Been in the football industry since 2010, first directly involved in the Club Operations for Necaxa and since 2014 in the Stadium, during this time we have organized many events, of course soccer related, but also NFL, Concerts, FIFA Congress. During this time we were able to bring Cruz Azul as a tenant, and currently we are fully committed to the remodelation of the stadium and to the FIFA 2026 World Cup to be inaugurated in the Estadio Azteca.
MeettheleaderswhowilljoinWFSAmericas!
Speakers
WFS Americas 2024
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Félix Aguirre
CEO - Estadio Azteca
CEO – Estadio Azteca
Félix Aguirre
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Enrique Arrambides
Commercial Director - Nielsen
Commercial Director – Nielsen
Enrique Arrambides
Enrique joined Nielsen Sports in the beginning of 2019, bringing to the table a background of more than 12 years of market research as a consultant, a protection brand role for the Panamerican and Para-panamerican games of Guadalajara 2011, along with a strong commercial view of the sports business.
He strongly believes that professionalization of the sports landscape is what will lead change among Rights holders, brands and, ultimately, fans in Mexico. He holds a degree in Comms and a Master in Marketing Direction.
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Paulina Agüero
Commercial & Marketing Manager - Club de Futbol Universidad de Chile
Gerente Comercial y Marketing – Club de Futbol Universidad de Chile
Paulina Agüero
Married, mother of 3 children, commercial engineer. I have worked in football since 2010, starting as Commercial and Marketing Manager in Colo Colo, then Commercial and marketing Manager of the ANFP (Chilean Football Federation); a few years in Futbolsites Chile as general manager and currently I work as commercial and marketing manager of the Universidad de Chile Football Club.
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Esteban Arce
Digital Platforms Coordinator - Liga MX
Digital Platforms Coordinator – Liga MX
Esteban Arce
Esteban Arce is a sports industry professional with 8 years of experience and a Master in Football Business from The FBA. He is currently the Digital Coordinator at Liga MX. Esteban has previously worked at Forza Football, Club Nacional, and ESPN, where he gained experience in sports marketing and digital content.
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Mikel Arriola
Executive President - Liga MX
Executive President – Liga MX
Mikel Arriola
Mikel Arriola, born in Mexico City, holds a Law Degree from Universidad Anahuac del Norte, a master’s in Public Policy from LSE, and a master’s in Law from the University of Chicago, which awarded him the Professional Merit Award in 2017. His public sector career began in 2002 as Litigation Coordinator for Banrural. He served in various roles, including Compliance Officer at Rural Financial, and held several positions in the Finance Ministry (SHCP). From 2011 to 2017, he was Federal Commissioner for Protection against Health Risks and General Director of IMSS. In 2018, he ran for Mayor of Mexico City, earning around 800,000 votes. He is a member of NASEM and PAHO committees and the board of Medica Sur. Since January 1, 2021, Arriola has been the Executive President of the Mexican Football League.
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Sascha Bauer
Director of Regional Training and Education - St. Louis CITY SC
Director of Regional Training and Education – St. Louis CITY SC
Sascha Bauer
Purpose-driven sports educator and innovator with experience of 25+ years of coaching & coaching education in various countries and continents (South Africa, Mozambique, Brazil, Turkey, USA and Germany). Sports scientist and UEFA-A-License coach with a strong belief that coaching education needs to change and improve that all coaches are better prepared to promote social and emotional competencies in Youth Sports. Experience of working with elite teams like the U17 National Team of Mozambique or Eintracht Frankfurt Youth teams. Founder of social-profit organization Football for Worldwide Unity aiming to positively impact Youth through free coaching education for coaches in countries with limited access to coaching knowledge.
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Tatiana Briseño Contreras
Project Manager - The Marketing Jersey
Project Manager – The Marketing Jersey
Tatiana Briseño Contreras
Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Master’s degree in Football Business. Founder of CampeonasMX, a media outlet specialized in women’s sports, and Victoria FC, a girls’ football academy dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for every girl and woman to participate in the sport.
She began her career as a coordinator of women’s categories at Club León, honing her skills and passion for women’s football, before advancing to the role of Sports Manager at Club Pachuca Femenil.
As Director of Global Shapers León, an initiative backed by the World Economic Forum, she leads a network of young volunteers driving dialogue, action, and transformative change both locally and globally.
Today, she leverages her expertise as a Project Manager at The Marketing Jersey, a premier agency renowned for its commitment to advancing women’s football on both national and international stages. -
Alfonso Becerra Cid
Commercial Strategy & Innovation Director - FMF
Commercial Strategy & Innovation Director – FMF
Alfonso Becerra Cid
Alfonso Becerra Cid, a renowned leader in Business Innovation with over 20 years of experience, boasts a unique profile that combines Marketing, Digital, and Technology. Currently, at the Mexican Football Federation, he is responsible for developing new products, services, and experiences to expand the benefits portfolio for Mexican national team & Liga MX sponsors, catering to a fan base of 180 million, primarily across two countries. His vision of the sports industry as part of the entertainment offering stems from his experience at Cinépolis, one of the world’s top three cinema chains. As the Global Head of Innovation and Customer Experience at Cinépolis, Alfonso spearheaded the design and opening of next-generation cinemas, redefining the movie-going experience. His academic background in Computer Engineering, coupled with his Master’s in Internet Business and over a decade of experience in leading technology companies like Cisco and Avaya, provides him with a deep understanding of technology and a solid foundation in digital.
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Chad Biagini
President - Nolan Partners
President – Nolan Partners
Chad Biagini
Serves as the global President of Nolan Partners, the world’s leading retained executive search firm for sports, media, and entertainment. The firm specializes in recruiting board members, C-level executive , and Vice Presidents for the top clubs, leagues, federations, broadcasters, gaming developers, sports bettors, and brands.
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Olimpia Cabral
Directora Comercial y Marketing - Club Deportivo Guadalajara
Directora Comercial y Marketing – Club Deportivo Guadalajara
Olimpia Cabral
Olimpia Cabral is Club Deportivo Guadalajara’s Commercial Marketing Director
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Pablo Canosa Pascual
CEO - Talentall
CEO – Talentall
Pablo Canosa Pascual
Leader with 10+ years expertise across strategic partnerships, sponsorship, digital marketing, sales and revenue management in the Sports, eSports & Entertainment Business. For 3 years, I contributed to build Atletico de Madrid into one of the most successful commercial football club in Europe. At Team Heretics I went from training one person to leading a team of 11, multiplying revenues by +400%, launching more than 15 new partnerships with my team and contributing to the global success of the club. I worked for 2 years in Giants, the esports club with the most titles in Spain, leading the revenue department, contributing to big brands such as Burger King, Opel and many more. Currently, I’m running my own company helping brands and IP’s to connect with new audiences through Digital Entertainment (Sponsorship, Activation, Talent/Influencer, Licensing, Experiences & Gaming).
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Sebastián Carames
EVP of Latin America - Media.Monks
EVP of Latin America – Media.Monks
Sebastián Carames
Sebastian Carames serves as the EVP of Latin America at Media.Monks and is a member of the Global Executive Leadership team. With over 20 years of experience in the digital realm—including strategy and production, online marketing and advertising, and innovation and product development—and nearly a decade with Media.Monks, Sebastian plays a key role in leading and supporting the 3,500+ monks in the region.
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Lara Carballo
Head of Marketing & Commercial - Club Nacional de Football
Head of Marketing & Commercial – Club Nacional de Football
Lara Carballo
Olivier is a leading practitioner in football club strategies and disability accessibility. Specializing in club football insights, he has extensive expertise in club strategies, youth academy assessment, and women’s club football optimization across a range of club activities including sports, business, and community activities, as well as club operations. Prior to joining LTT Sports, he was in charge of the R&D efforts at the European Club Association (ECA) for over 10 years, masterminding several innovative and industry-leading publications related to Club Management, Youth Academies, and Women’s Club Analysis.
