecturer and
industry consultant with over 25 years'
worth of experience of working with senior
executives in both the UK and the US.
Currently, Ian leads on a number of
research projects that explore the
challenges faced by leaders within
professional sport.
Ian's current research project for Emerald
Publishers (titled: The 'C-Suite' Executive Leader in Sport - Contemporary
Global Challenges for Elite Professionals) addresses the realities and
'lived experiences' of 'C-Suite' executives within a range of global elite
sports. The research conclusions have far reaching implications for
analysis of 'C-Suite' effectiveness. Ian is a Senior Fellow of the Higher
Education Academy.
Ian's previous publications include:
https://www.routledge.com/Football-Club-Management-Insights-from-
the-Field-1st-Edition/Lawrence/p/book/9781138697751
https://www.routledge.com/Soccer-and-the-American-
Dream/Lawrence/p/book/9781138697744
http://aassjournal.com/article-1-704-en.pdf
http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/2983/1/Gary%20Neville%20P
aper%20for%20IJSSC.pdf
https://www.entsportslawjournal.com/article/10.16997/eslj.16/

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The People Game – Chris Brindley MBE, Non-Executive Director (NED) &
Executive Coach

Chris is one of the UK's foremost business
leaders. He is Founder of Developing Winners
in Life, Board member of the Rugby Football
League, Chair of the Board of the Rugby
League World Cup 2021, Senior Independent
NED of the Manchester Football Association
and Chair of the Sporting House Group.

From a coaching perspective, Chris is the
Leadership Coach at Metro Bank, an
Executive Coach for Switch the Play, and
Head of Mentoring for the Athlete Inspire Programme, where Chris is the
lead coach/mentor for elite athletes in their transition journey from sport
into business.

As a Senior Associate of Raise the Bar, Chris has coached executives
from companies such as Heineken, Muller, Telent and Halfords to name
but a few. Chris is also a NED and Executive Coach for the leading Welsh
Executive Search firm, Goodson Thomas.

Until August 2015, Chris served as Managing Director of Metro Bank, the
first high street bank to open in the UK for over 170 years. Here, he grew
the business to 36 stores, £4bn deposits and £2.5bn lending, with
customer service scores being some of the highest seen globally.

He is not a theorist, but a skilled and experienced practitioner. He is a
leading authority on Sales Management, Customer Experience,
Employee Engagement & Satisfaction; particularly within organisations
where change is a feature. His strengths include building high performing
teams, enhancing productivity through employee engagement and
situational leadership. He inspires change through his comprehensive

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knowledge of the practice of Coaching and Leadership and utilises a
Balanced Business scorecard approach to build compelling visions of the
future for both organisations and individuals alike.
His success is a result of a unique set of experiences including working
with Olympic athletes and using sport as the inspirational learning model
to inspire success within business. He has also worked extensively with
academics from leading business schools as well as executives,
managers and team leaders within global PLCs. Chris is passionate about
creating a long-term sustainable performance culture that will continue
long after he has completed his work with the organisation or individual.
His accolades include Britain's Best Boss, Most Outstanding Workplace at
the National Business Awards (judged by IiP), Sales & Marketing Director
of the Year (3 consecutive years), Sales Leader of the Year at the
National Sales Awards and in 2017 was awarded United Kingdom, Non-
Executive Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors.
In June 2018, Chris was awarded an MBE for his services to sport.

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The Numbers and Governance Game – Dr Rob Wilson

Rob is the Head of Department for
Finance, Accounting and Business Systems
at Sheffield Hallam University and an
expert in sport finance. With 20 years'
experience in Higher Education in a
variety of roles, ranging from Quality
Enhancement to External Relations, Rob
has significant teaching and research
experience in the sport business field. To that end, his main teaching and
research interests are in the finance and economics of sport with his PhD
focussing on the factors affecting financial performance in professional
team sports.

He has published five books including two on finance: 'Finance for sport
and leisure managers: An introduction' and 'Managing Sport Finance'; as
well as numerous chapters on finance and financial management in
sport and more than 30 peer reviewed outputs. He serves on the editorial
boards of a several international journals and, in addition to his
academic commitments, Rob has a prolific media profile and is a regular
commentator in the national and international media (including; BBC, Al
Jazeera, Bloomberg and ESPN) providing expert analysis for public
consumption on all sport finance-related news stories.

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What Sets Successful CEOs Apart – Michael Caulfield

Michael is one of the country’s most
experienced sport psychology consultants and
runs his own consultancy
www.justcaulfield.com
He was Chief Executive of the Professional
Jockeys Association from 1988-2003 until
retraining as a sports psychologist and working
across a range of sports, businesses and
performance environments.
Fortunate achievements include working alongside Gareth Southgate in
his formative leadership years at Middlesbrough FC, assisting the ICC in
developing the emerging nations in cricket, and helping to build the
leading consultancy, Sporting Edge from 2009-2019. He has presented
around the world on building teams and people and is currently
consulting at Northampton Saints RUFC, Brentford FC and Hampshire
CCC.

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What our Delegates Say

“We have people from sporting backgrounds and outside the
sporting world from corporate backgrounds. I’ve also been given
the opportunity to network with top-drawer people who have
delivered the content. For example, on the very first learning day
we had over two hours with Rick Parry. The learnings I’m able to
take from this course and the skills I’m able to develop will
definitely help me in my quest to build a bright future for the
team.”
Dave Callan, Team Ineos (formerly Team Sky)

“This course has given me a great opportunity to continue the
process of developing my own skills. The challenges of leadership
and governance in sport are unique in so many respects and I
am really getting a lot out of both the formal learning and the
group of other sports professionals in the cohort. Learning from
how they manage in their sport and picking their brains is
fantastic.
Maggie Alphonsi, England Rugby

“Not only do you get taught by high-calibre exponents in their
field, but you also get to meet and interact with people on the
course who come from different backgrounds. There are people
from rugby union, rugby league, cycling, football and other
sports and it’s been invaluable to talk across our professions and
seek common ground. You learn as much outside of the
classroom as you do inside.”
Lawrie Sanchez, Former Northern Ireland Manager

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To Apply

VSI are looking for self-starters who possess a combination of skills,
experience and ambition. You will already be working in sports
management and looking for the next crucial step in your sporting
career. Or you may be in a high-level business role and want to
make the move into sport to use your business skills in a new way.

Ideally, delegates should have a degree or be able to demonstrate
sufficient business experience. However, as many of our delegates
are ex-players and sports professionals who spent their youth
playing rather than studying, the course application process takes
this into account.

It's time to put the future of sport in your hands. If you're ready to
take on your next challenge, then apply for the VSI CEO of a Sports
Organisation today.

For more information and how to apply, contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Call: 0345 459 9765
Visit: www.vsiee.com
Twitter: @VSIExecEd

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