International Women’s Day exists to drive equity and women’s equality and to help women advance in many different areas including the workplace, technology and sport.
In honour of International Women’s Day 2022, we talk to some of the great female talent across the Ticketmaster Sport business and also to a number of the leading women across our client partners, about what it is that has attracted them to the sports industry and what we can all do to help encourage more women to consider working within sport.
Upneet Thandi – Head of Marketing, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Role/Responsibility:
To develop and lead on the Tournament’s marketing strategy and subsequent revenue generation objectives through delivery of ticket sales and wider commercial products. I am also a part of RLWC2021’s Senior Executive Team working closely with the Board and CEO to support organisational leadership.
What do you love about working in sport?
I love how expressive sport is – we are so lucky to be working in an industry that allows us to build local and global communities by bringing to life all the inspirational stories of human endeavour and positive change that sport enables in society.
Career highlight:
Being part of the team that developed and delivered England Rugby’s Red Roses brand identity and 2017 Rugby World Cup campaign. I’m thoroughly loving being part of the RLWC2021 team too – we work through a truly values-led approach and being surrounded with this philosophy and amazing teammates across the organisation is proving to be a very special experience.
Favourite Sports Moment:
So many but more recently being part of the Scottish Rugby Union and watching the men’s squad win the 2021 Calcutta Cup on the 150th anniversary of this iconic Six Nations fixture. Such great memories of celebration and camaraderie on and off the pitch and a nation fully uplifted (during a time when fans couldn’t be in stadia and wider society was still in lockdown).
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
I think it’s important to continue promoting the visibility and voices of women already working in and playing sport and for organisations to embed inclusion and diversity objectives into their business strategy. For example: this will be the first time in the history of Rugby League World Cup that the men’s, the wheelchair and the women’s events will be hosted as part of the same World Cup tournament and with athletes receiving equal pay. Off the pitch, inclusion is one of our organisational values that steers our mindset and way of working. As a result, inclusion permeates through everything we do and allows us to attract more diversity into our organisation.
I love how expressive sport is – we are so lucky to be working in an industry that allows us to build local and global communities by bringing to life all the inspirational stories of human endeavour and positive change that sport enables in society.
Upneet Thandi, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Laura Johnson– Director of Sales & Marketing, Ticketmaster Sport
Role/Responsibility:
I oversee both B2B marketing for the Ticketmaster Sport brand across International markets and B2C marketing support for Ticketmaster’s white label clients. We help our clients to find new fans, sell more tickets and generate more revenue through leveraging Ticketmaster’s vast range of marketing solutions.
What do you love about working in sport?
I love the passion for sport that’s evident from anyone I work with either at Ticketmaster or any of our clients. It’s that passion that really drives everything and helps to bring what we do to life which in turn makes our jobs so much easier.
Career highlight:
Too many to mention here but being part of the extended teams that help to market tournaments such as Cricket World Cup, Rugby League World Cup and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is truly exciting and challenging in equal measure. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know our new rugby clients too, as we onboard Premiership Rugby Clubs following our recent Premiership Rugby announcement.
Favourite Sports Moment:
I’ll never forget attending my very first Badminton Horse Trials, having watched it for so many years on TV as a pony mad girl. The atmosphere, everything that’s on offer around the event, getting up close to the competitors (2 legged and 4 legged!) and just being there is incomparable. I attend every year and look forward to the build up of the eventing season each spring.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
For me, there is so much opportunity for women working in sport and we need to work together to shine a spotlight on all the great female talent we’re fortunate to have, not just at Ticketmaster but more broadly across the industry and do a better job of promoting why it’s a great place to be. Fortunately for us at Ticketmaster, we have some great initiatives in play that help us to raise women’s voices.
Claire Butters – Sales & Marketing Director, Sale Sharks
Role/Responsibility:
I joined Sale Sharks initially to head up the marketing team and more recently taking responsibility for the sales function too. My role is focussed on enhancing the club profile to elevate Sale Sharks as an elite sports club, through developing our culture and brand to drive fan engagement across the region, attracting new fans and partnership opportunities to take our club to the next level.
What do you love about working in sport?