Degree in Social Communication, Sports Marketing specialist & Sports Management. Currently in Club Nacional de Football (Head of Marketing & Commercial), the oldest Uruguayan football team and the first Creole club in America.
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Ryan Cardwell
Head of Commercial - Real Metric Analytics
Head of Commercial – Real Metric Analytics
Ryan Cardwell
Ryan Cardwell is currently the Head of Commercial at Real Metric Analytics.
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Salvador Carmona
Managing Partner - Driblab
Managing Partner – Driblab
Salvador Carmona
Salvador Carmona graduated in Economics from the University of Arizona in 2012, in addition to obtaining a Master in International Management from IE Business School. After working for ESPN, the Spanish Basketball Federation and the NBA, he specializes in the field of advanced statistics founding Madribble, in 2016, for basketball professionals, and Driblab, in 2017, for football professionals.
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Mauricio Casillas
M&E, Sports Account Manager - AWS
M&E, Sports Account Manager – AWS
Mauricio Casillas
M.I. Mauricio Casillas Caballero is a Mechatronics Engineer from the Universidad Panamericana and has a master’s degree in Operations Management also from the Universidad Panamericana.
He has 15 years of experience in the technology industry. He has been working at AWS for 5 and a half years, currently working as an Enterprise Account Manager, mainly in the Media & Entertainment and Sports industry. He is a member of the global AWS Sports team and has various certifications focused on Innovation Culture, Content Production and Distribution, Amazon best practices.
His passion is sports, especially practicing badminton, he was nationally selected for more than 15 years, achieving different medals at the international level, obtaining a bronze medal in the Pan American Games. Recently 3rd Pan American Air Badminton place -
Lucas Cazenave
Digital Director - Club América
Digital Director – Club América
Lucas Cazenave
With over a decade of experience in the sports industry, Lucas Cazenave is the Director of Digital, Content, and Innovation at Club América. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lucas spent more than 9 years at River Plate, where he began as an intern and gained experience in marketing, events, and memberships before reaching the position of Digital Coordinator. For the past year, Lucas has been leading digital transformation and innovative content strategies at Club América.
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Pedro Cedillo Martínez
International Vicepresident - Grupo Pachuca
Directora Comercial y Marketing – Club Deportivo Guadalajara
Pedro Cedillo Martínez
President of Everton de Viña Del Mar 7 years
International Vicepresident of Grupo Pachuca. -
Charles Coupland
President - Albion FC
President – Albion FC
Charles Coupland
Professional background in Investment Finance and Strategy with a focus on project development and building successful operating teams.
Worked at Manchester United FC 2012-2015 as part of the Directorate Group specialising in areas such as; commercial strategy, corporate finance, scouting, hispanic player transactions.
Currently the President of Albion FC in Uruguay with a view to creating a new reference point for professionalism in football for the South American Region.
In his spare time, he enjoys taking his young family to Albion matches, running silly distances and climbing as many Andean mountains as possible. -
Ryan Dell
General Manager - Racing Louisville FC
General Manager – Racing Louisville FC
Ryan Dell
Ryan Dell was named the first-ever Racing Louisville FC General Manager in March 2023. At Racing Louisville, he leads all team soccer operations as well as relations with the NWSL league office.
Previous to his time at Racing he spent nine-plus years with the U.S. Soccer Federation, having spent his entire stint there with the Women’s National Team. The University of Missouri graduate started as an equipment manager in 2013 and worked his way to his most recent role, serving as the leader of team operations. He has played an integral role in the team’s preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was part of the support staff for the U.S. teams that won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
A St. Louis native, Dell won two World Cups with the U.S. Women’s National Team, first as assistant equipment manager in 2015, then as the head equipment manager in 2019. He was promoted to Team Administrator shortly after the 2019 tournament.Dell’s work as the USWNT Administrator and Team Manager focused on operations and logistics, ranging from preparing and managing the team’s budget, schedule and travel to overseeing management and administration of issues related to the team’s collective bargaining agreement.
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Álvaro Díaz
Global Head of Sales - Sportian
Global Head of Sales – Sportian
Álvaro Díaz
Alvaro is a digital transformation specialist currently serving as the global sales lead at Sportian, the company created to transform the Sports and Entertainment industry. He leads strategic projects that leverage technology to redefine the sports experience for both fans and athletes. Prior to this he led major growth initiatives for technology leaders including IBM and HCL, specializing in areas such consulting, marketing, AI software, and services, while also transforming one of the largest Financial Services firms in Latin America.
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Kristian Dobrev
The FBA - Football Business Academy
Deputy CEO – The FBA – Football Business Academy
Kristian Dobrev
Kristian’s passion for sports, traveling and connecting (with) people has taken him to nearly 50 countries across all continents. A sports industry native, he studied Business Administration & Sports Management in Barcelona and California and cut his teeth working in different roles at Nike, Havas, Mediapro and eventually Soccerex. He then embarked on a more entrepreneurial path during which he faced great challenges as Partner at Axis 10 Sports Consulting Group and then as Business Development Director at ATEVO Sports Group. In late 2015, Kristian got together with a few former colleagues to start shaping an innovative and disruptive idea regarding the football industry that in 2017 came to life as The Football Business Academy – now recognized as a global leader in football business education. As Co-Founder and Deputy CEO of The FBA, he has been mainly in charge of developing and servicing The FBA’s 75+ partnerships, using his deep understanding of and network in the global football industry to facilitate valuable learning and networking experiences for everyone involved.
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Dante Elizalde
Presidente Ejecutivo - Club Santos Laguna
Presidente Ejecutivo – Club Santos Laguna
Dante Elizalde
Executive President, Santos
- 16 years at Orlegi Sports
- International Masters in Law Sports Management from ISDE Madrid, Spain
- Masters of Business Administration from the Instituto Panamericano of Senior
- Business Management (IPADE), México
- Masters in Tax and Administrative Law from ITESM Mexico
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Josi Eshkenazi
CEO - Soccer Media Solutions
CEO – Soccer Media Solutions
Josi Eshkenazi
Josi Eshkenazi is a recognized specialist in sports and entertainment marketing as well as advertising. He holds the position of CEO of Soccer Media Solutions, a leading company in the advertising market for both sports events, realities, and special events on Mexican television. A passionate football enthusiast, he brings extensive experience in organizing high-level sports events and currently serves as one of the main investor and strategic collaborator for Trebel in Mexico having the exclusive rights for all the advertising within the platform as well as promoting the app in all of Mexico in the past him and his team surpassed all expectations and goals they set for the years. In the past year, Josi has focused on promoting women’s football in Mexico through the Camp3onas Tour. This tour has served as a platform for friendly matches with some of the most prominent women’s football teams from Europe and Mexico, including the world’s best team: FC Barcelona Femení, as well as Mexican champion teams like Club América, Tigres Femenil, and next up Chivas Femenil.
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Judith Farré
Business Director of Women's Football - FC Barcelona
Business Director of Women’s Football – FC Barcelona
Judith Farré
Senior executive, +15 years experience in business development, marketing and big events and campaigns, planning in culture, tech and sports industry.Currently in FC Barcelona, leading the business development of the Women’s Football team, in charge of accelerating investment, designing and implementing income strategies, marketing campaigns, related to the positioning of Women’s Football, keeping fans connected, impacting the local territory, and reinforce the team values keep them aligned with the FC Barcelona’s culture.
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Javier Fernando
CEO - StadioPlus
CEO – StadioPlus
Javier Fernando
Professional in the sports industry, with experience in Clubs, Agency, Consultancy and companies linked to sport.
