Speakers

Qasa Alom is a presenter, investigative journalist & director with credits on documentaries, current affairs and radio. He has been with the BBC since 2010. In November 2020 Qasa was awarded with Best Radio Presenter at the Asian Media Awards.

Qasa freelance presents for BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio London and presents a weekend show for BBC WM. Qasa further presents shows for Radio 4 that include Costing The Earth and From Our Own Correspondent.

Qasa hosted an event for the UN at COP26 and is passionate about preventing climate change because of how he has seen it affect his family and ancestral home in Bangladesh.

This year Qasa has reported for BBC Sport at Wimbledon and The Commonwealth Games on sustainability in sport. Qasa has reported on the whole of the Commonwealth Games 2022 that included the athletes parade on the opening day.

Qasa loves sport, particularly cricket and tennis. 2021 Qasa launched @realtennispod with @dominglot. 2021 also saw Qasa host @thehundred @Edgbaston . He also presented the 2019 ATP World Tour Finals for BBC 5 Live Sports Xtra, the season ending tennis tournament between the top 8 men’s players in the world, from London’s 02 Arena.

Jamie Farndale is a current international rugby captain, leading Scotland Sevens on the HSBC World Sevens Series. He has played professionally for eleven years. Jamie was awarded the University Medal for highest grades in Business Management at Edinburgh Napier where he studied alongside playing. He focussed on Business Sustainability Strategies and has recently begun a Masters in Sustainability Leadership at Cambridge University.

Jamie has spent the last year delving into Sustainability in Sport. He co-wrote an open letter signed by hundreds of professional players urging World Rugby to take a leadership role in sustainability. He has since had involvement with World Rugby who since unveiled their ambitious 2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan. He was also involved as an athlete ambassador with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games whose aim was to be the most sustainable games ever. He is working on other projects within sport looking at a strategic approach to achieving sustainability.

Melissa is a three-time World Championships A finalist, and co-founded Athletes of the World with Double Olympic Champion Hannah Mills last year. Since 2020 she’s brought over 500 elite athletes together across various campaigns: a letter to the UK government with 320 GB Olympian and Paralympian signatories, a video to World Leaders ahead of COP26 involving flag bearers from 35 different countries and a letter to World Rugby signed by 200 professional players. Her work focuses on building athlete-led campaigns for climate action, and removing the barriers to further athlete engagement through climate education and wider support.

Sander van Stiphout is program manager innovation and director of the consultancy branch of the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
What drives Sander is to contribute to a well-managed, safe stadium with great fan engagement that makes profit and simultaneously create true value to society. To achieve concrete goals for the stadium and its main stakeholders Ajax, KNVB and the City of Amsterdam he drives innovation among ecosystem partners such as KPN, KPMG, Microsoft, Signify, Heineken, Coca Cola, ABN Amro, research institutes such as TNO, universities, SME’s, start-ups and Governmental institutions using the stadium as a fieldlab.
Sander has worked on stadium projects worldwide and was involved in projects related to all recent major tournaments, such as the Russia and Brazil World Cups. Sander was special stadium operations consultant to the Qatar Supreme Committee in relation to the FIFA World Cup 2022 preparations.

Following a degree in Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews, and after 12 years working in the golf sustainability sector, Philip joined Bluewater in 2022 to drive forward the company’s innovative portfolio of sustainable hydrations solutions for events and venues.  With first-hand experience of major sporting events, with a particular emphasis on delivering sustainability and legacy strategies, Philip is focused on realising the unique opportunities that are open to the sport sector globally to drive meaningful and proactive change on the sustainable development agenda.

Anne is passionate about sustainability. She has an educational and professional background in creating strategy for and implementing sustainability initiatives in the non-profit, chemical, and energy sectors. Anne’s other big passion is sport. By pursuing her Ph.D. in sport and sustainability at Texas A&M University, she combines her two loves with the goal of helping sport organizations and events make strategic decisions for sustainable development. Anne is part of the Sustainability in Sport Lab at Texas A&M University, Sport Ecology Group, and the German think tank sportainable.

Brian McCullough, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Sport Management and the Director of the Center for Sport Management Research and Education at Texas A&M University.

His research focuses on the environmental impacts of sport, organizational strategy and decision making, and stakeholder engagement campaigns.

He has written over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters, edited two books, authored one book, and presented his research over 130 times to national and international audiences. In addition, Dr. McCullough assisted in the United Nation’s Sport for Climate Action Framework and is the Director of the Sustainability in Sport Lab at Texas A&M and the Co-Director of the Sport Ecology Group.

Mark joined The FA in March 2016. Prior to joining The FA, Mark held senior finance roles with BSkyB, Virgin Mobile, the Iglo Group and most recently he was the Group CFO for Virgin Active. Mark qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC.

Responsible for the climate action and environmental strategy of FIFA
Responsible for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Sustainability Strategy

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz is the Environmental Science Advisor to The New York Yankees and also serves as the official Sustainability Advisor to NBA Cares’ “NBAGreen” program and to Major League Soccer, the first person to hold any of those positions. Working with former MLB Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig, former NBA Commissioner David Stern, and with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Hershkowitz created the environmental programs at Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL. He also created the sustainability program at Major League Soccer and continues to serve as the sustainability advisor to that league. In 2008, at the request of Billie Jean King, he created the environmental program for the USTA.

