LONDON 2024
Advisory Board
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CHAIR
Archie Kalyana
Archie is an award winning Producer/Director. She was appointed as Diversity Producer in a specially created role at BBC Sport Cricket in 2019.
Archie has 27 years of broadcast, live event and corporate film making experience. She has produced and directed films for UEFA, Red Bull, Winter Olympics in Russia, Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival in New Delhi and represented BBC Sport at Downing Street and The House of Commons.
Career highlights include winning an Asian Women Of Achievement Award in the sport category, working as an Associate Creative Producer at President Obama’s State Banquet in India, producing the UEFA Equal Game TV commercial and getting an international series of films commissioned at CBBC.
She Produced and Directed a landmark three part documentary series, ‘One Billion to One, The Great Indian Cricket Dream’ for the BBC World News Channel & BBC iPlayer.
Archie is a jury member of the BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year Awards, a trustee with Street Child United, Special Advisor to the MCC Foundation and passionate about sport and social change.
VICE CHAIR
VICE CHAIR
Claire Nelson
Claire Nelson is a global industry award winning leader who is recognised as one of the most impactful and influential women in UK women’s sport. Having made her mark as the CEO of Netball Scotland where she also founded and led Sirens Super League Franchise, Claire was recently appointed as the first ever Managing Director of the Netball Super League to lead the professionalisation of the domestic game in the UK which is set to be relaunched early in 2025.
Specialising in business transformation, commercial, brand and marketing, Claire has held senior roles across numerous industries before pursuing her purpose in women’s sport.
A mother of four and unapologetically driven by the desire to create a better fairer future for all, Claire is a popular public speaker who delivers refreshing honesty, insight and practical advice in her quest to inspire and empower women and girls into realising and fulfilling their true potential, personally and professionally.
Clare Butler
I’m an award winning marketer with 30 years B2B experience, most of which has been in the tech/telco space within global multinationals and startups. A commercially-focused and customer-centric marketer, I’m well versed in bringing the full end-to-end spectrum needed to drive growth and believe in data to accelerate change in organisations.
In recent years, mainly because I have 2 young girls and years-worth of wishing there was more representation of women in the industries I’ve worked in, I’ve become active in identifying ways to help address gender inequality in the hope for a brighter future for my kids, and others that are currently experiencing challenges. I am grateful that Grabyo is a supportive employer in helping me, and other colleagues, launch initiatives to upskill women in our sector and people from diverse backgrounds to help overcome this imbalance
From a personal perspective, I deeply care about relationships with people and all through my life, I’ve played (and still play!) many sports and had the privilege to represent my country at Softball for 7 years and been National Champion for 10+ years. I’ve jumped out of a perfectly sound aircraft in the name of charity, have been lucky enough to have travelled to many countries in all continents of the world, all of which I believe, has shaped me into the person I am today – a kind, grateful mum and partner who is committed to enjoying work and life in general.
CORE THEME ADVISORY BOARD
Tom Burstow
Tom has been working in the charity sector for 25 years, focused predominantly on creating and stewarding major charity partnerships which use of sport as a tool for social change.
He led the sports team at UNICEF UK for 8 years, firstly through International Inspiration, (the official international legacy programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games) and then as the Official Charity Partner for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. These and other innovative partnerships generated millions of pounds whilst reaching global audiences to raise awareness of the role sport can play in positively changing the lives of children and young people around the world.
Since joining Sported as Deputy CEO, Tom has been working to establish new partnerships and connections that support the Sported network of 3000 community organisations, located in areas of deprivation across the UK, with the skills, funding and opportunities they need not only to survive but to thrive in removing barriers to all young people fulfilling their potential through sport.
Billie Purdie
Billie is passionate about the ever-growing world of esports and its potential to foster diverse and inclusive communities. With over 3 years of hands-on experience in the esports industry, Billie specialises in driving projects, events and initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, working collaboratively to break barriers and bring positive change.