Currently leading StadioPlus, a company specialising in Sports & Entertainment Tech.Arturo actively participates in product decisions to provide users with an organic and unique experience with each content and campaign. Previously, he worked at Mediotiempo.com for 8 years before joining Juanfutbol as the commercial director. After Juanfutbol was acquired by Futbol Sites, he took on his current role. -
Jero Freixas
Presidente Muchachos FC y Generador de Contenido - NSN Never Say Never
Presidente Muchachos FC y Generador de Contenido – NSN Never Say Never
Jero Freixas
Jero Freixas es un creador de contenido argentino que comenzó como un estudiante de teatro aficionado al fútbol y que saltó a la fama durante Copa del Mundo de Rusia 2018 gracias a un divertido video de tres minutos que se hizo viral en el que mostraba su pasión desmedida por el fútbol. Ese video lo daría a conocer junto a su esposa como “la pareja del Mundial”, haciéndolo rápidamente una figura viral, que tiempo después lo convertiría en uno de los creadores de contenido con mayor crecimiento e influencia en países de habla hispana.
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Tatiana Fontalvo
CEO - fanki
CEO – fanki
Tatiana Fontalvo
15 years of experience in the sports industry. Founder of Fanki, a sports ecosystem for the sports industry, that aims to help digitalize the industry and monetize fans through data processing
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Richard Feuz
General Manager - Chicago Red Stars
General Manager – Chicago Red Stars
Richard Feuz
Richard Feuz is a dynamic leader in the football industry, currently serving as the General Manager of the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL.
With a remarkable career trajectory, Richard Feuz made history as the youngest CEO of Servette Football Club, demonstrating unparalleled vision and acumen at just 28 years old. He is also served as the President and Sporting Director of Servette Football Club Chênois Féminin during 7 years.
He has also been a member of the Swiss Football League committee during 2 years.He embodies a commitment to excellence, constantly seeking inspiration and striving to inspire others. Through strategic leadership and a deep understanding of the sport, Richard Feuz has transformed Servette Football Club into a powerhouse in Switzerland lately, driving both on-field success and off-field innovation. With an unwavering dedication to the game and a relentless pursuit of growth.
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Victoria Gamboa Ross
President - UNAFUT
President – UNAFUT
Victoria Gamboa Ross
Victoria Gamboa Ross is a professional in communication and political science with over twenty-seven years of experience, specializing in analysis and strategic planning, government and corporate relations, and consulting for both public and private sectors.
Victoria is the first woman to preside over a professional men’s football league, serving as president of UNAFUT. She has also excelled in politics, media, academia, and the social sector. She ran for vice president of Costa Rica in the 2018 elections. Additionally, she was president of the Dr. Anna Gabriela Ross Foundation, has served as Academic Director of Advertising and Marketing programs at the Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT), and as a lecturer in the International Relations program at the Universidad Nacional (UNA), as well as host and producer of the political and current affairs daily radio show Contexto 360. She is a Fellow of the tenth class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), as well as a Change Agent of the Frederich Ebert Foundation. Her passionate focus on social good has propelled her as a member of the Rotary Clubs of San José and Belén, the Professional Women’s Network of Costa Rica, the Association for Leadership and Social Advancement of Women (ALAS), a member of the Advisory Council of the think tank Vía Costarricense, director of the Latin American Union Against Women’s Cancer and the Latin and Ibero-American Association Against Cancer, and a board member of the National Film Center of the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
Her academic achievements have made her a member of the Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society in Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Golden Key International Honour Society.
She holds a Doctorate in Public Policy and Business Sciences from ICAP, a Master’s in Communication with an emphasis on Television Management from Universidad Complutense of Madrid, a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Journalism from Florida International University, and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Costa Rica, and she has a postgraduate degree as a Project Manager from the Technological Institute of Costa Rica.
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Marcela García
VP Marketing and Comms - MLS
VP Marketing and Comms – MLS
Marcela García
I am a marketing executive with 15+ years of experience in sports, beverage, and tech industries. I have a proven track record in global and domestic roles, specializing in brand building, sports and entertainment, multicultural marketing, digital strategy, media planning, innovation, and earned media. Currently, I serve as the Marketing Vice President for Leagues Cup, a joint venture between MLS and Liga MX, focused on expanding soccer fandom in North America.
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Alfredo Garzón
Partner and lawyer, corporate and finance - Senn Ferrero Asociados Sports & Entertainment, S.L.P.
Partner and lawyer, corporate and finance – Senn Ferrero Asociados Sports & Entertainment, S.L.P.
Alfredo Garzón
Alfredo Garzón is one of the Founding Partners at Senn, Ferrero, Asociados, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, investment transactions, and financing in the sports and entertainment sectors. He regularly advises lenders, football clubs, and federations on football financing and investment. Alfredo Garzón’s portfolio includes various asset-based financings in football and numerous other structured transactions. He provides legal management for national and international judicial and arbitration proceedings and offers legal and contractual advice to professionals, federations, and associations. Starting his career at Arthur Andersen and joining Garrigues in 2000, he became a partner at Senn, Ferrero, Asociados in 2011. A frequent lecturer on Sports and Entertainment Law, he is recognized by The European Chambers Directory and Best Lawyers Magazine as a Leading Lawyer in sports, intellectual property, and entertainment law. Alfredo Garzón is also a member of the Madrid Bar Association.
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Arturo Givaudan
Country Manager MX - Futbol Sites
Country Manager MX – Futbol Sites
Arturo Givaudan
Partnership & Fan engagement
If you chose ‘Other’, please specify:: Sports Mkt and Digital Marketing
Short Biography in English (ideally between 100-150 words): For over 18 years, Arturo Givaudan has been in the digital media industry. He currently serves as the Country Manager in Mexico for Futbol Sites. With +9 million Unique Users and +27 million followers, he focuses on the product and commercial aspects of Mexico’s three main products: Cracks, the largest Spanish-language football YouTube channel; BolavipMx, a sports news outlet; and Juanfutbol, a leader in social media and specialized content.
Arturo actively participates in product decisions to provide users with an organic and unique experience with each content and campaign. Previously, he worked at Mediotiempo.com for 8 years before joining Juanfutbol as the commercial director. After Juanfutbol was acquired by Futbol Sites, he took on his current role. -
Israel Gómez
SVP Media Operations, Production & Tech - Fox Sports Mexico
SVP Media Operations, Production & Tech – Fox Sports Mexico
Israel Gómez
Executive with more than 25 years of experience in Media and Technology. He has worked at Grupo Lauman since 1999, where his commitment, dedication and vision in the execution of his work led him to successfully develop the sales, integration and operation areas first nationally followed by an international expansion.
Throughout his time at Grupo Lauman, he generated an important chain of representations and distributions of brands that have strengthened the area of project integration, outsourced operation that is called turnkey or build to suit of our most demanding clients, which today is a scheme worthy of replication for other areas within the same company.
During the pandemic he was leader of the digital transformation team of El Financiero, a multiplatform specialized in business, finance and politics of Grupo Lauman that includes a printed newspaper, the edition of Business Week magazine in Spanish, the television channel El Financiero Bloomberg and websites. www.elfinanciero.com.mx
With the acquisition of Fox Sports channels by Grupo Lauman in 2021, He assumes responsibility for the Operation and Production and Technology. Led the technical and operational launch of Fox Sports Premium and the new OTT offering Fox Sports App.
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Rodrigo Gómez
CEO - HR Media
CEO – HR Media
Rodrigo Gómez
Rodrigo has more than 20 years of experience in Marketing and Media, as head of CPG brands, business units, and companies, developing innovation, communication, and media platforms in Mexico and Latin America.
He is the co-founder and CEO of HR Media. He leads it with the challenge of changing the status quo and achieving the best video and other media measurement in the region, creating the first Single Source Cross-Media panel in LatAm, based on state-of-the-art technology, strict methodology, and proximity to the industry.Passionate about entrepreneurship and social impact, he has founded several companies and projects, including a craft spirits company that produces and distributes one of the most relevant mezcals in the world.
