Asia Pacific

Abby Freney is the National Club Experiences Manager at Golf Australia, where she leads national initiatives designed to support golf clubs across the country — including the development of Golf Australia’s Environmental Sustainability Framework and the newly launched Golf Australia Club Governance Program. Abby joined Golf Australia as an intern four years ago, fresh out of her studies in sport management, and has since been championing new perspectives in her role within the sport. Abby and her team are focused on strategic planning and modern governance that drive sustainable, lasting outcomes for golf clubs nationwide.

Rita Nehme is the Head of Sustainability at the AFL, where she leads the organisation’s sustainability strategy, climate reporting, and key initiatives, embedding sustainability across one of Australia’s largest sporting organisations. Her work spans climate action, circular economy, social impact, and industry collaboration, with a focus on delivering practical solutions that create lasting environmental and community outcomes.

Before joining the AFL, Rita led sustainability and social impact at the Richmond Football Club and served as Sustainability Venue Manager for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. She has delivered sustainability and social impact initiatives across Lebanon, the United States, and Australia.

Mikio Yoshimura is Senior Sales Manager, Japan, for Liverpool Football Club, where he is responsible for developing strategic partnerships with Japanese and Asian corporations and supporting the club’s commercial growth across Asia. As part of Liverpool FC’s Global Partnerships team, he advises leading brands on how to leverage the global reach of elite sports to accelerate international business growth, strengthen brand equity, and engage audiences worldwide.

With more than two decades of experience in international sports business, Mikio has worked across the NFL, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports Management, and Liverpool FC. Having spent over a decade living and working in the United States before returning to Japan, he combines deep knowledge of both Western and Japanese business cultures. His expertise spans global sponsorship strategy, international brand expansion, cross-border partnerships, and sports-led business development.

Originally from Kyoto, Japan, Mikio holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tokai University and a Master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Connecticut. He also serves as a Board Member of the Japan Society of Boston, a NPO, supporting business and cultural exchange between Japan and the United States.

Jamie’s thirteen-year rugby career saw him captain his country on the international stage. He has played fifty-nine international sevens tournaments for Scotland and is their second highest try scorer of all time. He won Twickenham Sevens back to back in 2016 and 2017, has been to two Commonwealth Games and two World Cups and is a European Games silver medalist with Team GB. He has also played for Cambridge University in the Varsity match.

Alongside playing, Jamie is a leading voice in the sport and sustainability space. He co-wrote a letter to World Rugby demanding environmental action signed by hundreds of professional players and gaining international media attention. He then worked with his own union to galvanise sustainability action and helped set up an ESG group which baselined current activity and workshopped sustainability aims from which to write a sustainability plan. Jamie’s research at Cambridge University has focussed upon sport’s role in influencing the uptake of sustainable technology amongst fans in the transition to a net zero economy, and he has used his platform to speak about sport’s responsibility in light of the climate crisis and the positive impact it can and should be having.

He has spoken at COP28, Global Sports Week, Sport Positive, COG-X, and at the Hong Kong sustainability summit. He has also spoken on podcasts such as High Impact Athletes, Emergency on Planet Sport, the ESG engagement podcast and has co-presented an hour-long BBC radio show on sustainability at the Rugby World Cup. Jamie has picked up awards as the International Olympic Committee Sustainability Ambassador award winner, Mastercard’s Future XV of those shaping the future of rugby, and is sustainability ambassador for Scottish Rugby and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games

Takayuki Tsujii was born in Tokyo in 1968. He discovered soccer in London, during a one year stay in 1977, and went on to play for Waseda University and in Japan Regional Football League, equivalent to the 3rd division. After retiring as a player, he completed a master’s degree at Waseda University Graduate School of Social Sciences, specializing in the philosophies of Japanese nature conservation. At the age of 30, he joined the California-based outdoor apparel company, Patagonia, as a part-time staff member. After working at the Tokyo/Shibuya store, he became a full-time employee, gaining experience in marketing and wholesale. He served as the General Manager of Patagonia Japan from 2009 to 2019. He became a board member of the J. League in 2022 and since 2023 has been an executive officer in charge of sustainability. He dedicates most of his time to surfing and snowboarding while he is out of the office.

