The Ankura Podcast

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. 

Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with much of its growth being driven bottom-up by investors. 

One of those investors, Houman Ashrafzadeh, Founder of Padium, joins Jonny Gray on this episode of #TheBusinessBehindSport to discuss the rise and growth of padel in the UK and worldwide over recent years. Together they discuss: 

• What makes padel different from other racket sports 
• The development of the governance of the sport 
• The commercial opportunities with padel 

Sports are still a very male-dominated space, especially in the boardroom.

In this episode of The Business Behind Sport, Jonathan Brown speaks to two female leaders in the sports industry, Monique Choudhuri Board Director at Women in Football and Rowena Samarasinhe, Managing Director at GENSport.

During this episode, they explore the progress female sports have made over the years, the challenges they face in their careers, the role diversity, equity, and inclusion plays within the industry, and the future of women’s sports as a whole.

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Snooker has always been a popular sport, particularly in the UK, but its rapid growth worldwide has led to a potential global audience of 1.8 billion viewers.

In this episode of The Business Behind Sport podcast, Jonny Gray speaks to Jason Ferguson, Group Chairman & CEO of The World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA) and Director of the World Snooker Tour to discuss Jason’s journey from a player to running the sport worldwide, including his hopes for entry as an Olympic sport in Los Angeles 2028.

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Disputes and investigations expert, Jacqui Record, construction expert, Sena Gbedemah, and cybersecurity specialist, Kajen Subramoney, are joined by Bevan Farmer, Construction and Engineering Partner at Addleshaw in this latest episode to discuss the role of AI and its impact on expert evidence, cost implications in construction disputes, and their views on future trends.