There is nothing like working in sport, I think its down to the total love for sport that flows through everyone. If you’ve ever played team sport, it’s that feeling of winning and losing together dropped into a business environment. In my current role, the exposure to elite sports teams and coaches is fascinating, and how the on-pitch and off-pitch parts of the club work together. We talk about Sharks being a family, and it absolutely is – being in such close proximity to the teams means match days become more personal as you know the players as people, as well as professional athletes. I don’t think there is another career that could ever give you that feeling of togetherness.
Career highlight:
Sitting with Sir Geoff Hurst watching the FIFA World Cup final in Germany was an incredible experience, completely surreal and something I’ll never forget. And then more recently I was lucky enough to go to Twickenham for the first time and that was amazing, to hear the whole crowd signing Swing Low Sweet Chariot was really special, a goose bumps moment.
Favourite Sports Moment:
Tough question! I’ve been lucky enough to work in sport most of my career so it’s really hard to pick out one. Running the Player Escort Programme for McDonalds at the FIFA World Cup was one, enabling kids to live their dreams as player mascots was so lovely. And then working for a club is dream job territory for me, so Sale Sharks is a career highlight, my proudest moment so far is achieving our highest ever attendance v Leicester Tigers.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
I think one of the challenges women have is that sports environments can seem intimidating. My experience is the opposite to that, so maybe its about giving more of a spotlight to women in the business side of sport and continuing to support women in sport generally. I follow people like Gabby Logan, Jess Ennis, Alex Scott who inspire me, showcasing strong women in sport can have a huge impact and I think when we see men supporting those women to be successful that’s really powerful.
There is nothing like working in sport, I think it’s down to the total love for sport that flows through everyone. If you’ve ever played team sport, it’s that feeling of winning and losing together dropped into a business environment.
Claire Butters, Sale Sharks
Jayne Maggs – Client Account Manager, Ticketmaster Sport
Role/Responsibility:
I oversee the set up of events and products using Ticketmaster Sport’s technology and ticketing platforms at multiple sports venues across the UK. Part of the unique service offering here at Ticketmaster is to ensure our clients feel fully supported, so we offer training and guidance with new functionality, ensuring clients get the most out of the solutions we provide.
What do you love about working in sport?
If you love sport and want others to share in your passion, then working in a sports environment where you meet varied clients – there’s nothing better.
Career highlight:
Managing a venue box office at the 2012 Euro Finals in Wroclav, Poland for 18 days. I met so many interesting people from around the world, all with a shared interest in helping supporters to enjoy the events held at the venue and making memories that last a lifetime!
Favourite Sports Moment:
Working at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017 and then being fortunate to watch the final at Lords where England Ladies beat India surrounded by a loud, capacity audience.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
Share our experiences and encourage others to consider sport, from working in the industry or watching events they would not have considered previously. It’s initiatives like these, in support of International Women’s Day 2022, that remind us why the sports industry is such a unique and exciting industry.
Jenny Lawrence – Box Office Manager, Queen’s Park Rangers FC
Role/Responsibility:
I manage & lead the Ticketing team at Queens Park Rangers FC and am responsible for the sales, service & delivery for internal & external stakeholders. The Ticketing team and our supporters have fully embraced the implementation of digital tickets, which we have worked on closely with Ticketmaster Sport.
What do you love about working in sport?
I love the team I work with, we are all very passionate about football, I also love how football brings communities together. I must enjoy it, I have worked in football for 40yrs, 15yrs at Middlesbrough and 25yrs at QPR!
Career highlight:
Apart from all the promotions I have been involved in, the 1st game at the Riverside v Chelsea was incredible, the atmosphere was amazing and supporters were fantastic. In addition, the QPR win against Derby at Wembley was so emotional, I was honoured to be invited into the Royal Box for the day.
