Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

Rugby union's Nations Championship got back underway this week, as the Rugby League World Cup draws to a conclusion in Australia, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are in the studio to consider both. The Nations Championship, organised by SANZAAR and the Six Nations, has added a new narrative to summer and autumn internationals but, as the inaugural tournament moves towards its finals weekend at Twickenham later this month, Qatar's withdrawal from hosting and sponsoring the 2028 edition means a return to the commercial drawing board. Meanwhile in Australia, the men's and women's Rugby League World Cup comes to a conclusion this weekend, without making much of a dent in the northern hemisphere. As the NRL takes greater control of the sport, at club and international level, what next for the 13-a-side code? Elsewhere, there's a tribute to Toto Wolff and his Mercedes team, F1 world champions again; and in the week of the COP31 climate change conference, how prepared for extreme weather are the UK's stadiums and venues?-----Leaders Club is the fastest-growing membership for mid-career sports professionals – designed to help you step up, stand out and accelerate your career. To find out more about the membership visit: leadersclub.com

As RedBird Capital and Oaktree, owners of AC Milan and Inter respectively, gear up to begin work on Milan’s new football stadium, James Emmett and David Cushnan take a look at the newly-revealed plans and Generali’s record-breaking naming rights sponsorship.They also reflect on this week’s big conversation with Fliss Barnard, CEO at Ascot Racecourse, and consider the ways in which leaders of large sports events can help build and nurture culture amongst permanent and temporary staff. And on the end of LIV Golf, as BC Partners’ funding plan is withdrawn.Elsewhere, there’s a quick whirl around this week’s World Travel Market in London, where - perhaps surprisingly - major sports events were not particularly prominent. And with the festive season - sort of - upon us, which sports organisations will be marking the moment with a content and brand campaign?

How do you preserve the traditions of a 300-year-old British institution while building a culture fit for its next phase of growth? Ascot Racecourse CEO Fliss Barnard joins Leaders Editorial Director James Emmett and Humanforce’s Dom Fraser for the first episode of Making Culture Count: Lessons from the Frontline of Fan Experience, a new three-part series exploring how organisational culture shapes the experience of sports and entertainment fans. Barnard explains why culture is inherent to the Ascot experience, particularly when scaling from around 200 permanent employees to 7,000 during Royal Ascot. She explores the move towards directly hiring more frontline staff, and how training helps ensure the brand comes through in every part of the experience. Elsewhere in the show, the trio discuss Ascot’s ambitions for international growth; balancing heritage with accessibility; the role of technology in improving customer service; and why Barnard is introducing a new leadership programme as the organisation enters its next period of change.

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane is this year's Ballon d'Or winner; his victory was confirmed at a glittering ceremony in London, put on by Ballon d'Or organisers the Amaury Group and Uefa. The crowing of Kane - and the evolution of the awards ceremony itself - are the subject of discussion between James Emmett and Nic Coward, standing in as co-host this week for David Cushnan. Coward is a serial sporting board member, the current chair of the National League, and former General Secretary of the Premier League. Elsewhere in the show, the pair discuss the behind-the-scenes maneuverings around the Manchester City case; and the looming deadlines for candidacies for both the 2036 Summer Olympic Games and the Fifa presidency.

The International Olympic Committee has revealed the process and timeline for selecting the host of the 2036 summer Olympic Games, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are on hand to discuss why a more open bidding contest is a good thing. They consider the publicly-announced contenders for 2036 - India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa, Germany, Hungary and Türkiye - ahead of next week's expression of interest deadline, and the group of comms and PR agencies who will help craft the bids and shape the narrative ahead of the vote in 2029. Elsewhere, it's been a big week for Greek yoghurt, as Fage becomes the title sponsor of the season-ending WTA Finals, in Indian Wells next month and then in Charlotte from 2027. There's also time for a snap review of Ari Emanuel's sassy memoir, Roll the Calls, and the NFL landing in Paris during a week of civil unrest in the French capital.----Leaders Club is the fastest-growing membership for mid-career sports professionals – designed to help you step up, stand out and accelerate your career. To find out more about the membership visit: leadersclub.com

