More than 200 senior leaders from Sport and the creative industries gathered yesterday at a packed Roberto Cavalli Boutique in Cannes for the SIGAWomen Lounge. Held in a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere, the exclusive thought leadership event organised by SIGA fostered dialogue, promoted women’s leadership and explored how cross-sector collaboration can help shape the future of Sport.
Opening the event, Katie Simmonds, Global Chief Commercial Officer of SIGA and Chair of the SIGA Women Council, joined SIGA Co-Founder and Global CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros in welcoming participants and setting the tone for an evening dedicated to leadership, purpose and positive cultural change.
In his opening remarks, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros highlighted the growing convergence between Sport and the creative industries and called on brands, sponsors and rights holders to assume greater responsibility in the way they invest in Sport. Stressing that partnerships are no longer merely commercial transactions, he urged organisations to require the adoption and implementation of SIGA’s Universal Standards on Sport Integrity as a condition for sponsorship and commercial agreements, arguing that integrity, transparency and accountability must become essential criteria for investment decisions.
During the event, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros also unveiled the SIGAWomen 2030 Vision, presenting an ambitious roadmap to transform SIGAWomen into the world’s leading platform for women’s leadership in Sport. Building on the success of the SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme, the new strategy will evolve SIGAWomen into a comprehensive leadership ecosystem centred on seven interconnected pillars: the Global Mentorship Programme, Executive Courses, Research & Insights, Women on Wednesdays (WoW) events, the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Sport Governance, Strategic Retreats, and the SIGAWomen Alumni Network. Together, these initiatives will strengthen leadership, integrity, good governance and cultural transformation across the global sports ecosystem.
Moderated by Katie Simmonds, the first panel, “Levelling the Playing Field: Female Leadership in Sport”, brought together Roddy Campbell, Director of Partnerships & International Business at Tennis Australia; Laura Cordingley, CEO of Chelsea FC Foundation; Jayathma Wickramanayake, Senior Policy Advisor at UN Women; and Kameryn Stanhouse, Vice President, Global Sports and Entertainment Partnerships at IBM. The discussion explored how leaders are shaping the future of Sport and driving progress from the field of play to the boardroom.
One of the highlights of the evening was the inspiring fireside conversation, Chief Troublemakers: Rewriting the Rules of Sports Governance, Gender Equity & Global Leadership, between Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros and Shelley Zalis, Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient and one of the world’s leading advocates for gender equality in business.
Drawing on her extensive experience leading The Female Quotient, Shelley Zalis shared powerful insights into the importance of creating spaces where women can lead, influence decision-making and reshape organisational culture. The discussion explored the role of courageous leadership, cross-sector collaboration and inclusive governance in accelerating meaningful and lasting change across Sport and society.
The session concluded with SIGA presenting Shelley Zalis with the inaugural SIGA Leadership Award, recognising her outstanding global leadership, unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity, and transformative contribution to empowering women across business, society and Sport. The award was presented by Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros in recognition of her lifelong commitment to driving positive cultural change through inclusive leadership.
The session “Purposeful Partnerships to Drive Social Change”, moderated by Katie Simmonds, featured Erica Kerner, Managing Director and Global Head of Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships at Standard Chartered Bank; Jennifer Chase, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of SAS; Kate Theobald, Global Commercial Director of Liverpool FC; and Kelly Ryan, Global Chief Brand Officer of Tata Consultancy Services. The discussion focused on how cross-sector collaboration can harness Sport as a force for positive social impact.
“SIGAWomen: The Power of Mentorship” showcased the impact of the SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme in supporting career development and creating the next generation of female leaders. Moderated by Karina Mukanova, Deputy Director of the MSc in Sport Business Management at the International University of Monaco and former mentee, the panel featured Christina Tsiligkiri, President of the European Multisport Club Association; Sarah Solémalé, former FIFA, CAF and ECA Legal & Governance Executive; Julie Stewart-Binks, NHL Reporter and Host; and Julia Green, CEO of Formula Africa – all SIGAWomen Global Mentors.
Moderated by Nicole Odofin, Growth Manager at Channel 4 and creator and host, “The Intersection between the Creative Industries and Sport” brought together Vida Cornelious, SVP Creative & Strategy, Advertising at The New York Times; Anya Dawkins Johnson, Vice President, Marketing and Commercial Strategy at TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery; and Aleena Khan, Co-Founder of CTZN Cosmetics and host of Full Disclosure with Aleena. The panel examined the growing connections between Sport, media, entertainment, fashion and culture, and their influence in shaping attitudes and mindsets.
The final panel, “Commercialising Women’s Sport”, was moderated by Edward Odofin, Founder of EMERGE and Global Co-Chair of BBC Embrace. Joining him were Lauren Funke, Vice President Advertising at The Athletic; Zarah Al-Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer at WSL Football; and Marketa Haindlova, President of the Czech Footballers’ Union and Board Member of FIFPRO Europe. Together, they discussed the opportunities, investments and strategies driving the continued growth of women’s sport and the media’s role in accelerating its trajectory.
The evening concluded with SIGAWoW – WE RISE, a forward-looking call to action led by Katie Simmonds and Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, encouraging participants to continue building a more inclusive, responsible and sustainable future for Sport and to leave a legacy for the next generation of leaders. Guests then continued networking as the live DJ provided the soundtrack to a vibrant close for an evening dedicated to leadership, integrity and meaningful connections.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.