UNOFFICIAL PARTNER
THE SPORTS BUSINESS PODCAST
Vivienne Aiyela
Senior Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at The People Engine and Non Executive Director for the London FA
Best pitch presenter you’ve ever seen
I am judge for The Football Business Awards (2019) and like Seven League Pitch they put forward to be judged for Agency of the Year
Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours)
Nike – Dream Further and Dream Crazier. Sorry I have two favourites.
Best agency (that isn’t yours)
Tongue Tied Management – they represent great diverse talent
Best young industry talent:
Jeanette Kwakye – Olympian, Broadcaster and Host
Best sporting event attended
FIFA Women’s World Cup Paris 2019 – I went to the USA vs Chilli game with 45.5k women, girls and men in attendance. The atmosphere was electric
Best sporting event on TV
World Gymnastics Championships. Such talented individuals and I do love those all the sparkles (leotard designs)
Best industry event or conference
FIFA Equality and Inclusion conference on International Women’s Day 2016
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports business
Invictus - This movie tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the Captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of Apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match
Best book recommendation
Start with Why by Simon Sinek. How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to take action. Talks about why people do not buy what you do but why you do it!
Best bar or pub
John Baird pub, the boxing family (class) gather there to watch live boxing. Food is great too
Best restaurant
Sumak Restaurant, Crouch End. Best Turkish food with great staff.
Best holiday resort
Baros in The Maldives. I went a few years ago, best place to chill out, watch the sun setting, eat good food and seeing the stingray fish being fed that come to the edge of the beach everyday at a certain time.
Best box set
I am not into box sets but I watched Man Like Mobeen with Guz Khan. I laughed so hard.
Best influence on your career.
A lady who I met called Beverley Thompson and Fatma Samoura (Secretary General FIFA) If you can see it YOU can be it.
Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6)
Michelle Obama, Brene Brown, Fatma Samoura (FIFA), Meghan Rapione, Alexis Ohanian/Serena Williams, David Attenborough
Best job in the sports biz
I would to love to work at the Olympics meet and greet– a place where you get to meet star athletes
Best professional regret
I wished I discovered that my GC Index Profile is The Game Changer (transforms the future) and The Strategist (Maps the future) sooner. But the saying goes, “things happen for a reason”. GC Index is a tool to help individuals understand themselves and contributions they make at work.
Best skill you most covet
Planner/organiser
Best trait you admire in others
Courage
Best overrated virtue
Honour – too much emphasis on this. It should be about love, kindness and forgiveness
Best ambition
To get stamps on my passport from visiting all the continents, meet different and embrace different cultures and most importantly try different types of food. Also visit Borneo to see the rescued Orangutans