Jeff Simpkins
Jeff is the Chief Operating Officer of the UK-based esports team, Resolve. He was previously a competitive esports athlete in Rainbow Six: Siege before entering esports management with his own team, Barrage. Until 2022, Jeff managed his esports endeavours alongside a full-time role as a Police Constable and then Sergeant in Lancashire.
Jamie Bivona
As a global account lead and Vice President at Octagon, Jaime has pioneered marketing initiatives in women’s sport that have redefined the landscape. Her expertise has fuelled impactful collaborations with athletes/talent, rights holders, and top brands like Mastercard, LinkedIn, and DICK’s Sporting Goods to drive groundbreaking sport sponsorship strategies.
Her expertise lies in forging industry-first partnerships and activations including Arsenal WFC’s first women’s only brand partnership, the R&A’s Women in Golf Charter’s first corporate signatory and showcasing LinkedIn’s first UEFA Women’s EURO partnership through B2B programming.
Her unwavering passion for advancing women’s sports and promoting equality serves as the driving force behind her continuous efforts in making a lasting impact and pushing boundaries for meaningful change. As a female leader at Octagon, Jaime is devoted and resolute in her efforts to foster and cultivate the next generation of industry trailblazers.
Christina Pace
Cristiana’s career as a motorsport engineer, sustainability expert and innovator spans 20 years. Having worked trackside and in the strategy departments of a range of motorsport stakeholders, she obtained a PhD in Sustainability and Strategic Management and has since been applying her expert knowledge of both of these fields to the work of her purpose-driven sustainability strategy consultancy, Enovation Consulting.
From race and strategy engineer to data analyst, technology developer and leading the R&D and development of major innovations including electronic flags and race control software, Cristiana has an incredible reputation and respect in the motorsport and engineering industry.
Her work within F1 and the FIA have seen her recognized as a leading force in the realms of safety and sustainability. Working with Williams Engineering from 2012, Cristiana worked closely with the CEO of Formula One and the commercial department to develop the business strategy for the newly created Williams Advanced engineering. As the business development lead, Cristiana won the multimillion-pound projects including the supply of batteries to FIA Formula E, a project she led from 2013 to 2015.
She continues to consult for a number of motorsport stakeholders, including FE and the FIA on measuring and reducing their environmental impact of existing technologies, while increasing sustainability awareness across the sector.
Founder of Enovation Ltd, Cristiana is dedicated to optimising every opportunity to make the motorsport industry more inclusive and diverse for future generations.
Abbie Raybould
“As TikTok’s Sports Partnership Manager, Abbie leverages her extensive experience, gained from notable contributions to Eurosport and Discovery Sports. Within TikTok, Abbie leads relationships with critical UK sports partners such as content creators, and broadcasters. Her role involves providing support in shaping their content strategy and guiding them through their TikTok journey, all while contributing to the expansion of TikTok’s sports ecosystem.
Beyond her responsibilities with TikTok, Abbie is actively involved as a coach for an amateur women’s football team in South London, showcasing her dedication to both the professional and grassroots levels of sports.
Abbie has played a key role in driving award winning partnerships for TikTok such as with Six Nations Rugby and Burnley FC, as well as collaborating on activations across the FIFA Women’s World cup.”
Mimi Corden LLoyd
Mimi Corden-Lloyd is an accomplished financier, sportswoman and advocate for female voices in male dominated industries. Specialising in Sport, Media and Entertainment she has built a reputation for providing sound financial advice with a deep understanding of the often complex needs for unique clients in demanding roles, having also competed in her own sport to a high level.
Both within and outside of her role, she champions financial education as a means of empowerment, believing that it is through developing our understanding of both personal and global economies that we create the freedom to reach our potential. She has spearheaded financial education for athletes and women in the workplace with the intention of giving individuals the confidence to participate in conversations around money.
She continues to encourage athletes and clients to develop their knowledge by leading discussions around equality, sustainability and social mobility.