Favourite Sports Moment:
Quite a few to mention, but moving Middlesbrough FC from Ayresome Park to the Riverside Stadium without a computer was a stressful, manual process but well worth it. I have been lucky to manage the play-offs both at Middlesbrough & QPR and not to mention promotions with both Clubs, which is a truly unforgettable experience.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
There are so many successful women working in football and within the sport industry, they should be acknowledged and encouraged to follow their dreams
Suzie Clarke – Client Account Manager – Ticketmaster Sport
Role/Responsibility:
I look after a range of Ticketmaster’s white label sport clients and, as a Client Account Manager, it’s my role to ensure clients are getting the best out of our platforms and to offer support, guidance and training where needed. This in turn then helps them to deliver the very best service to their supporters, from discovery and purchase right through to match day and beyond.
What do you love about working in sport?
I was once told that sport is like no other business and that is so true. No two days are ever the same and getting to meet new clients, visiting new venues and being introduced to new sports just cannot be beaten.
Career highlight:
So many fantastic opportunities have been presented to me during my time working in sport, including working at a Formula E event in New York and the Cricket World Cup Final at Lords in 2019. I’m hoping for many more incredible opportunities yet to come.
Favourite Sports Moment:
Nothing really beats seeing your favourite team (Wycombe Wanderers) playing at iconic venues, but having the opportunity to visit the Nou Camp to watch Barcelona v Chelsea in the Champions League is definitely up there. The atmosphere was incredible.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
By making everyone aware of our experiences and sharing why sport is a great place for women to find opportunity.
Sarah Williams – Commercial Manager – Women, Arsenal FC
Role/Responsibility:
I lead on all commercial activity for the Arsenal Women first team. This covers all ticketing, marketing, partnerships and broadcast rights.
What do you love about working in sport?
For me, it’s about being a small part of something much bigger. Every home game, when the first goal goes in for the home team and you hear the roar of the crowd, I use that as an opportunity to reflect on all of the people who have made the match happen. Of course, I know that people aren’t really cheering for successfully buying their ticket and getting into the stadium, but you have to find those moments for reflection to get you through the more difficult days.
Career highlight:
This is a tough one – there have been so many high points along the way, but I’m currently focused on building the audience for Arsenal Women. It’s a very exciting time but I feel the highlight of this is yet to come. Hopefully, this will be in the very near future, with a big crowd for the North London Derby at Emirates Stadium on 26 March.
Favourite Sports Moment:
Being a proud Yorkshire lass, I distinctly remember watching Jess Ennis-Hill take Gold at the London 2012 Olympics. I was actually on the other side of the globe, living in Australia at the time. I watched with relatives who had emigrated to Australia many years ago and the emotion was palpable. That’s the power of sport; it brings people together, strengthening & creating bonds in a way like no other. In person, my first experience of working on a Champions League game was pretty special.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
As someone who was distinctly non-sporty at school (and remain so to this day!), the thought of working in sport never crossed my mind. It was only through a set of circumstances that I started my career in sport 15 years ago. We have to do more as an industry to educate women from a young age that these possibilities exist. We can do this in a whole host of ways, from education to role modelling and professional networks. Unless your ambition is to be an athlete, sporting prowess is in no way a requisite for working in the industry and there are so many opportunities in sport outside of what happens on the pitch. I feel very lucky to work for a club like Arsenal who show that women can and should be working in sport.
We have to do more as an industry to educate women, from a young age, that these possibilities exist. We can do this in a whole host of ways, from education to role modelling and professional networks.
Sarah Williams, Arsenal FC
Upali Bose – Application Support Engineer, Ticketmaster Sport
Role/Responsibility:
I provide support to our clients across various technology solutions, helping during on sales and ensuring our clients’ businesses run efficiently.
What do you love about working in sport?
I love the passion everyone has for various sports both within Ticketmaster Sport and across our client base and industry, especially since it’s so varied. It is incredibly diverse and for someone like me who is a huge cricket fan, I love getting to know new sports and understanding why others are so passionate about them.
Career highlight:
Being a part of the onsale team for the European Championships Munich 2022 opening. Seeing months of work come to fruition was hugely satisfying and memorable for me.
Favourite Sports Moment:
I love a good game of cricket, my most memorable event was watching my home team Kolkata Knight Riders winning the Indian Premier League in 2012.
How can we encourage more women to work in sport?
As others have said, it’s about being more vocal about why we love to work in sport and ensuring women know that there is opportunity for them in this industry.
