Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

Rugby union's Nations Championship got back underway this week, as the Rugby League World Cup draws to a conclusion in Australia, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are in the studio to consider both. The Nations Championship, organised by SANZAAR and the Six Nations, has added a new narrative to summer and autumn internationals but, as the inaugural tournament moves towards its finals weekend at Twickenham later this month, Qatar's withdrawal from hosting and sponsoring the 2028 edition means

As RedBird Capital and Oaktree, owners of AC Milan and Inter respectively, gear up to begin work on Milan’s new football stadium, James Emmett and David Cushnan take a look at the newly-revealed plans and Generali’s record-breaking naming rights sponsorship. They also reflect on this week’s big conversation with Fliss Barnard, CEO at Ascot Racecourse, and consider the ways in which leaders of large sports events can help build and nurture culture amongst permanent and temporary staff. And on th

How do you preserve the traditions of a 300-year-old British institution while building a culture fit for its next phase of growth? Ascot Racecourse CEO Fliss Barnard joins Leaders Editorial Director James Emmett and Humanforce’s Dom Fraser for the first episode of Making Culture Count: Lessons from the Frontline of Fan Experience, a new three-part series exploring how organisational culture shapes the experience of sports and entertainment fans. Barnard explains why culture is inherent to the

Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane is this year's Ballon d'Or winner; his victory was confirmed at a glittering ceremony in London, put on by Ballon d'Or organisers the Amaury Group and Uefa. The crowing of Kane - and the evolution of the awards ceremony itself - are the subject of discussion between James Emmett and Nic Coward, standing in as co-host this week for David Cushnan. Coward is a serial sporting board member, the current chair of the National League, and former General Se

The International Olympic Committee has revealed the process and timeline for selecting the host of the 2036 summer Olympic Games, and James Emmett and David Cushnan are on hand to discuss why a more open bidding contest is a good thing. They consider the publicly-announced contenders for 2036 - India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa, Germany, Hungary and Türkiye - ahead of next week's expression of interest deadline, and the group of comms and PR agencies who will help craft the bids and shap

Bex Smith, CEO of multi-club women's football ownership group Crux Football, is the next guest in the series, from Leaders and research agency GWI, exploring demographics, attitudes and priorities amongst fans of women’s sport. GWI’s Director of Research Services Peter Kent joins David Cushnan, to frame up the conversations through GWI’s extensive data on the topic. In this episode, Smith explains the rationale behind the formation of Crux Football in 2025, and its first two club investments -