Kat Craig
Kat Craig is an award-winning human rights lawyer and founder and CEO of Athlead, a specilaist sport and human rights consultancy. Kat specialises in building practical solutions to complex social, environmental and governance challenges, and advises a diverse range of clients, including UN agencies, national governments, international federations, player unions, leagues, clubs, and elite athletes. Kat isa senior human rights advisor to FIFPRO, the international footballers’ union, and a special advisor on remedy to the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. She serves on the IOC’s Academic Advisory Panel for its Safeguarding Officer in Sport certificate. Kat has contributed to many critical publications on gender, race and other forms of discrimination in sport, including co-authoring the UN Women/UNESCO Handbook ‘Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport: A Handbook for Policy Makers and Sports Practitioners’. In 2022, Kat won the Sports Industry Integrity & Impact Award, and was featured by Nike and Martine Rose in Vogue magazine as part of their Euros campaign, highlighting her work safeguarding women athletes from abuse. In 2023, Kat won the Celia Brackenridge Award for Services to Safe Sport recognizing her sustained efforts to combat all forms of interpersonal violence in sports. In her spare time, Kat serves as the Chairwoman of Camden & Islington United, a supporter-owned football club in North London, that fosters a healthy and inclusive space where individuals feel engaged, valued, and connected.
Eleanor Rowland
Eleanor is the Director of Safeguarding and Inclusion for Fulham Football Club. She is currently the only female member of the Club’s Management Board and is the only Director across the Premier League who holds this area of responsibility at Board Level. Eleanor is passionate about Gender Equality and is working hard to promote females into coaching, operations and senior leadership positions within the Club whilst also educating the workforce on the impact of violence against women and girls. She has recently commissioned a bespoke ‘Bystander in the workplace’ training, delivered by Kindling Interventions which is tailored specifically to focus on noticing and intervening in sexism, gender stereotyping, gendered microaggressions and gender-based violence against women and girls. Fulham FC is the first Premier League Club to have embarked and committed to ALL staff receiving this training. Without these conversations we can’t begin to make societal changes.
Prior to this she worked within the inspection team at the UK’s largest child protection agency, the National Society for the Prevention of Child Cruelty (“the NSPCC”) and a number of different crime prevention and substance misuse charities. Her skills and expertise are in safeguarding, inclusion of underrepresented groups and community work.
Chair of the Union Jax Foundation (UJF), the UK charitable arm of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Eleanor also provides oversight and support on the strategic direction of UJF and growth of the grassroots game of American Football in the UK.
She also has a passion for matters relating to equality and belonging, health, social justice and how we continue to create a sustainable future in our professional and personal lives.
Sarah Lewis
Sarah Lewis, OBE OLY is a highly respected international sports leader with an extensive network across the Olympic Movement and sport industry.
Sarah became an Olympian (OLY) in Alpine Skiing, representing Great Britain at the Calgary 1988 Games. From 1998 to 2020 she was Secretary General of the largest international winter sports federation, FIS (skiing and snowboarding). Subsequently she established Sarah Lewis Global Sports Leader GmbH in 2022 providing services to sport, business, and society.
Additionally, she was appointed Secretary General of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federation, a member of the IOC Programme Commission and Coordination Commissions for the Olympic Winter Games and Youth Olympic Games (2026, 2022, 2020, 2018) and served on the Steering Committee of the SportAccord International Federation Convention (2002-2020).
In 2018 Sarah was awarded the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on the Queen’s New Year Honours List for services to sport.”
For a more complete overview of Sarah’s background and activities check out her profile on LinkedIn: Sarah Lewis OBE OLY | LinkedIn
Ruth Shaw OBE
Ruth is the Chief Executive of the Premier League Charitable Fund, one of the biggest sports charities in the world with an annual budget of around £38m. Its goal is to help people achieve their potential and impact positively on their communities through the power of football. It funds the charitable arms of professional football clubs to achieve this. Previously she carried out senior roles for Government including Head of Soft Power and Strategic Engagement at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Deputy Director at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Chief Executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. She has served on the board of Women in Football and as an independent member of the Premier League’s Equality Standard Panel. She is founder of TEDxWhitehallWomen and was awarded an OBE in the 2024 King’s New Years Honours list for services to association football and gender equality.