He studied Business with a specialty in Finance at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), where he is currently a professor in the Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship areas. -
Georgina González
Comentarista y analista deportiva en Televisa deportes - TUDN
Comentarista y analista deportiva en Televisa deportes – TUDN
Georgina González
Georgina es comentarista y analista deportiva en Televisa deportes – TUDN
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Laura González
Project Manager Supernovas Latam - InDrive
Project Manager Supernovas Latam – InDrive
Laura González
Project manager in Latin America for Supernovas by inDrive, a free football training project for children in small communities. Supernovas works in 6 countries, and more than 2000 children are regularly involved in the project. She has a post graduate in Organizations, Social Responsability and Development and 10 years of experience working with non profits in the areas of health and sports.
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Eduardo Gorodzinsky
CEO - seeUplay
CEO – seeUplay
Eduardo Gorodzinsky
At seeUplay, we specialize in sports intelligence technology and broadcast production for sporting events. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and remotely operated cameras, we provide real-time data and live analysis to enhance the viewing experience. Our 100% remote collaboration model ensures optimized costs and logistics, delivering unmatched flexibility and profitability in any on-site conditions
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Diego Gradowczyk
Managing Director - Gray Cube Sports LLC
Managing Director – Gray Cube Sports LLC
Diego Gradowczyk
Diego Gradowczyk is the Managing Director of Gray Cube Sports LLC, a firm focused on providing financial solutions to football clubs and federations. Mr. Gradowczyk, had senior roles at Marathon Asset Management, Barclays Capital, Compass Group and Citibank NA. Mr. Gradowczyk has more than 35 years banking, risk management, structuring and investment experience. At Gray Cube Sports, Mr Gradowczyk, provides financial and investment solutions to football clubs and federations, managing a diverse portfolio that includes asset-based financings and structured transactions within the football industry. Mr. Gradowczyk is graduate of Brandeis University, in Economics and Art History.
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Jurgen Griesbeck
CEO & Founder - Common Goal
CEO – Common Goal
Jurgen Griesbeck
Enthusiastic about system change and football (soccer) as a force for social good. With streetfootballworld we gather the best in class social enterprises that promise to increase and/or accelerate impact significantly by integrating football into their local solutions. Now trying to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem and mobilise the football industry to contribute efficiently to sustainably scale the impact.
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Julio Guedimin
CEO Guedimin Capital
CEO – Guedimin Capital
Julio Guedimin
Julio Guedimin, also known as Mr. G, is a Mexican businessman and investor.
Founder and Chairman of Guedimin Corporation, a privately owned holding company with more than 30 subsidiaries across different sectors, including Finance, Real Estate, Healthcare, Aviation, Entertainment and Hospitality.
He serves as Executive Vice President at Marka Entertainment Group, a conglomerate in the creative industry (Orange Economy).
He is the CEO and Managing Partner of Guedimin Capital, a long-hold private equity firm.
Julio Guedimin is a serial entrepreneur and has co-founded several other companies in which he oversees the daily operations.
Mentors Collective Magazine referred to him as a “forward thinker” in business strategy.He also serves as a corporate strategy advisor, providing top level Strategy consultancy to Fortune 1000 companies in Latin America.
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Mariana Gutierrez
President - Liga MX Femenil
Directora General – Liga MX Femenil
Mariana Gutierrez
Mariana is an outstanding and highly experienced professional in the field of women’s soccer in Mexico. With a solid academic background, she has a degree in Textile Design from the Iberoamerican University and she graduated from the National Head Coach Course of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). Her passion for learning led her to obtain a Master’s Degree in Image Consulting, a Master’s in International Business and Soccer Administration, and a Global Executive MBA from the recognized IE Business School.
With a track record of almost 15 years in the development of professional women’s soccer in Mexico, Mariana was a key figure in the co-foundation of the women’s 7-a-side soccer tournament of Mexico in 2009 and has played a crucial role in the development of women’s soccer amateur and professional in both the FMF and the LIGA MX. Currently, Mariana is General Director of the LIGA MX Femenil and is the head of the project for Inclusion and Diversity in Soccer in LIGA MX.
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Alejandro Hütt
Host City Manager - FWC26 Monterrey
Host City Manager – FWC26 Monterrey
Alejandro Hütt
Experienced professional specialized in sports spectacles industry.
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Olivier Jarosz
Board Member - AccessibAll
Board Member – AccessibAll
Olivier Jarosz
Olivier is a leading practitioner in football club strategies and disability accessibility. Specialising in club football insights, he has an extensive expertise of club strategies, youth academy assessment and women’s club football optimisation across a range of club activities including sports, business and community activities, as well as club operations. Prior to joining LTT Sports, he was in charge of the R&D efforts at the European Club Association (ECA) for over 10 years, masterminding several innovative and industry-leading publications related to Club Management, Youth Academies and Women’s Club Analysis.
Co-author of the pioneering Club Management Guide, that aims to define all the structural components of a football club from a forensic perspective, Olivier also created a successful knowledge-sharing platform, the Club Management Programme, the first ever tailor-made executive programme covering professional football club needs for the top management of clubs.
Currently Olivier is also CEO of the Centre of Access for Football in Europe a charity championing accessibility for disabled fans in stadiums.
Olivier is a native French speaker currently based in Nyon and over the past years, he has lived in Canada, Poland, Russia, USA and Lebanon. -
Wera Kuri
CEO - Fut Sin Género & Blue Women Pink Men
CEO – Fut Sin Género & Blue Women Pink Men
Wera Kuri
Paola La Wera Kuri is a former soccer player, she created #FutSinGénero (Soccer Without Gender), a project that aims to develop gender equality through soccer – most notably, leading the movement for the creation of the first Professional Women’s Soccer League in Mexico.
Nominated by Forbes as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Mexico.
Nike’s ambassador for the 2019 Women’s World Cup Campaign: Don’t Change Your Dreams Change The World.
Ambassador for Club America since 2017 as part of the strategic team to make the women’s team grow and contribute to the development of women’s football in Mexico.
Founder of Blue Women Pink Men a social impact project that has refurbished more than 100 spaces to open way for more than 1,000,000 girls, boys and youth to have equal access to soccer.
Published author with Penguin Random House: TIME TO BE YOU to tell her story and inspire the readers to follow their dreams and preserve who they are against all odds.
First ever Mexican women to be the host of La Liga
First Mexican to work with US Women’s National Team to cover Australia and New Zealand’s Women’s World Cup. -
Matthieu Lille-Palette
Senior Vice President - Stats Perform
Senior Vice President – Stats Perform
Matthieu Lille-Palette
Matt is Senior Vice President at Stats Perform and Opta. Matt has more than 10+ years experience developing and driving commercial and on-field success through data for the world’s most successful professional football teams, broadcasters, publishers and beyond.
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Raúl Llimós
Head of Communication and Media Productions - NSN
Head of Communication and Media Productions – NSN
Raúl Llimós
Trained as a journalist, after 18 years at the Catalan radio station RAC1, he took the step to corporate communications in 2018, becoming the head of communications for NSN and Andrés Iniesta. Since 2020 he has been the executive producer of the company’s production company.
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Jurgen Mainka
Chief Tournament Officer, Mexico - FWC2026
Chief Tournament Officer, Mexico – FWC2026
Jurgen Mainka
Jurgen currently serves as the Chief Tournament Officer, Mexico, FIFA World Cup 2026™, where he leads the tournament’s strategy and planning for the Host Country and its three Host Cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City. Jurgen is part of FIFA’s Executive Team across Canada, Mexico and the United States that is charged with delivering the biggest FIFA World Cup™ ever in 2026.