Bex Smith, CEO of multi-club women's football ownership group Crux Football, is the next guest in the series, from Leaders and research agency GWI, exploring demographics, attitudes and priorities amongst fans of women’s sport. GWI’s Director of Research Services Peter Kent joins David Cushnan, to frame up the conversations through GWI’s extensive data on the topic. In this episode, Smith explains the rationale behind the formation of Crux Football in 2025, and its first two club investments - Montpellier FC in France last October and Sweden's FC Rosengard at the start of this year. The former New Zealand international outlines the ways in which Crux is helping to build the profile and fanbase of the clubs, and delves into some of the specific challenges and opportunities for women's football in France and Sweden. She also looks ahead at next year's Fifa Women's World Cup, exploring how it can be a catalyst moment for women's football fandom, and explains why Gillian Anderson, along with other high-profile investors, are critical pieces of the jigsaw puzzle as Crux Football continues to evaluate investment opportunities across Europe.----Leaders Club is the fastest-growing membership for mid-career sports professionals – designed to help you step up, stand out and accelerate your career. To find out more about the membership visit: leadersclub.com

Netflix has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights in Spain to the 2030 men's Fifa World Cup, a move which underlines its live sports ambition and marks a first foray into football in Europe. James Emmett and David Cushnan are back in the studio after a frantic Leaders Week London to examine the streaming giant's latest move, and reflect on Netflix's VP of Non-fiction Series & Sports Brando Riegg's appearance on stage at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Rwanda has signed a 10-year agreement with F1 to host a Grand Prix from the "early 2030s". It's a return to Africa for the sport, and a major move in the country's economic and tourism vision - but it's controversial, too. And as the world continues to debate Manchester City's historic misdemeanors and the various geopolitical and diplomatic ramifications, is there an appropriate punishment that can also provide an entertaining - and possibly commercially helpful - new storyline for English football?-----Leaders Club is the fastest-growing membership for mid-career sports professionals – designed to help you step up, stand out and accelerate your career. To find out more about the membership visit: leadersclub.com

Simon Crownshaw is Microsoft’s international factotum: Worldwide Director for Media & Entertainment, CTO, and AI evangelist, he is also the key to the sports and entertainment marketing arsenal at Microsoft.He joins James Emmett to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming the sports industry, from content creation and production workflows to fan engagement and the future of media itself.Simon's career has taken him from Disney, Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic to Microsoft, where he now helps shape the company's work with organisations including the Premier League, the NFL and Formula One. He’s one of only a handful of execs at the technology giant who has the company’s corporate blessing to speak publicly.The conversation explores the rise of AI-native generations, the shift towards voice-first interaction, and Simon's belief that we're on the cusp of an entirely new medium that could redefine how fans consume, experience and participate in sport.

The curtain has fallen on Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by an all-star lineup to reflect on the major themes of the Summit. Next League Founder and CEO Dave Nugent, Trippant Founder and CEO Tom Scott and Abe Madkour, Publisher and Executive Editor of Sports Business Journal share their highlights. They include the latest from on and off stage on NBA Europe, as EMEA Managing Director George Aivazoglu provided a status update; Europe's venue boom and the commercial implications of it; the continuing rise of premium experiences; and the various leadership styles on display. You'll also hear snippets from the stage on Thursday, including NBC Olympics and Paralympics President Molly Solomon; Richard Atkinson, Acting CEO at Wimbledon; NASCAR EVP and Chief Brand Officer Tim Clark; and Reddit Co-Founder and Chelsea FC Women Owner Alexis Ohanian.

As the dust settles on the first day of the Summit at Stamford Bridge, James Emmett and David Cushnan gather their thoughts - and those of guests Shivs Thevarr, VP of Global Partnerships at the Milwaukee Bucks; Francois Westcombe, MD of Ticketmaster Sport EMEA; and Steve Gera, Former President, Grand Slam Track. They reflect on some of the big themes to emerge across the stages and on the floor, including the leadership lessons coming out of LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil's morning session; Louise Young, F1's Chief Race Promotion Officer, on turning races into cultural and entertainment events; Kroenke Sports & Entertainment President Kevin Demoff on the shared performance cultures that can develop through multi-club ownership; and Francesca Bodie, President of Venezia FC, on the power of destination marketing, as she oversees a shiny new stadium for Venice.