Professor Geoff Walters is the new Director of the Centre for Sports Business.
Geoff is a Professor in Sports Business and Director of the Centre for Sports Business at the University of Liverpool Management School. Geoff joined ULMS in October 2024 after 16 years at Birkbeck, University of London. where he was latterly the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law and a Director of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre.
Geoff joins the Centre for Sports Business with a strong track record in industry focused research in sport. His main research focus is on governance and regulation within sport. Over the past 15 years he has sought to better understand organisational governance (the role of the board) in the wider sports sector, with his research contributing to the development of the Code of Sports Governance. He combines his academic interest in organisational governance alongside the role of trustee at Everton in the Community, the leading football charitable organisation in the UK.
Geoff's other area of research interest is financial regulation in the professional football industry. Geoff has long argued the need for an independent regulator to oversee football finances and has supported the work of DCMS in the various reports that have led to the Football Governance Act. Geoff will bring his experience to the FIMBA programme, teaching the Football Industry module and the Sport Governance and Law module.
As Director, Geoff's aspiration is for the Centre for Sports Business to become recognised for world leading, impactful research in partnership with the sports industry alongside high quality, research-led education that inspires students to fulfil their academic and personal ambitions. The five-year strategy of the Centre that will be launched in Autumn 2025 will have three pillars:
- Research and Impact: To deliver world leading, impactful research that addresses challenges faced by the sports industry
- Education and Experience: To deliver outstanding and transformative educational experiences for our students across our postgraduate and executive education programmes
- Engagement and Partnerships: To build and international reputation for the Centre by increasing the visibility of our research, programmes, alumni and partnerships on an international scale.
Geoff is particularly keen to work more closely with alumni and has plans to launch a regular online alumni webinar series in Autumn 2025 as well as an in-person alumni conference in Summer 2026.