Prior to joining the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in 2022, Jurgen spent 25+ years in the world of global football, most recently as the CEO and Founding Partner of a sports and entertainment agency based out of Miami, USA. Jurgen also served as the Chief Business Officer for Inter Miami CF, the Deputy General Secretary and Chief Commercial Officer of Concacaf and served as part of the Executive Committee for the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament, the largest soccer event in US history after the 1994 FIFA World Cup™.
Jurgen has also held various positions at clubs including the New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution and the Colorado Rapids and served in USA’s 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup™ Bid Committees with the US Soccer Federation (USSF).
Jurgen is fluent in English, Spanish and German and holds a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College and an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.
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Ana Lorena Marche
Women's Football Director - Federação Paulista de Futebol
Women’s Football Director – Federação Paulista de Futebol
Ana Lorena Marche
She graduated from São Paulo State University with a degree in Physical Education and has a Master’s and PhD in Sports Science from the State University of Campinas. For three years, she was the director of women’s football at Ferroviária, where she won the Brazilian Championship and second place in the Libertadores of America. She was also a team manager for the Brazilian women’s national team, working in two youth World Cups, Under 20 and Under 17 in 2022 and the Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. Currently, she works as Director of Women’s Football at the São Paulo Football Federation.
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Valeria Marín
Host - TUDN
Host – TUDN
Valeria Marín
Experience:
One of the main promises of sports journalism with knowledge in various sports such as European soccer, American soccer, basketball and baseball.
Her preparation, discipline and work led her to Televisa Deportes in 2011.
Covered special events such as the Super Bowl, Olympic Games and official MLB (World Series) games.
Recognitions:
2024: Nomintated for Outstanding On-Air Personality in the Sport Emmys
2023: Awarded Best Presenter in the Media at the Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards.
2017: Gold Winner of the Promax Award for “At The Buzzer” (FOX Deportes).
One of the 30 most influential Hispanics in sports according to Sports Illustrated. -
Joan Mendoza
Head of Sports & Entertainment - SUMMA
Head of Sport & Entertainment – Summa
Joan Mendoza
Head of Sport & Entertainment at Summa, a global branding company based in Barcelona. In this role, Joan has led branding projects with some of the main football clubs such as FC Barcelona, Sevilla FC, Real Madrid or RC Celta de Vigo as well as other sporting entities such as MotoGP or the Kings League among others. He is in charge of ensuring the accomplishment of creative and strategic objectives. Former professional football player.
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Fernando Miranda
Sales Director - AWS
Sales Director – AWS
Fernando Miranda
15 years of experience in the sports industry. Founder of Fanki, a sports ecosystem for the sports industry, that aims to help digitalize the industry and monetize fans through data processing
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Brenda Möller
COO - Provoking Mexico
COO – Provoking Mexico
Brenda Möller
Brenda Möller is a business leader focused on sustainable business transformation and sports innovation. She serves as Chief Operating Officer at Provoking México, an advertising agency with over 40 years in the country, and leads Provoking Sport, the first agency dedicated to creative innovation for women’s sports development in Mexico. Brenda is also the President of IBERO University Alumni Association.
With over 10 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and digital transformation, Brenda founded Dale Vuelta in 2020, a multimedia platform aimed at increasing the participation of girls and women in sports in Mexico. This initiative earned her a nomination to become Mexico’s Delegate for 2021 Global Sports Mentoring Program by the U.S. State of Department.
She holds a degree in Interaction Design from IBERO University and two master’s degrees: Strategic Design and Innovation (IBERO) and International Sports Management (European Sport Business School). Brenda has taught at university level and spoken at various forums, including TEDx.
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Hernando Moncaleano
Director - Amazon
Director – Amazon
Hernando Moncaleano
Hernando leads Amazon´s fastest growing businesses in Mexico. He is Amazon Mexico´s Director for Consumer Goods, Cross Border, Shopping Experience and Delivery Experience, based in Mexico City.
His experience within 13+ years in Amazon includes 4 different countries (EU and LatAm) with a track record of creating, growing and managing businesses across different industries, both from start-up phase to billions USD in revenues, with full P&L accountability. He is able to turn big ideas into large projects and business. Hernando created and led Amazon’s Fans360 project worldwide that brought over 80 clubs, athletes and federations to Amazon.
He leads an organization with commercial, product, marketing, supply chain, program and project teams within Amazon. He has promoted 100+ people in different levels and roles.
Hernando is keen to mentor early stage business in the technology and sports industries and has been speaker at several events in these industries. Prior to Amazon, he worked at PepsiCo, PwC and WICS. Hernando is an Economist and holds an MBA from London Business School.
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Peter Moore
Owner - Santa Barbara Sky Football Club
Owner – Santa Barbara Sky Football Club
Peter Moore
Peter has more than 35 years of experience in gaming, sports and entertainment . He has held leadership positions as the Corporate Vice President of the Interactive Entertainment Business of Microsoft, heading the Xbox platform business, as President and COO of SEGA of America, where he oversaw the launch of the Sega Dreamcast, President of EA SPORTS,and Senior Vice President of marketing at Reebok International Ltd. Most recently he was CEO at Liverpool FC, and is now the owner of Santa Barbara Sky FC, an expansion club in the United Soccer League.
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Farkhunda Muhtaj
Respect and Inclusion Ambassador - Respect Group
Respect and Inclusion Ambassador – Respect Group
Farkhunda Muhtaj
Farkhunda Muhtaj is Captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team and currently competes in the Dutch Eredevisie for Fortuna Sittard Vrouwen. Her social activism work champions gender equality, anti-racism education, refugee and newcomer support and humanitarian relief through sport and physical wellness initiatives. Muhtaj is the Co-Founder and Director of the Scarborough Simbas, a non-profit organization that uses sport to help ease the settlement journey of refugees and newcomers to Canada.
Off the pitch, Farkhunda is the Respect and Inclusion Ambassador at Respect Group, and an ambassador for UNHCR Netherlands, Common Goal, Penny Appeal Canada, and Women for Women International. Muhtaj also serves on the Canadian Child Rights in Sports Advisory Committee and Board of League 1 Ontario Women’s Soccer.
A prolific and sought-after speaker, Farkhunda brings her voice to stages and spaces around the world to speak on Global Active Citizenship, the Transformational Power of Sport and Capacity Building, Leadership in Time of Crisis, Growth Mindset, Women & Refugee Rights, and more. Named a Top 30 Under 30 Alumni by her alma-mater York University, Farkhunda has been featured in the BBC, CBC, AP News, NPR, Al Jazeera, People Magazine, Elle Magazine and more.
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Nick Mulvaney
CEO - Chicago City Soccer Club
CEO – Chicago City Soccer Club
Nick Mulvaney
As a Founder of a youth soccer club in downtown Chicago, I have been able to create a unique culture that fosters long term development for players and coaches, both on and off the field. I have been able to use sport as a tool to create and develop good humans while also providing opportunities on a local, regional, national, and international level for players and coaches.
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Rich Orosco
Chief Brand Officer - Los Angeles Football Club
Chief Brand Officer – Los Angeles Football Club
Rich Orosco
Rich is a 25-year entertainment, consumer products, and sports marketing veteran who has conceptualized and executed award-winning product launch campaigns. He is the winner of the 2018 Major League Soccer Marketing Executive of the Year Award and was included on the 2019 Adweek’s L.A. Brand Stars list. Before LAFC, he co-founded American-made menswear brand Exley, served as the Co-General Manager of the Los Angeles Matadors in the World Series of Boxing, was the Vice President of Marketing at Warner Bros. Television, and the Executive Director of Advertising and Promotion at CBS Paramount Television.
Rich is a co-founder of the LAFC Youth Leadership Program, Board Chair of the Bresee Foundation Youth Center in Los Angeles, member of the Delta Aeromexico Latino Outreach Leadership Advisory Board, and has guest lectured at MIT Sloan School of Management, UCLA Anderson School of Management, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Emerson College Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, and California State University Long Beach.
