18 November 2021
The Sports Business Awards recognise and reward achievement by the teams behind the scenes. We will salute and champion the resilience and flexibility shown by an industry that has faced its toughest times in living memory.
Why the Sports Business Awards?
Celebrate with your team
Being an award-winner is a powerful motivator to inspire you and your colleagues to keep up the great work!
Enhance your reputation
Appending an independently judged third-party badge of excellence is a sure-fire shortcut to emphasising your merit to colleagues, clients, bosses & stakeholders.
Generate positive headlines
Spread the good news - everyone loves a success story and winning an award is a great publicity hook for social and traditional media efforts
Aspire to Better Practice
Winner or not - seeing what others do for their products is an irreplacable source of tried & tested award-worthy ideas!
Our 2021 Judges
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Kelly Simmons MBE
The Football Association, Director of Women's Professional Game
Kelly Simmons MBE
The Football Association, Director of Women's Professional GameKelly Simmons MBE took up the new role of Director of the Women’s Professional Game in September 2018 to help deliver and transform professional women’s football in England. She oversees The FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, FA Women’s National League and the Women’s Pyramid of Football.
She was previously The FA Director of Participation and Development, overseeing the implementation of a £200m four year investment programme into children’s and grassroots football.
Kelly was awarded an MBE in 2002 for Services to Football and received the BT Sports Industry Award for ‘Leadership in Sport’ in 2016.
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Mel Young
Chair, Sportscotland
Mel Young
Chair, SportscotlandMel Young is Chair of Sportscotland, the national agency for Sport in Scotland.
He is a successful global social entrepreneur as well as a passionate believer in the power of sport to create genuine lasting change. He is founder and President of the Homeless World Cup.
He also sits on the UK Sports Board, watches lots of sport and runs every day.
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Debbie Jevans CBE
Senior Independent Director, English Football League
Debbie Jevans CBE
Senior Independent Director, English Football LeagueDebbie has been at a leading figure in sports management and administration for over 30 years. She was the first female in Olympic history to be appointed as the Director of Sport for an Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and also the first female to be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of a Rugby World Cup.
Debbie is Vice Chair for Sport England and leads its Workforce Committee which is responsible for overseeing the UK’s strategy for coaching, volunteering and careers in sport and is a Trustee of the Invictus Games Foundation (which was established by Prince Harry to organise international sports competitions for wounded, injured and sick service personnel).
Formerly a professional tennis player, Debbie represented her country and competed at all four Grand Slams before turning to an administrative career in the sporting arena becoming General Secretary of the International Tennis Federation where she developed the sport’s first anti-doping programme and oversaw the return of tennis as an Olympic sport.Previously voted the most influential female in British sport, Debbie was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List in recognition for her services to sport and the London 2012 Games and was awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC in the same year.
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Andy Payne OBE
Chairman, British Esports Association
Andy Payne OBE
Chairman, British Esports Association -
Sabrina Ibanez
Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)
Sabrina Ibanez
Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)Sabrina Ibáñez has been the Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body of equestrian sport, since December 2014 and is the first woman to hold this post in the organisation. In her current position and as the former FEI Director of Governance and Executive Affairs, she has played an instrumental role in advancing gender equality in the Federation.
She is also a member of the IOC Gender Equality Working Group and was elected the first President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) in 2017. She is also the Chair of the ASOIF Parasport Consultative Group (APCG).
Sabrina Ibáñez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and History from Boston University and a diploma in Sociology, Politics and Management of Sport Science from the Universities of Lausanne, Leicester, and Montpellier.
Prior to working for the FEI, Sabrina Ibáñez was with Telecom Japan TV Productions in New York (USA) and the Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) in Lausanne (SUI).
Sabrina Ibáñez is a Swiss national of Salvadorian, American, and Austrian descent. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish and has two adult sons.
Our 2021 Judges
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Adrian Christy
Chief Executive, Badminton England
Adrian Christy
Chief Executive, Badminton EnglandAdrian has been Chief Executive of Badminton England since 2006 and is leading the organisation through a vision for badminton to be one of the nation’s most popular sports and to consistently win World, Olympic and Paralympic medals.
Adrian is driving a journey of modernisation and self-sustainability at Badminton England, transforming the business through technology, customer acquisition, fan engagement and organisational efficiency. He is a bold, recognised and innovative leader with proven achievement; someone who makes things happen and leads by example.
Under Adrian’s leadership, Badminton England has secured the greatest level of commercial investment in the history of the organisation, seen the Yonex All England Open Championships be included among the three badminton ‘Majors’ on the World Tour, demonstrated great vision and creativity through the launch of the first professional badminton league in the UK.
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Debbie Jevans CBE
Senior Independent Director, English Football League
Debbie Jevans CBE
Senior Independent Director, English Football LeagueDebbie has been at a leading figure in sports management and administration for over 30 years. She was the first female in Olympic history to be appointed as the Director of Sport for an Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and also the first female to be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of a Rugby World Cup.
Debbie is Vice Chair for Sport England and leads its Workforce Committee which is responsible for overseeing the UK’s strategy for coaching, volunteering and careers in sport and is a Trustee of the Invictus Games Foundation (which was established by Prince Harry to organise international sports competitions for wounded, injured and sick service personnel).
Formerly a professional tennis player, Debbie represented her country and competed at all four Grand Slams before turning to an administrative career in the sporting arena becoming General Secretary of the International Tennis Federation where she developed the sport’s first anti-doping programme and oversaw the return of tennis as an Olympic sport.Previously voted the most influential female in British sport, Debbie was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List in recognition for her services to sport and the London 2012 Games and was awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC in the same year.
