Dan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Sporting Directors and is a Associate Professor in Sport Business at the Centre of Sport Business within the University of Liverpool Management School. Dan has extensive experience developing, leading and delivering executive education, alongside providing mentorship and research supervision for senior leaders in football. He has consulted on facilitating positive organisational change, performance management and the recruitment of senior staff in elite football. He is also a founder member of The Football Collective, a global platform for football researchers.

Haydn is responsible for the commercial and operational growth of the ASD.

Haydn is Head of the award winning Shoosmiths Elite Advisory division and originates from a commercial background at Heineken International & Budweiser. He worked on many sponsorship deals including Manchester City, Everton, Glastonbury, Virgin Music Festivals, Chelsea and Manchester United. In 2008 he left the FMCG industry and moved into football, founding the Player Care and Support department at Manchester City, New York City and Melbourne City FC. His vision, dedication and ability to predict player’s needs saw this department flourish, and become considered best in class within the European football industry.

Haydn possesses great relationship management, networking, communication and commercial skills. He is keen to speak to potential commercial partners whose brands reflect the values of the ASD and whose products can assist the Sporting Director in fulfilling his or her vision.

Alistair is a Partner with the international search firm SRI. He has spent 10 years working with Ownership Groups, Professional Football Clubs, National Associations and Olympic sports on a range of technical and leadership appointments.

Iffy has a wealth of football experience and expertise, following a career spanning 15 years as a player, making over 450 appearances, notably for Huddersfield Town and Gillingham.

Iffy transitioned to coaching and coach education, and he currently works as a coach educator and equalities executive for the PFA, alongside working as a match delegate for the Premier League. As a UEFA Pro Licence holder, Iffy has previously supported the England youth teams as an assistant coach and managed the Ethiopia National Team.

Iffy is also a board trustee at Kick It Out, supporting the governance of the organisation and is the English Premier Leagues Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Barry is an Industrial Professorial Fellow at The University of Birmingham.  He is an experienced academic specialising in the area of sports performance. 

Barry has a particular interest in the development, preparation and performance of elite footballers. Published over 150 peer reviewed research articles and is invited regularly to speak at national and international conferences. Barry is also interested in the development of individuals working with scientists and industry practitioners to develop skills associated with problem solving and critical thinking. 

He has successfully supervised around 40 doctorates using both traditional science-based models and more contemporary applied practice based strategies. Over a period of 20 years, Barry has also been involved in providing scientific support and expert consultancy services to elite football organisations.  These include roles within teams within the English Premier League, Scottish Premiership and national football associations.

Joel is a UEFA A licensed coach, FA qualified Academy Manager and experienced Educator, with a Masters in Sport Directorship, he possesses a range of executive skills gained through various senior roles in football and education.

He is a Director of a football and educational consultancy specialising in football related academic programmes and delivery, leadership initiatives and strategic development to positively impact upon a variety of organisations and institutions.

Joel is also an experienced football practitioner as a FA Premier League and National Team Senior Scout, with elite coaching experiences as a Premier League Academy Head Coach and with England Women U23’s.

Ross currently sits on the Technical Committee that represents Sporting Director members.

He has previously held Sporting Director roles at Watford, Huddersfield Town and Southampton.

Ross is currently Sporting Director and Board Member at Scottish Giants Glasgow Rangers FC.

Nick sits on the Technical Committee that represents Sporting Director members.

Nick is an experienced Sporting Director and football consultant who is currently working with Celtic FC in the Scottish Premiership at Head of Football Operations.

Rebecca sits on the Technical Committee that represents Sporting Director members.

Having spent numerous years working in Tennis, and football at Queens Park Rangers, Rebecca now operates as Head of Football Operations at Tottenham Hotspur and has been a key member of the executive team since 2015.

Furthermore, Rebecca is also a chartered accountant and holds a joint honours degree from Loughborough University.