A Ball on the Field & Seat at the Table
This week, Vital Voices Global Partnership was proud to bring together three trailblazing leaders in professional sports at our newly opened global embassy for women to discuss the advantages and challenges of being a female in the front office at some of world’s leading teams and leagues.
Featured speakers included Dee Kundra, managing director (Americas) at FC Bayern Munich, whose championship team was in town to play against DC United in a Wednesday evening match that kicked-off a continuation of their winning streak in the pre-season, and Isabelle van Coevorden, who serves as head of marketing (Americas) at Bundesliga International after a long career as a professional soccer player, and Ashland Johnson, Esq., a former Division I athlete who now serves as founder & president of The Inclusion Playbook, a sports and social justice firm.
Speaking before a room of nearly 100 sports enthusiasts, key highlights from the panel discussion include:
- Lean on your mentors, both male and female, to overcome the challenges that come along with being the first or only woman in the decision-making room. Your mentors will light a pathway for you to advance.
- You have to be vocal about what you want to achieve. As a female executive, you have to know that you are in the room for a reason. Know that your skills and experience have already validated your presence.
- Sports has a unique ability to unify people. Diversity – when it comes to gender, age, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and more – delivers hope and trust to sports fans and the communities that the industry serves.
If you or someone you know is looking to advance to the next level
and make a social impact, visit Vital Voices Programs for women leaders.
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