Katie Simmonds
Global Chief Operating Officer, Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) | Managing Director, SIGAWomen
Katie Simmonds is an English qualified lawyer that specialises in sports law. As SIGA’s Global Chief Operating Officer, she plays an integral role in the development and expansion of SIGA, the world`s largest coalition for sport integrity.
Katie Simmonds is a member of SIGA’s Executive Committee and reports directly to the Global CEO on all legal, and commercial matters. Amongst other responsibilities, she is a sports governance expert and is responsible for SIGA’s internal governance. She advises sports organisations that are adopting the SIGA Universal Standards on Sport Integrity and going through SIRVS – the world’s first ever independent rating and certification system for global sport – to usher a new culture of accountability and transparency into the industry.
Katie Simmonds is the Managing Director of SIGAWomen and leads a global mentorship programme for aspiring female leaders in the industry to impact the number of women represented in the decision-making structures of sports organisations. This includes delivering annual mentorship for 100 young women from around the world and producing and hosting a monthly “SIGAWoW – Women on Wednesdays – Show” with top industry guests and an annual Summit on Female Leadership in Sport.
Dr. Iain Lindsay
Senior Director of Research, Knowledge and Innovation, Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA)
Iain Lindsay is a member of the SIGA Executive Committee and reports directly to the Global CEO on a variety of matters, including but not limited to global research, training and capacity building programmes. He plays a key role in the design, development and implementation of global projects, edits the Sport Integrity Journal and is responsible for a range of thought leadership outputs and initiatives. Across all of these he works closely with the SIGA global partners and wider network, and provides insight and strategic advice in relation to the development and implementation of SIGA deliverables.
Iain has recently overseen the succesful application for Erasmus+ funding to design and launch The Sport Transparency Index. This project, which began in 2023, will create the means to benchmark Sport against a set of Transparency Indicators and will provide the platform for knowledge exchange to enhance Integrity and Transparency accross Sport.
Dr Lindsay is also charged with establishing, and leading, the SIGA University Network and the SIGA Youth Council. The SIGA University Network is a coalition of global leading universities united by a commitment to an expanding and evolving series of joint initiatives in the field of Sport Governance and Integrity. The SIGA Youth Council works to inspire the next generation of future leaders in the industry, by providing the means, opportunities and platform to shape projects, events and initaitves from a fresh perspective.
Iain Lindsay joined SIGA in 2019 after holding leadership roles in Global Sport Organisations. He holds a BSc, MSc and PhD and is an award-winning, multi-published author that has led and been involved in a diverse array of Sport related research projects and presented extensively on the international conference circuit.
Iain is also a member of the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport Steering Committee.
Nuno Perestrelo
Director of Communication and Media
Nuno Perestrelo is a former senior journalist with a career strongly connected to sports. With nearly 30 years of experience in leadership positions at some of the most prominent newspapers in Portugal, he transitioned from the newsroom environment in 2021 to embrace SIGA’s mission and vision of reforming Sport with integrity.
From the outset, Nuno has been responsible for internal and external communication, content production, press relations, media advisory, and the management and development of the Media Partners project. He supports the promotion and organisation of the thought leadership events hosted by SIGA, including the Summit on Female Leadership, Sport Integrity Week, Expert Summit on Global Leadership and Anti-Corruption in Sport, among others.
Nuno brings extensive experience in covering major sports events such as UEFA Euro-2004, FIFA World Cup 2006, London Olympic Games-2012, and Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games-2016.
Nuno holds certification in “Communication in Football” from ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and Portugal Football School (Portuguese FA). He holds a Certificate of Pedagogical Competences (CCP), and is a Portuguese certified training provider.
Vinicius Sousa
Director of Institutional Relations and Strategic Partnerships, SIGA LATIN AMERICA
Vinicius Sousa provides support to SIGA LATIN AMERICA in various capacities related to the operation of SIGA’s regional structure. In his role in governance, Vinicius is responsible for organising meetings and coordinating activities among regional members. He takes charge of setting up agendas, preparing reports, and creating informative materials. Additionally, he assists in the coordination of Pacto pelo Esporte, a private agreement among the 40 largest sports sponsors in Brazil who aim at promoting Sport Integrity.
In the field of institutional relations, Vinicius facilitates stakeholder engagement across civil society, government, and business sectors.
Vinicius holds a master’s degree in political action, a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, and a certification in Project Management for NGOs (PM4NGOs).
Prior to joining SIGA, Vinicius gained valuable professional experience working with international organisations. In 2016, he served as a trainee in the Political Sector of the Delegation of the European Union to Brazil. In 2017, he worked as an intern in knowledge management, focusing on social protection and international cooperation, at the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG).
From 2018 to 2020, Vinicius held the position of adviser to the Municipal Management Secretariat of the São Paulo City Hall. As a public servant, he played a pivotal role in developing the first Personnel Planning report and implementing the first local Bank Recruitment. His efforts were recognized with an honorable mention in the city’s award for teams with outstanding projects in the areas of planning and management.
Between 2020 and 2022, Vinicius worked in advocacy consulting, providing project management support to national and international organizations from the business and civil society sectors. He specialized in developing strategies for promoting political, behavioral, and systemic changes.
Francisco Melo
Executive Assistant to the Executive Committee, Sport Integrity Global Alliance
Francisco Melo is a driven individual with an educational background in law. Having undertaken a bachelor’s degree in law at Universidade Católica do Porto, as well as a Post-Graduation Course in Management and Organization in Professional Football from Liga Portugal and Universidade Católica do Porto, Francisco has developed a passion for the intersection of sports and law. Francisco’s interests lie in the field of sports integrity and governance. He is dedicated to promoting integrity, transparency, and ethical practices within the realm of professional sports.
Francisco was appointed Executive Assistant to the Executive Committee, after pursuing an internship at SIGA.