In 2015 Sports Business Journal listed him as one of the “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business,” and in 2016 Worth magazine listed him as one of “The 60 Most Powerful People in Sports”. According to Green Sports Blog: “It is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Hershkowitz is the most consequential environmentalist in the history of North American sports,” and Yoga + Joyful Living magazine labeled him “The Godfather of Greening”. According to Greenwire, he “has long been among the most visible activists in the nation.” In 2022 Dr. Hershkowitz was listed by Sports Business Journal among its short list of “Executives To Know in Sports Sustainability.”

Dr. Hershkowitz is widely acknowledged to have created the movement to leverage sports to promote sustainability and, as the world faces its greatest climate emergency, he serves on the Steering Committee of UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework. He led the effort to create the US-based Green Sports Alliance as well as Sport and Sustainability International, based in Switzerland. He also created the environmental program for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars telecasts, as well as the environmental program for the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Awards.

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz is an environmental scientist, visionary, activist, writer, lecturer and strategic sustainability advisor. For 26 years (1988 – 2016) he served as a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and was the force behind some of the organization’s most effective and visible initiatives. Blending technical expertise with the influence of iconic cultural sectors, Dr. Hershkowitz leverages the cultural and market influence of sports and entertainment

Bob Ramsak is the Head of Sustainability at World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field and long distance running, a journalist who has covered the sport globally for more than two decades and a long-time advocate for environmental, economic, and social justice.

Barbara leads the Sustainability programmes of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), covering all projects related to gender equality and environmental sustainability in motor sport. She co-developed the FIA Environmental Strategy 2020-2030 and is in charge of its implementation across the federation, its members and championships.

She has 6+ years’ experience in Sustainable Development and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, recently becoming alumni of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Jaime joined World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) in 2008, initially working on the successful campaign to secure rugby’s return to the Olympic Programme in 2009 before focussing in on support for World Rugby’s development and international relations activities with a diverse range of stakeholders across the rugby, Olympic and international sporting movements.

In 2021, he coordinated the development of the World Rugby Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030. Launched in January 2022, the ESP2030 is an ambitious plan and roadmap for the sport, setting out how World Rugby will reduce the climate impact of its activities while increasing awareness of the need for all stakeholders to act to ensure the sustainability of our sport.

He has worked on various projects including maximising the sport’s Olympic reinclusion through Olympic Solidarity engagement, the management of rugby for development initiatives and partnerships (including ChildFund Rugby, the UN World Food Programme, SOS Kit Aid, World Wheelchair Rugby, International Gay Rugby amongst others), and the activation and management of the Spirit of Rugby programme in 2016.

Prior to joining World Rugby, having graduated from university in Ireland, he worked in Sydney in the New South Wales Cabinet Office in the run-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, followed by a position in London working for a leading event agency delivering live events for a range of multinational clients across Europe, Asia and North America.
A native of Dublin, his well-worn rugby boots have been passed to the next generation but he still enjoys his sport, helping out with coaching, keeping the bees happy in his garden, and getting out and about into nature whenever time allows.

Katerina has joined the carbon markets in 2011 and is currently holding a position of Commercial Director, servicing Vertis clients in voluntary carbon offsetting, renewable energy certificates trading, sustainability advisory, carbon policy and other carbon related topics. Katerina is responsible for overlooking structured derivatives transactions and throughout her career advised and successfully concluded on carbon hedging strategies and transactions with hundreds of large industrial and aviation clients. Katerina holds a diploma in Economics and a Masters in Finance from CEU Business School.

Norman Vossschulte is originally from Berlin, Germany. His culturally rich background included ten years living abroad in Africa, Iraq and Spain before moving back to Germany to finish High School and College. He studied Biology and Physical Science before deciding to move to New York City in 1996 to attend the Herbert Berghof Institute for Fine Theatre Arts and Drama.

Norman’s work experience is as eclectic as his upbringing. He has worked in the hotel industry, the non profit industry, as well as both sports and entertainment industries. 25 years of practicing customer and client relations, has given him an overview of which techniques consistently enhance guest experiences.

Norman has over 16 years of staff training and team leadership experience working with The Walt Disney Company and currently the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2014, Norman became the official GO GREEN spokesperson and began leading the green team for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his tenure the Eagles obtained LEED Gold certification and were the first sports team in the world to obtain ISO20121 certification. He organized and re-branded the initiative as the GO GREEN ECO Committee (Engagement, Communication, Operations) to involve the entire organization. One of the main missions of the ECO Committee is to Innovate & Sustain. The Eagles are now the first sports team to actively invest in the ocean by offsetting carbon emissions from player

Lindita Xhaferi Salihu leads work on sectors engagement in climate action as part of UN Climate Change wider Global Climate Action work. She led development of both Sports for Climate Action and Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and works closely with a variety of stakeholders to mobilize key actors and catalyze ambitious action towards decarbonization. Before joining UN Climate Change, Lindita worked in public relations and coordinated projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in policy and sustainability. Lindita has an educational background in engineering, international relations and global energy & climate policy.