Melanie is the Senior Director of Ballpark Operations for Major League Baseball (MLB). In this role, she works with all thirty Major League Clubs and 120 Minor League Clubs in the following disciplines: security, guest services, concessions, and environmental sustainability. An important part of this position is to understand the balance and overlap between these different focus areas. Responsibilities also include special event operations and planning, best practice sharing, ballpark assessments, and MLB security initiatives such as the SAFETY Act application. Melanie is on the leadership committee for both the MLB Asian and Pride Employee Resource Groups.

Prior to joining MLB in July 2015, Melanie has worked for various sports organizations including Madison Square Garden, the New York Mets, the Barclays Center, and the Detroit Red Wings. Melanie stays active in various industry organizations serving on the ALSD PX Global Council and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) Professional Advisory Committee.

Melanie has her Masters in Homeland Security from Northeastern University and is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned her BA in Sports Management.

Tatsushi Furuta is Senior Managing Executive Officer responsible for Corporate Planning and Motorsports, and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at Honda Mobilityland Corporation, the operator of Suzuka Circuit and Mobility Resort Motegi.

Since 2007, Furuta has been engaged in the motorsports division at Suzuka Circuit, where he has held a number of leadership positions including General Manager of the Business Promotion Office and Head of Motorsports Business Management. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in the strategic development and management of major motorsport events and business operations.

In 2024, he was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer and Chairperson of the Sustainability Committee. In this role, he leads the company’s ESG management strategy, driving the integration of sustainability into corporate governance, business planning, motorsport operations, and stakeholder engagement across the organization.

Furuta is committed to creating long-term value through sustainable business practices and advancing the role of motorsport as a platform for positive environmental and social impact. Under his leadership, Honda Mobilityland continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainability while enhancing business resilience and supporting the transition to a more sustainable future.

Matthew Nicholas has been with Tennis Australia for over 12 years. Originally a lawyer, Matt has been Director of Sustainability since 2022, leading delivery of Tennis Australia’s climate action strategy: “Maximum Play, Minimum Footprint”.

Tennis Australia owns and operates the Australian Open, one of four global tennis Grand Slams. The 2026 Australian Open was attended by 1,368,043 fans.

Nicola Barr is the number one draft pick and current player for St Kilda Football Club in the AFLW, and a recognised voice at the intersection of sport, leadership and climate action.

Nic works with FrontRunners, where she leads projects and stakeholder engagement across the sporting industry to mobilise broader climate action. Her work focuses on harnessing the cultural power of sport to shift mindsets, influence leadership and activate communities. She brings together athletes, clubs, sponsors and governing bodies to drive meaningful change across the sector.

Alongside her professional and playing career, Nic is a regular MC and panel facilitator, known for her ability to translate complex sustainability challenges into accessible, engaging conversations. She contributes to discussions across sport, business and the environment, bringing authenticity as both an elite athlete and a leader working to embed sustainability across the sporting landscape.

Nic recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability at the University of Sydney, strengthening her academic grounding in climate and environmental systems.

Her commitment to this work extends well beyond her professional life. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Nic can most often be found cycling, hiking, surfing or swimming — drawing energy and perspective from the natural environments she is driven to help protect for future generations.

Joanne Bowen is CEO of Cricket for Climate, a player-led movement founded by Australian Test Captain Pat Cummins to build resilience for communities and the game.

Working at the intersection of sport, energy, climate resilience and community engagement, Joanne has led the design and scaling of innovative programs that help community sport and sporting venues reduce costs, cut emissions and build resilience. Since becoming CEO in 2024, she has led landmark programs including influencing and leading the Australian Governments $50 million investment into clean energy and climate resilience solutions across community sport venues, Australia’s first ever clean energy power hub, and development of a connected energy ecosystem across multiple sporting venues with high sport and broader community benefits.

Joanne pioneered the Cricket for Climate Academy, developing athletes, administrators, media professionals and community leaders as trusted climate and energy advocates. She is recognised for her ability to bring together diverse stakeholders across sport, government, business and communities to create shared value and drive collective action.