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Centre for Sports Business

Advisory Board

Advisory Board for Centre for Sports Business

Craig Beeston

Sports Governance Academy Programme Manager, Chartered Governance Institute

Craig is responsible for delivering the Sports Governance Academy’s services, knowledge base and research output and for liaising with Sports Councils. As the Chartered Governance Institute’s lead on sports governance he has contributed to its guidance and research in the sector, and has represented the institute on a number of governance advisory groups, including sitting on the Project Board for the review of the Code for Sports Governance, the Strategic Oversight Group for UK Sport’s board culture research project, and the Steering Group reviewing the Capability Code of Practice for football charities in the top five divisions of the English pyramid.

 

Drew Crisp

Non-executive Director, British Chambers of Commerce and former SVP Digital, Liverpool FC

Drew is an experienced digital media, marketing and product professional with extensive knowledge in defining, implementing and operating digital businesses. In his six years as SVP Digital for Liverpool FC, Drew was responsible for the club’s entire Digital business, spanning Media, Marketing, Product and Technology and with the objective of driving new levels of fan engagement and new sources of revenue through its fan base and partners. In 2025 he joined British Chambers of Commerce as a non-executive director.

 

Kelly Davies

UK Country Director, Ashoka, and Global Co-Founder, Sport for Changemaking

A former international footballer turned social entrepreneur and governance leader, Kelly has spent over 15 years working at the intersection of sport, equity and social impact. She is Chair of the Cymru Football Foundation, overseeing major investment into community facilities across Wales, and co-founded Ashoka's global Sport for Changemaking initiative, using sport as a lever for empathy, leadership and inclusion. She leads Ashoka's "Everyone a Changemaker" vision - supporting leaders, institutions and young people to create systemic change across sport, business, education and communities. Previously, Kelly founded award-winning social enterprise Vi-Ability, supporting disengaged young people through community football clubs, influencing policy across the UK and Ireland, as well as Europe. She has advised government, foundations and governing bodies on systems change, youth leadership and inclusive growth.

 

Gareth Farrelly

Senior Associate, Glaisyers, and CEO, the Union of European Clubs

Gareth is a former professional footballer who played in the Premier League for Everton, Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers, and won six caps for the Republic of Ireland. He is a senior associate at Glaisyers ETL’s Liverpool office, working in the Litigation and Sports Law Department. Gareth has developed significant expertise in sports law and has been involved in numerous transfers and disputes concerning current and former players. He is a member of the Football Association’s Judicial Panel and sits on both the Chairman’s Panel and the Football Panel. He is also the co-founder of Player4Player and the Union of European Clubs.

 

Alex Phillips

General Secretary, FIFPRO

Alex is an experienced football executive who was appointed as General Secretary of FIFPRO (International Federation of Professional Footballers) in March 2025. Alex previously spent 12 years at UEFA, the governing body of European football, in various roles including head of governance and compliance. He has also worked with the Asian Football Confederation, where he implemented dozens of UEFA-funded football development projects across Asia.

 

Dr Michele Verroken

Founding Director, Sporting Integrity

Michele is a qualified arbitrator, mediator and adjudicator, and a sports law lecturer who achieved international honours for England in netball, handball and korfball. A former Director of Ethics and Anti-Doping at UK Sport, in 2004 Michele founded Sporting Integrity, a body that provides independent advice to sport and business across the world, specialising in promoting integrity in sport. She also works as Anti-Doping Adviser to the PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and The R&A International Golf Federation, and is Anti-Doping Director of the Esports Integrity Commission.