Julie is an experienced sustainability professional with a particular focus on challenging strategies, management and strategic social, environmental, economic and ethical advice for a wide variety of international projects. She has led teams in several offices and oversees initiatives in other areas where innovative solutions are provided to resolve particularly challenging strategies and projects. She has worked on numerous projects abroad including in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Oceania, North America, South America and the Bahamas.

Julie has worked, and continues to work, on a series of high-profile and complex bespoke corporate strategies, as well as more specialised research-focused projects, where her ability to protect and enhance a strategy or policy as well as co-ordinate and review a wide range of technical inputs linked to an aptitude to both lead and manage multi-disciplinary teams, has promoted and then successfully delivered such projects.

Julie has facilitated workshops and been invited as a guest speaker at international conferences and has facilitated strategic meetings with government officials, NGOs and opinion formers. She works as an existing relationship manager with UN Agencies and has a thorough understanding of how societies and their institutions, economies and environments interact to influence sustainable development and the adaptability of livelihoods and communities to both environmental and political change.

Julie has a particular focus on leading the delivery of net zero strategies within highly complex environments and organisations.

Lee is a Senior Manager with WM’s Advisory Services team and oversees the Sports and Entertainment Division that implements a diverse portfolio of sustainability programs at leagues, stadiums, and events, along with customers across other industries. With over a decade of experience in sustainable business management solutions, Lee helps major sports organizations and Fortune 500 companies develop comprehensive environmental programs and sustainable supply chains.

His recent work experience includes sustainability strategy development, greenhouse gas inventory and mitigation plan management, SBTi, impact benchmarking, zero waste validations, material minimization and diversion efficiency initiatives, sustainability certifications, video production, CDP and DJSI reporting, stakeholder engagement campaigns, environmental justice, purpose-driven sponsorships, environmental marketing, and corporate reporting.

Prior to working for WM, Lee received an MA in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies with a focus on energy and climate change. Hailing from Boston, he holds a BA in Psychology and Chinese from Bates College. Lee is also a WELL AP, LEED AP, and TRUE Advisor.

Hannah is currently Vice President of Club Operations at Liverpool Football Club. A chartered accountant with 15 years’ experience, Hannah joined LFC in 2011 and previously held the role of Head of Financial Planning and Analysis before making the move into Operations. Hannah is responsible for Club wide operations including Capital Projects, Procurement, Sustainable Operations, Facilities Management, Health & Safety and Strategy Management. Hannah also sits on the Finance Committee of Women in Football, a post she has held since August 2020.

Jeremy Casebeer is a professional beach volleyball player working to use his platform in sport to scale social and environmental impact. He is the Project Manager for the AVP Tour and Waste Management (WM) Climate Action Plan, he is an ambassador for Parley for the Oceans and the Forest Stewardship Council, focuses his sponsorships as an athlete on sustainable brands that share his values, and is on the Board of Players for the Planet and AVP First.

David Garrido is Sky Sports presenter with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. He’s passionate about telling sports and sustainability stories on-air, aiming to normalise the conversation around climate and genuinely drive positive change. David recently hosted an electric-vehicle road trip takeover day to launch Sky Sports’ Summer of Sustainability, and he’s just released a football-and-sustainability podcast/vodcast series, speaking to several current and former players who advocate for climate action. David is a long-suffering fan of Sheffield Wednesday in England and, being born to Spanish-speaking parents, he also supports Valencia.

Dr. Jessica R. Murfree is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Division of Sport Management and Accountability, Climate, Equity, and Scholarship Fellow at Texas A&M University, USA. Jessica is a member of The Sport Ecology Group and presently researches the effects of climate change on sport, with a specific focus on social and legal implications of extreme weather and climate risks, and environmental injustices faced by minoritized groups in sport and recreation. She also serves as a research contributor for Divers for Climate Global Community Group, and as a member of the North American Society for Sport Management’s Sustainability Committee.

Matt Hill is the founder and Chief Environmental Evangelist at reforestation nonprofit, One Tree Planted. After over 15 years as an educator, business leader, and eco-adventurer, he wanted a simple way to help individuals and businesses make real progress towards a more sustainable planet. He started One Tree Planted when he realized that planting trees is one of the simplest things we can do for the environment, while also having a big impact on biodiversity, climate change, and health. That’s where the idea for “one dollar, one tree planted” originated, and the rest is history.

Still a relatively young organization just entering its 7th year, One Tree Planted has grown quickly, planting over 10 million trees in 2020 alone, and creating education, awareness, and engagement around the importance of trees along the way. Restoration initiatives range from forest fire recovery in California to agroforestry in Africa and habitat expansion in Indonesia. All this is made possible thanks to support from donors, environmentally conscious business partners, and sports organizations. Matt spent two years working with the Buffalo Bills in the NFL and taught Sports Marketing at John Molson School of Business, so sports is an area he’s very passionate about. As a father and nature-lover, Matt wants to make sure future generations can enjoy the great outdoors, and planting trees today will help bring that vision to life