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Heidi Pellerano
Chief Commercial Officer - CONCACAF
Chief Commercial Officer – CONCACAF
Heidi Pellerano
Heidi Pellerano joined Concacaf in February 2019 and is responsible for leading the Commercial division. In this capacity, Pellerano is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships to maximize the commercial opportunities of the organization. She has direct oversight of the departments of Strategy, Business Development, Partnership Marketing, Digital and Emerging Technologies, Media Distribution, and Broadcast Productions. She is also a member of the executive leadership of the Confederation. Prior to Concacaf, Pellerano was an Executive Vice President at Wasserman where she was responsible for leading Wasserman’s brands division and multicultural practice.
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Iván Pérez
Director - El Míster
Director – El Míster
Iván Pérez
Ivan Pérez es Founder and CEO of El Míster, the first platform specialized in sports industry content in Mexico: business, technology, innovation, web3, sustainability, finance.
Master’s degree in Digital Journalism from the University of Guadalajara and graduate of the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at the Newmark J School NYC.
Winner of first place in the written press contest, “50 years of the Copa Libertadores” organized by Banco Santander. He is also co-author of the books Cuentos Mundialistas (Ficticia, 2010), Copa de las Fantasías (Centro Urbano, 2006), Olympic Games: Laboratory of the world (2021).
He began his journalistic career in 2003 and has collaborated for media such as Forbes México, Vice Sports, Univision, in addition was editor-in-chief of the sports section of the Mexican newspaper El Economista for 10 years.
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Nuño Pérez-Pla de Alvear
Chief Operations Officer - Capitanes de la Ciudad de México
Chief Operations Officer – Capitanes de la Ciudad de México
Nuño Pérez-Pla de Alvear
With over 10 years of experience in sports management, Nuño is an executive specialized in business development, sales, and marketing, having worked in prominent roles with sports properties such as Real Madrid, LaLiga, and CAPITANES. Currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer of Capitanes, the only Latin team in the NBA G League, he oversees all team operations, managing a team of over 24 individuals. With a background in Law and Finance, he transitioned into the sports industry, bringing value to achieve ongoing success in both the sports and business domains.
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Alison Qualter-Berna
Global Strategic Partnerships Manager - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Global Strategic Partnerships Manager – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Alison Qualter-Berna
Alison Qualter Berna is the Global Strategic Partnerships Manager at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in New York. She oversees global partnerships in sports, film, TV, gaming and the arts.
Alison is also a iPEC-certified life coach, mindfulness teacher, and parenting coach.
Prior, Alison was the co-founder of Apple Seeds, a state-of-the-art all-in-one play space that served thousands of children newborn to five and their parents, first in New York, then in Dubai & Mumbai. She co-founded Songs for Seeds, a music education franchise with over 30 locations across the USA. Before that, Alison spent five years at UNICEF where she co-wrote a report for the UN Secretary-General about Sport for Development and Peace. She founded the first global office on Sports for Development, managing UNICEF’s partnerships with the IOC, FIFA, and sports-related NGOs worldwide.Alison began her career at NBC News. She has an MPA in International and Public Affairs from Princeton University and a BA in Psychology from Boston College. She loves handstands, hiking in new places & most of all her three great kids.
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Rodolfo Ramírez Márquez
Director TV - Azteca Deportes
Director TV – Azteca Deportes
Rodolfo Ramírez Márquez
Rodolfo Ramírez Márquez, with a degree in Communication Sciences, has been in charge of Azteca Deportes since 2016.
He has extensive experience in the sports industry, having led five World Cups, including the most recent one in Qatar 2022, which became a reference of success not only on television but also on digital platforms, in addition to Olympic Games and having led the most famous brands in the industry such as Box Azteca, Los Protagonistas, Botanero Friday and adding in recent years Home Run Azteca and Azteca Esports. -
Raúl Respaldiza
CEO - ZERTIOR Sports & Entertainment
CEO – ZERTIOR Sports & Entertainment
Raúl Respaldiza
After Deloitte and CUNEF, he joined Real Madrid, where for 8 years he was part of the team that led the club’s modernisation process. In 2008 he founded Zertior Sports & Entertainment, a company specialised in providing services to the industry, with a special focus on strategy, business development, infrastructure and marketing. With offices in Spain and Latin America and a wide network of international alliances, it works on top-level projects in the Sports and Entertainment sector.
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Iñigo Riestra
General Secretary - Federación Mexicana de Fútbol
General Secretary – Federación Mexicana de Fútbol
Iñigo Riestra
Iñigo has a degree in Law from the Anáhuac University and has two master’s degrees, one in
Corporate Law from the Universidad Panamericana and another in International Law and
Sports Management by the ISDE, Higher Institute of Law and Economics of Madrid.
Before joining the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), Iñigo worked close to
10 years as a corporate lawyer, in charge of preparing all types of
contracts, participating in debt placements in Mexico and the United States and in issues
financial and regulatory compliance (before the BMV, CNBV, SEC and NYSE).
He joined the FMF in 2013 as International Affairs Manager, where he also
to legally advise the President, he was in charge of communication with FIFA and
CONCACAF. In 2015 he was appointed Director of International Affairs, acquiring
new responsibilities; has represented the FMF in different proceedings before the
Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne, Switzerland).
He was Director of the Local Organizing Committee of the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico, he has
been General Coordinator of CONCACAF in tournaments such as the Champions League of
CONCACAF, CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa América Centenario, among others.
Iñigo was Deputy Director of Mexico in the Joint Candidacy that competed and won the
headquarters of the 2026 World Cup, mainly in charge of the compliance part and the
coordination of work groups in the 3 headquarters (Mexico, Guadalajara and Monterrey)
with the Candidacy office in New York. I coordinate the Office for more than a month
of the Candidacy in London.
In 2017 he was appointed Deputy Secretary General and in 2019 Secretary General, being
responsible, among other matters, for the strategy and administrative management of the
FMF Commissions (Referees, Disciplinary, Dispute Resolutions and
Appeals), as well as the sports legal part of the FMF, the relationship with the
federal, state and municipal governments, embassies and other federations
international, as well as communication and compliance processes before
national authorities and international institutions, mainly FIFA and
CONCACAF.
In 2023, in addition to his responsibility as Secretary General, he assumed
Chief Legal Officer of the FMF / Liga MX, in charge of the corporate legal area of the FMF and
of each of the Leagues defining the comprehensive legal strategy of the Company and
supervising, in addition to the sports legal part, the preparation of all types of contracts,
including sponsorship contracts for National Teams and Leagues, among others. -
Maria Fernanda Sainz Murguia
CCO LATAM Caliente Interactive - Caliente.mx
CCO LATAM Caliente Interactive – Caliente.mx
Maria Fernanda Sainz Murguia
Fernanda Sainz has had an outstanding professional career that has led her to leadership positions in the marketing and online gaming sector. Since March 2021, she serves as Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Caliente Interactive, where she is responsible for driving the company’s growth in Mexico and its expansion into the U.S. market, in addition to managing all commercial aspects of the company’s operations. Prior to this, from March 2015 to March 2021, she was Marketing Director for LATAM, Mexico, Colombia and Panama at Caliente Interactive/Playtech, where she led the marketing strategy, brand positioning and marketing budget management for three different brands: Caliente.mx, Wplay.co and Betcha.pa. In addition, Sainz is the founder and CEO of Fulana de Tal, an agency dedicated to driving sports marketing and digital content focused on women. With Fulana de Tal, Sainz proves once again that talking female is also a good investment.
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Aldo Sales
CEO - Playbook
CEO – Playbook
Aldo Sales
Aldo is the founder and CEO of Playbook, the multiplatform media outlet, at the intersection of business and sports, read by the leaders of the main sports properties in LATAM, Spain and the US.
