London, 18 June 2018 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) is delighted to launch the application process for its Global Mentorship Programme for Aspiring Female Leaders.
Initially announced at a special session in Paris on the eve of International Women’s Day, earlier this year, SIGA set in motion the launch of a worldwide, action-orientated mentorship programme to support and encourage future female leaders in sport to reach their potential.
Open to women aged 24 or over, the programme is designed to promote future leaders in sport and foster greater diversity within the industry, as advocated by SIGA’s Universal Standards on Good Governance. Teaching vital leadership skills and creating invaluable experiences, the programme will see the chosen candidates spend one business week with their assigned mentors.
The application process is now open. The first group of mentors selected by SIGA will play a crucial role promoting the development of women in sport. The “first team” of eleven mentors come from a number of diverse backgrounds from across the sport industry, including media, legal, sports federations, global business, political, sports administration and NGOs.
A “second team” of eleven global female mentors will be announced at the upcoming SIGA Sport Integrity Forum, hosted by the United Nations in Geneva on 26th July 2018. The Forum will feature a panel session dedicated to the subject of diversity in sport. You can register for the event by visiting the Eventbrite page – https://sportintegrityforum.eventbrite.com
Below is the full list of mentors:
- Anne-Laure Bonnet, Journalist, BeIN Sports
- Patricia Costantini – Founder, Egalsport
- Ebru Köksal – Senior Advisor at J. Stern & Co and Former CEO and Board Member of Galatasaray SK
- Annette Knott – Secretary General of the Trinidad & Tobago National Olympic Committee
- Jane Lute – CEO, SICPA North America and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
- Angela Melo – Director Policies and Programmes at UNESCO
- Patricia Moyersoen – Lawyer, President of the Association of International Football Lawyers & Member of Women in Sports Law
- Ling-Ling Nie – Chief Compliance Officer & Assistant General Counsel, Panasonic
- Shellie Pfohl – CEO Safe Sport USA and former Executive Director of the United States President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition
- Katie Simmonds – Director of Sports Governance and Financial Integrity, ICSS INSIGHT & SIGA Team
- Karen Webb Moss – Group Chief Operating Officer, ICSS and former IOC Vice President of Image & Marketing Communications
Commenting the launch of the application process, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of SIGA, stated:
“Achieving greater gender balance in sport is a matter of priority. This is an integral part of good governance in sport and is vital for the ongoing growth and development of the industry. We trust our worldwide mentorship programme, led by exceptional female mentors, will help address some of the imbalance presently found in sport and inspire the future generations of female leaders.”
Jane Lute, President and CEO, SICPA North America and Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, who is one of SIGA’s Global Female Mentors stated:
“Sport is a vital activity that touches every person everywhere. Women and girls have been active participants in individual and organized sport as long as it has existed, but the full benefits of this participation has been denied or too hard won. We demonstrate clearly that we value our girls as much as our boys when we give them the same opportunities to strive and excel in life. With greater numbers of women in leadership positions at all levels of sport, we can help achieve this aim.”
Ling-Ling Nie, Chief Compliance Officer & Assistant General Counsel at Panasonic Corporation of North America, who is one of SIGA’s Global Mentors, stated:
“I am personally committed to building leaders from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and providing education, mentoring, and support to further that goal. I am therefore so delighted to be one of SIGA’s Global Mentors.
I look forward to supporting young female leaders in the sports industry, and further promoting the need for diversity in leadership positions around the world by partnering with SIGA on this very important program, and I thank them for creating this opportunity for the next generation of women leaders.”
Ebru Köksal, Senior Advisor at J. Stern & Co and Former CEO and Board Member of GalatasaraySK, who is one of SIGA’s Global Mentors, stated:
“I believe that through our collective voice, we can make true progress and find lasting solutions to the significant challenges that women have been facing in sports careers. In this regard, SIGA’s mentorship program can be instrumental in creating future leaders to carry the flag and overcome these challenges with mutual support and collaboration.”
Karen Webb Moss, Group Chief Operating Officer, ICSS and former IOC Vice President of Image & Marketing Communications, who is one of SIGA’s Global Mentors, stated:
“SIGA has once again proved its strong and pioneering leadership by recognising that women have a significant role to play and also to lead in sport and in the future good governance of sport. There is so much that women like us; who have worked in sport, sport business and in management – some for decades, can and should pass on to younger women working in this field. It is tough to work in this industry sometimes and equally tough to make it, and through the sometimes bruised and battered experiences, we have learned a lot and can willingly inspire future female leaders.”
For further details and to apply for the Global Female Mentorship Programme, please visit SIGA’s website and complete the application form here – https://siga-sport.com/sigas-gender-equality-in-sport-initiative/.