The Leaders Under 40 Class of 2018 Announced

Leaders, together with Aspire Academy, have announced the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2018 for the inaugural Leaders Sports Awards, the global search for companies and individuals who are shaping the future of sport.

Over 400 entries from 28 countries were received in the 9 month process, with 30 talented individuals making the final Class of 2018.

A judging panel of 100+ industry experts including Stacey Allaster, Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, USTA; Alex Green, Managing Director, Amazon Prime Video – Channels & Sport, Europe, Amazon; Alison Lee, Executive Vice President, International Group, ATP; Ricardo Fort, Vice President, Global Sports Partnerships, Coca-Cola; Hans Erik Tuijt, Global Activation Director, Heineken; and many more were involved in the rigorous judging process that resulted in the decision of this year’s class.

James Worrall, Founder & CEO, Leaders commented: “Every year the number, quality and global spread of nominations gets better and better for the Leaders Under 40 Awards in partnership with Aspire Academy.  2018 was no different with hundreds of outstanding individuals driving the industry forward.  On behalf of the judges, wider industry, Aspire Academy and the team at Leaders, I’d like to congratulate the Class of 2018 and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the glittering Awards Show at the Natural History Museum during Leaders Week in London.”

The Leaders Under 40 Awards, together with Aspire Academy has been identifying, recognising and celebrating the exceptionally talented individuals in the industry for 4 years. Previous recipients of this award include the likes of Will Dean, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Tough Mudder; Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer, Manchester City FC; Melissa Proctor, Chief Marketing Officer, Atlanta Hawks; Vinai Venkatesham, Chief Commercial Officer, Arsenal FC; Chris Klein, President, LA Galaxy; Katherine Johnson, Vice President and Head of Global Sponsorship Marketing, VISA; Hicham El Amrani, Secretary General, Cofederations Cup African Football.

This year, the evening of recognition will be part of the inaugural Leaders Sports Awards and take place during Leaders Week on 9 October 2018 at the iconic Natural History Museum, London. The evening, promises a night of networking and entertainment where the Class and the winners of the company categories, will be celebrated in front of 600 senior industry executives and special guests.

To purchase one of the limited number of tables available for the night, you can find out more here.

Class of 2018

Adam Davis, Chief Revenue Officer, Harris Blitzer Sport & Entertainment

Adam Harris, Director of Custom Solutions, Twitch

Agustin Danza, Chief Executive Officer, Brazilian Rugby Union

Al Guido, President, San Francisco 49ers and Chief Executive Officer, Elevate Sports Ventures

Asma Al Thani, Director of Marketing and Communications, Qatar Olympic Committee

Chris Park, Executive Vice President, Product & Marketing, MLB

Cynthia Mumbo, Founder and CEO, Sports Connect Africa

Danny Menken, Group Managing Director, Eleven Sports

Dave Pietrycha, Chief Financial Officer, NBC Sports Group

Dewayne Hankins, Chief Marketing Officer, Portland Trail Blazers

Dustin Godsey, Chief Marketing Officer, Milwaukee Bucks

Evan Wasch, Senior Vice President, Basketball Strategy and Analytics, NBA

Jo Tongue, Chief Executive Officer, Tongue Tied Media

Jon Stainer, Managing Director, Nielsen Sports

Kelvin Smith, Senior Associate Commissioner and General Counsel, Big 12 Conference

Dr Laila Mintas, Deputy President, Sportradar

Louise Johnson, Managing Director, Fuse

Malcolm Booth, Sales & Marketing Director, The R&A

Mark Gorski, Chief Executive Officer, Sports Data Labs

Matthew Jafarian, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Innovation, Miami HEAT/AmericanAirlines Arena

Matthew Porter, Chief Executive Officer, Professional Darts Corporation

Megha Parekh, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Jacksonville Jaguars and Bold Events

Nate Nanzer, Commissioner, Overwatch League

Nick Bourne, Chief Commercial Officer, COPA90

Nina King, Deputy Director of Athletics, Administration and Legal Affairs/Chief of Staff, Duke University

Rory Brown, President, Bleacher Report

Stephen Farrow, Director of International Events and Professional Game; Tournament Director of The Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club, Lawn Tennis Association

Toby Craig, Director of Corporate & Commercial Communications, City Football Group

Vanessa Shay, Vice President, AEG Global Partnerships

Zarah Al-Kudcy, Commercial Partnerships, Formula 1