Before Playbook, Aldo founded a couple of ventures including Cubic, a fractional ownership platform for blue chip art, and was also the Head of Entrepreneur Selection & Growth at Endeavor México.
Aldo holds Masters degrees from Yale School of Management and EGADE Business School, and was also awarded with the Harley Lippman Entrepreneurial Fellowship by Yale University.
He is husband to Andrea and father to María, Renata and Patricio. -
Gabriel Saucedo
CEO - Club Puebla FC
CEO – Club Puebla FC
Gabriel Saucedo
28 years of experience in soccer industry. 8 clubs in Mexican League. Couple of due diligences developed in order to help the investors to acquire soccer clubs. Positions at the teams: CFO, COO & CEO.
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Adrián Segovia Noruega
EVP, Head of Content & Distribution - Relevent Sports & LALIGA North America
EVP, Head of Content & Distribution – Relevent Sports & LALIGA North America
Adrián Segovia Noruega
Adrian is the Executive Vice President – Head of Content & Distribution at LaLiga North America, a joint venture with Relevent Sports Group, based in New York City. In this role, he manages the entire North American content strategy, including content creation, programming, original content, and distribution across the U.S, Mexico and Canadian market in both Spanish and English. Adrian was previously the Vice President, Editor in Chief of Digital Sports at Univision Deportes (TUDN) where he managed the editorial offices in Miami, Mexico City, and Bogota, among other locations throughout the United States where there was a robust Latin American community. Before that, he served as the Vice President of Digital Analytics and Research in Univision and Televisa, building his expertise on the content consumption habits of U.S.-Hispanics in North America. His knowledge in this area has been complemented by courses in computation and journalism at Northwestern and Stanford University.
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Eduardo Shabot
Sports radio show host, sports journalist, and senior editor - MVS Noticias and Nielsen
Sports radio show host, sports journalist, and senior editor – MVS Noticias and Nielsen
Eduardo Shabot
Sports Journalist. Host of the show Balones Al Aire since 2017 on MVS 102.5FM.
More than 10 years of experience on TV, radio, and written press (TV Azteca, MVS, 90min.com, ADN Deportivo)
Host and screenwriter for sports documentaries.
Senior Editor at Nielsen-Gracenote. -
Gustavo Silikovich
CEO - VIRTUS
CEO – VIRTUS
Gustavo Silikovich
Former CEO River Plate (Argentina), Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol (Ecuador)
FIFA Strategic Consultant (America)
Strategic advisor for clubs and leagues in South & Central America -
Alex Singer
General Manager - Houston Dash
General Manager – Houston Dash
Alex Singer
Alex Singer is a sports executive and former professional soccer player. In her current role as General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer of the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Singer oversees all aspects of the club’s soccer operations, including player acquisitions and contract negotiations, scouting, staff recruitment, salary cap management and overall strategy. Prior to her role with the Houston Dash, Singer was Director of Strategic Initiatives as Octagon, a global sports marketing and representation agency, where she represented and managed a portfolio of athletes and on and off of the pitch, negotiating player and sponsorship contracts, scaling talents’ businesses, and creating innovative approaches to connect athletes, brands, and media in the evolving sports and entertainment landscape. Originally from Rye, New York, Singer played professionally in NWSL, Frauenbundesliga, Topserrien, and Damallsvenskan.
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Lewis Smithingham
EVP, Strategic Industries - Media.Monks
EVP, Strategic Industries – Media.Monks
Lewis Smithingham
Lewis Smithingham is the EVP of Strategic Industries at Media.Monks. A problem-solver who identifies innovative digital opportunities, Smithingham helps usher brands and partners into the future with creative and technical expertise at the forefront of digital transformation and virtualization. Smithingham is a Lumière award winner, a Guinness World Record holder, has been profiled in The New York Times and Campaign, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Business Insider, Sports Video Group, Ad Age, and Fast Company among many others. Most recently, Lewis was named to Business Insider’s list of the “top 24 agency executives leading advertisers’ charge into the metaverse and Web3.” Smithingham sits on the World Economic Forum working group on Value Creation in the Metaverse.
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Giovanni Solazzi
Vice President - Blue Crow Sports Group / Cancún FC
Vice President – Blue Crow Sports Group / Cancún FC
Giovanni Solazzi
Giovanni is part of the Founding Team of Blue Crow Sports Group, an investment company focused on multi-club ownership based in Houston, and Vice President & GM of Cancún FC, the new club of the famous Mexican tourist destination. In the last two years, Giovanni took part in the creation of one of the most active soccer investment groups and led the acquisition and rebranding of Cancún FC. He previously worked for the prominent London-based investment group Aser Ventures.
In 2022 Sports Business Journal named him one of the New Voices 30 under 30 of the Sports Industry.Giovanni is currently an advisor to several sports tech accelerators, startups, and sports education companies. He is also a Professor of Sports Finance at the Rome City Institute and has been invited for lectures and panels at several universities, including Columbia University, Bocconi University, and University of Miami.
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JP Spinetto
Columnist for Latin American Affairs - Bloomberg Opinion
Columnist for Latin American Affairs – Bloomberg Opinion
JP Spinetto
JP Spinetto is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin American business, economic affairs and politics. He was previously Bloomberg News’ managing editor for economics and government in the region.
Prior to this, Spinetto was executive producer for Bloomberg TV in Mexico City, overseeing the network’s development of its joint venture El Financiero-Bloomberg TV, and the magazine Bloomberg Businessweek México. From 2010 to 2016, Spinetto was a reporter-at-large covering the commodities and energy industries for Bloomberg News based in Rio de Janeiro, where he wrote the Bloomberg Businessweek cover story “How to Lose a $34.5 Billion Fortune in a Year,” among several other articles and exclusives.
Spinetto started his Bloomberg career in London in 2004 after being awarded a master’s degree in global politics at the University of London. He was born in Buenos Aires, where he graduated from the Faculty of Economics/UBA.
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Francisco Suinaga
Corporate VP - Toluca FC
Corporate VP – Toluca FC
Francisco Suinaga
Ambitious, skilled, and motivated executive with over 20 years of experience in Business Development, Marketing, and Sports Management.
Knowledge in Marketing execution, P&L management, and brand positioning strategy.
Demonstrated success in driving growth, profitability, and organizational productivity.
Creative thinker with excellent interpersonal, analytical, and negotiation skills – believer in long-term relationships with an ability to quickly develop a team-building culture.
Liga MX President and Ex. MLS Executive.
Multi-cultural and bilingual. @fransuinaga -
AJ Swoboda
Managing Director - Twenty First Group
Managing Director – Twenty First Group
AJ Swoboda
AJ Swoboda leads Twenty First Group’s business in the Americas and his firm’s global Investment Intelligence practice. He has a decade of experience advising a wide range of investors and owners in sport (from UEFA Champions League winners to lower-division clubs). He also serves as advisors to commissioners and executives at major sports leagues as well as executives at sports clubs.
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Christina Taylor
Director - Aim Sky High Talent
Director – Aim Sky High Talent
Christina Taylor
Christina Taylor is Business Insider’s #1 Female Founder in Europe to Watch and a Forbes featured entrepreneur. Owner of Aim Sky High Talent, a collection of talent management agencies, Christina works as a brand manager and strategist within the women’s game, also brokering commercial deals. Christina is the brand strategist behind England & Manchester United #1 goalkeeper Mary Earps and English Championship footballer & Jamaica international Siobhan Wilson whom she has worked with to scale to 1.4 million followers across social media in order to build commercial opportunities.
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Javier Tebas
President - LALIGA
President – LALIGA
Javier Tebas
Javier Tebas Medrano (San Jose, Costa Rica, 1962), of Spanish nationality, holds a degree in Law from the University of Zaragoza. He has been a practising lawyer since 1987 and founded his own legal firm, specialising in Company Law and, subsequently, in sports and bankruptcy law.
