The Ankura Podcast

Tune into the latest episode of The Business Behind Sport featuring Sarah Lewis OBE OLY, as she shares her journey from Olympic ski racer to influential sports leader, as Secretary General of both the International Ski and Snowboard Federation and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations. 

As the snow sports season begins, join hosts Jonny Gray and Torie Hamilton-Wilson as they delve into:

❄️ The governance system in international snow sports
🎿 Strengths and areas for improvement within the current framework
🏂 Balancing long-term strategic goals with immediate priorities
🏔️ Addressing the threat of climate change to the future of snow sports

In this episode of the Ankura podcast, Lorynn Demetriades sits down with corporate communications and crisis management experts Patricia Rodriguez and Dana White to explore how strategic communication can make or break an investigation's outcome. 

Key insights include:

• The role of strategic communications in shaping public perception
• Collaboration between investigations and communications teams
• Social media's impact on corporate transparency
• New strategies in crisis management

A must-listen for anyone in corporate communications, PR, or crisis management. 

This month on The Business Behind Sport podcast, our Ankura experts discuss the creation of The Hundred Cricket competition, and the England and Wales Cricket Board's (or ECB’s) plans to invite private investment into the tournament. 

Join Alecia Futerman, Jonathan Brown, and Torie Hamilton Wilson as they explore the potential implications for the sport and its stakeholders. Listen now to find out more about the history of the sport, as well as the investment process and strategy. 

Join Ankura’s Lorynn Demetriades and Danny Mayhew, Global Head of Organisational Justice and Smart Assurance at Sanofi on this episode of The Ankura Podcast where they discuss high-stakes investigations, and, in particular, managing crises as they unfold. They discuss:

• The importance of being prepared for crisis-led investigations
• Developing an investigation function within your organisation
• Building a team with the right people and clear responsibilities 
• How to build resilience into an organisation's processes 

Should sports arbitrations and tribunals continue to be held in private?

In this episode of The Business Behind Sport we speak with one of the most high-profile sports barristers in England, Nick De Marco to discuss:
⚽ The arguments for and against private arbitrations in sports 
🏆 How do sports differentiate compared to other industries in terms of handling the privacy aspects of arbitrations or tribunals
🏓 How do you balance the perceived “right to know” of fans, the public, and concerned stakeholders with the privacy of the involved parties?
🏀 And much more…

At the Paris Olympics last week, Saudi Arabia submitted plans to build 11 stadiums - including one set 350 meters above ground level - as part of the country's bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

Listen to this episode of #TheBusinessBehindSport recorded live from London International Disputes Week where Jonny Gray speaks with Helen Waddell, Partner at Pinsent Masons, Richard Liddell KC at 4 New Square Chambers, and Jason Baston from Miller Insurance Services LLP to discuss the interactions between ambition, scale, governance, ESG, media, and commercial pressure in delivering ever-expanding global events like the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games. 

This month on The Business Behind Sport, Jonny Gray speaks to James Stebbing, a Senior Sports Executive who has held General Counsel and Legal roles at Six Nations Rugby, British & Irish Lions, and England Rugby. 

Throughout his career, he has been at the heart of some of the most pivotal moments in Rugby’s recent history, including the impact and response to the Covid crisis and planning for the Nations Cup, a new cross-hemisphere competition launching in 2026, involving 12 of the world’s top international teams.

They discuss:
• The current state of the game
• The financial sustainability of the sport
• Opportunities for commercial growth
• The rise of Women’s Rugby

This month on The Business Behind Sport we take another look at safeguarding in the sports industry, this time focusing on investigations. 

Jonny Gray speaks with Megan Griffiths, Barrister at 12 King’s Bench Walk, and Charli Curran, safeguarding and investigations specialist at Ankura, to discuss: 

• What risks should be discussed when cases of harassment and abuse are raised? 
• What does a “good” response look like after receiving reports of harassment and abuse?
• What might be the consequences for organizations, and individuals, if the wrong approach is taken?

🚑💡 When healthcare meets innovation, big change happens! 

Ankura healthcare strategy expert Michelle Mader and Ray Anderson, Chief Strategy Officer of Trinity Health talk about the intersection of innovation and transformation to tackle today's tough challenges of clinical integration, nursing shortages, and balancing national leadership versus local decision-making. 

In this episode of The Business Behind, Sport Jonny Gray is joined by “the most powerful woman in African football” Abi Ijasanmi, former Chief Operating Officer of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 

This conversation ranges over the landscape of football on the continent, looking closely at integrity and good governance as well as the improvement of infrastructure, the growth of the women’s game, and the emerging global appeal of CAF’s blue-ribbon events such as the African Cup of Nations; both the male and female editions.