Introducing the ‘Women in Football’ Panel at the 20th EFDN Conference
Nicky Reid, Angeliki Arkadi, Vicky Conde Sancho & Lizzie Adams are confirmed speakers for the ‘Women in Football’ Panel at our 20th EFDN ‘Making Football Matter’ Conference in Athens from the 13th until the 15th of November 2023.
The Women in Football panel will bring the audience the opportunity to hear about successful stories from women working in the football industry, more precisely working in different management roles across different football institutions. Although, this may seem like an insightful topic for women in the room, this discussion and the learned lessons that will be presented at this panel will cover challenges and take aways from these women working in the football industry, and this content will be important also for the men in the audience, since the task of achieving gender equality and increasing the representation of women in football will depend on men too, especially those who are already working in management roles within football.
When discussing the representation of women in football, numbers show that most of the roles, and mainly decision-making roles in football – and sports generally – are occupied by men. This means that decisions affecting men and women are being made, in most cases, by a man. However, having women in management roles gives an additional point of view and brings diversity into the decision-making process.
As a woman you will be inspired by these stories and be able to ask questions that may help you grow in the industry. As a man, you will find out in which ways you can help your colleagues and support them on their way through their football journey.
Nicky Reid – Chief Executive of SPFL Trust
Nicky Reid was appointed Chief Executive (CEO) at the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) Trust in September 2017 becoming the first female CEO at the national level of the game in Scotland, having previously served in programme and general manager roles during a decade at Hampden Park. She is responsible for steering the strategic direction of the SPFL Trust and represents the organisation on the national and international stage. Nicky has overseen a complete transformation of the SPFL Trust into a multi-million pound charity, delivering funding and programme specific activity across all 42 associated community trusts and SPFL clubs, and more recently with the new SWPL. She previously spent seven years at Falkirk Football Club and the Falkirk Football Community Foundation. The SPFL Trust is an independent registered charity.
Angeliki Arkadi – General Manager of AEK Athens
Angeliki Arkadi is the General Manager of this year’s host; AEK Athens. She has been working in the football industry since 1991, mainly in the field of Media and European Organizations. Also worked as UEFA Venue Director (2002-2004) and as Venue Media Manager in football at the Olympic Games, Athens 2004. She was a Member of the Local Organizing Committee of the UEFA Champions League 2007 Final, responsible for the promotion and commercial sections.
She is member of the Marketing Working Group of ECA (European Club Association). Since 2020 has been teaching at the MBA in Sports Management co-organized by Panathinaikos BC and IST College, in collaboration with the European University (Paris). Angeliki was also a speaker during the 13th EFDN Conference in Barcelona.
Vicky Conde Sancho – Project Manager at EFDN
Vicky is involved in the Welcome through Football project since April 2021. Besides this project she is also coordinating other social inclusion projects at EFDN mainly around intellectual and physical disability, women discrimination in football, and social cohesion for children. She is also a former football player and coach herself. Before her career at EFDN, she did a Master in Sports Ethics and Integrity and a Master in Education.
Lizzie Adams – Community Football Relationship Manager of Premier League
Lizzie joined the Premier League in December 2022. She currently manages relationships between external partners and the Premier League Community Team focused on investment for grassroots women and girls’ football. Lizzie’s role also includes feeding into the wider policy work of the Premier League and working closely with the network of Club Community Organisations across the English football pyramid. Lizzie is Chair of Trustees for RefugeeYouth, a small charity supporting young refugees and asylum seekers in South London and Captain of Dartford FC Women’s team who play in the 5th tier of the English women’s football pyramid.