Tebas’s direct involvement in football began in 1993, when he was named president of Sociedad Deportiva Huesca, a position he held until 1998 (a period during which the club competed in Spain’s Tercera Division and Segunda Division B). He later served as a board member at C.D. Badajoz S.A.D. and C.D. Toledo S.A.D. before being elected vice-president of LaLiga in 2001. In 2003 he headed up the G-30, a group representing 30 small LaLiga clubs that was set up to collectively negotiate their audiovisual rights. He has been LALIGA president since 2013 and was re-elected in 2016 and again for a further four-year term in 2019. In 2021 he was appointed as representative of European Leagues on the UEFA Executive Committee.
Tebas’s tenure as LALIGA president has revolved around three core areas; the introduction of a financial controls system which has enabled the clubs to restructure their finances; the collective sale of audiovisual rights which boosts the clubs’ revenue in a balanced way, and the league’s internationalisation strategy, which has seen LALIGA and its member clubs establish themselves as a benchmark reference on the global stage, not just on the field but in the entertainment industry as a whole. In addition, Boost LALIGA, the strategic project of LALIGA and CVC Capital Partners, was recently created to promote growth and consolidation in the areas of technology, innovation, internationalisation and the sporting sphere. -
Luis Torres - Septien
Partner - Senn Ferrero, Asociados Sports & Entertainment Mexico
Partner – Senn Ferrero, Asociados Sports & Entertainment Mexico
Luis Torres – Septien
Luis Torres – Septién Warren is Partner-Director of Senn, Ferrero, Asociados México since its opening in 2019. He has extensive experience in Sports and Entertainment Law, Industrial Property, Arbitration and Litigation. As part of his experience in the legal field, he has collaborated in Garrigues Sports & Entertainment and in 2009, he developed and consolidated the area of Sports and Entertainment Law in the law firm Mijares, Angoitia Cortés y Fuentes, SC, in which he advised federations, sports entities, athletes, athletes and professionals from both sectors.
Likewise, he has participated and has stood out for his intervention in contentious or arbitration proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and in disciplinary proceedings before commissions created by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), International Football Association Federation (FIFA), North Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF), as well as protections trials before District Courts and Collegiate Circuit Courts, Federal Court of Fiscal and Administrative Justice and the Judiciary of the Federation.
He has extensive experience in Intellectual Property issues including legal advice in the entertainment industry, particularly in film, television, music, regulation, as well as the registration of all types of works, brands, notices and commercial names, administrative procedures for invalidity, revocation and infringement, trials and appeals on claims for damages for violation of industrial property rights and all types of proceedings before the National Institute of Copyright and Mexican Institute of Industrial Property. -
Marina Tranchitella
Manager of Security, Infrastructure and VAR at Stadiums - FPF
Manager of Security, Infrastructure and VAR at Stadiums – FPF
Marina Tranchitella
Master in Sport Management, I’m looking for challenges that magnify sport management, focusing on processes: planning, risk management, control of execution and evaluation results. My acquired skills:
– Identify and act on opportunities and troubleshooting
– Ability to work in team
– Recognition and evaluation of imminent risks
– Creativity in the development of workflow processes
– Result-oriented leadership -
Cecilia Vales
Founder and Director -She Wins Mexico
Founder and Director -She Wins Mexico
Cecilia Vales
Cecilia Vales has +12 years of experience working with sports for development and education to empower girls and women from underserved communities in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. She has worked internationally in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain and the United States of America.
As part of her professional career she was a delegate of the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) from the Department of State and the eQuality Football Workshop implemented by UN Women and Valencia C.F.
She has a bachelor in International Relations and a Master in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. -
Andrés Vargas Gutierrez
Senior Business Development (Americas) - FC Bayern Munich
Senior Business Development (Americas) – FC Bayern Munich
Andrés Vargas Gutierrez
As the Senior Business Development for the FC Bayern München Americas Office, I am part of the team that leads the internationalization strategy of one of the most successful and prestigious football clubs in the world. I work in different areas, such as securing and managing sponsorship and partnership deals, increasing the B2B network of the club, organizing activations and events for fans and partners, and collaborating with a multicultural and diverse team.
I have a strong background in sports business and law, having obtained my Master of Science in Sports Business degree from New York University as a Dean’s Scholar, and my Doctor of Law degree from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. I also have experience in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law, having worked at Brigard & Urrutia Abogados, one of the largest law firms in Colombia, for almost three years.
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Brian Walsh
Sr. Director, Youth Soccer Development & Strategy - NYCFC YOUTH
Sr. Director, Youth Soccer Development & Strategy – NYCFC YOUTH
Brian Walsh
Brian Walsh, a youth soccer leader, has over a decade of experience working within professional soccer. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Brian came to the United States in 2002 for university.
His journey in soccer administration started with the New York Cosmos, where he built the club’s grassroots initiatives and oversaw the development of its Academy and Reserve team.
In 2017, Brian transitioned to the New York City Football Club (NYCFC). He is currently the Senior Director of Youth Soccer Development and Strategy at NYCFC. In this capacity, Brian collaborates across the club’s youth soccer departments to optimize Talent Identification, Player Development, and Fan Engagement, ensuring broad access to the game to players of all ages and abilities.Throughout his career, his initiatives have not only produced numerous players who have represented US youth national teams and professional clubs worldwide but have also introduced thousands of players to the game annually, fueling the games growth in participation and fan engagement.
Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business and a Master of Business Administration degree. -
Arturo Villanueva
Chivas US Proyect - Chivas
Chivas US Proyect – Chivas
Arturo Villanueva
My passion for sports goes way beyond watching it on TV and practicing on the weekends. It is my profession and my calling. For the last 14 years I have performed in roles related to sports brands, soccer clubs and TV analysis. I like to think myself as a leader that gets as close as possible to players, staff, owners and colleagues. I am not afraid to hire the best and encourage them to make decisions. A limited budget has never meant quitting on excellence. On the contrary, I am most proud of takin Queretaro Club to win titles while being the #16 team, on a budget, and building a seedbed for 11 players fully consolidated in the first division. This was similar to my experience with Jaguares Chiapas with whom reached playoffs and Copa Libertadores. A defining moment in my career was when I signed Ronaldinho with Queretaro; I am that person that makes the impossible, possible. I am currently working at Chivas, which is my dream work of a lifetime. My main responsibility is to build opportunities for the Club and brand in the US. I am always open to look for new professional opportunities that allows me to be involved in the sport industry and take advantage of my worldwide network with media, reps and players. It excites me to think of a role that will let me bring a before-and-after and deliver outstanding results.
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Rodrigo Yavarone
Head of Business Development, Image & Communication - C.F. Cruz Azul
Head of Business Development, Image & Communication – C.F. Cruz Azul
Rodrigo Yavarone
Rodrigo Yavarone is the Head of Business Development, Image, and Communication at Cruz Azul. He has a solid background in marketing and business development within the sports and entertainment industry, including prior experiences at Valencia CF, Club Nacional de Fútbol, World Padel Tour and Copa Del Rey. Rodrigo brings extensive international experience across various fields such as account management, activation, strategy, sales and negotiation, international events, research and data analysis, image rights and OTT services.
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Saúl Zambrano
International Commercial Executive - RC Celta
International Commercial Executive – RC Celta
Saúl Zambrano
A passionate worker in sports industry with more than 13 years working from different stakeholders of the sector. From adidas in marketing and sports marketing area managing campaings and football category for Colombian Football Federation, colombian players and local clubs. With experience in the football local league and Colombian Football Federation in areas as development of football, licensing, sports and operations. Passing as a country manager of Copa America 2021. Until work in commercial area, sponsorships and internationalization of one of the classic and top clubs in Spain, Celta de Vigo.
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Secretary Geneal, FIFA
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