SIGA Summit on Female Leadership in Sport: paving the way for gender equity

SIGA, Sport Integrity Global Alliance’s annual Summit on Female Leadership in Sport is not only about talking about what it’s like to be a female in a male-dominated industry or what it’s like to be a woman who leads. It’s also about putting on display exactly how instrumental women are within these roles and exhibiting their expertise on topics such as sports betting integrity and good governance in sport, which is the heart of what SIGA is all about.

To discuss these vital issues ahead of the Summit we sat down with SIGA’s global chief operating officer, Katie Simmonds, who has been championing this cause throughout her career, first as an English qualified lawyers working in sports law and now as one of SIGA’s leaders.

AS fully supports SIGA in its mission to enhance integrity in sport, close the gender gap, and create opportunities for female leaders throughout the industry, and is proud to be an official media partner for the Summit on Female Leadership in Sport, offering coverage of the event in addition to live streaming every panel.

The SIGA Summit

SIGA is the world’s largest coalition fighting for integrity within sports. As part of that mission, they are hosting their fourth annual Summit on Female Leadership in Sport, to be held in New York, at Founding Member Mastercard’s Technology Hub on March 6, just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8.

The Summit brings together over 50 industry leaders in sports from nearly 40 different organizations to discuss “carefully curated” topics, among them Female Leadership in Sports and The Intersectionality of Sports and Fashion. It is designed to propel SIGA’s commitment to promoting gender equity and integrity in the sports industry, on and off the field.

The Summit and Global Mentorship Program

This is SIGA’s fourth year to host the Summit, and, as Katie Simmonds explains, whereas last year’s event was all about getting commercial brands to join the cause, this year’s goal is to have brands and sports organizations send their female leaders to get involved in SIGA’s Global Mentorship Programme for Aspiring Female Leaders in Sport.

Simmonds is one of the driving forces behind the mentorship program, which is eight months long and offers women support to reach their potential as leaders. It is now in its fifth cycle, and the aim is to double the mentors from 75 to 150.

“It’s not a cause just for women, It’s a cause for everybody from a sports organization’s perspective. It’s a cause to innovate your organization. We know that diversity and inclusion leads to innovation from a brands perspective. If women represent over half the population and we are the key drivers when it comes to deciding what we spend in the household, why wouldn’t you want to give back this cause?”

Speakers and topics at the Summit

Among SIGA’s many media partners are silver partners, TCS, a global technology company, as well as session partners M&T Bank, EPIC Global Solutions, and the Connecticut Sun. The superb list of expert speakers - from NFL’s Chief Compliance Officer, Sabrina Perel, to the Chief Marketing Officer of Arsenal Football Club, Juliet Slot - will touch on the following topics:

“This is a summit to display and demonstrate female leadership and expertise on topics such as sports betting integrity, women leading the frontier for the technology evolution,” said Simmonds. “And also we have a panel on male allies. We really want to to affect change by inspiring women to help other women. But also we do need the men to sometimes step aside in order to let women lead. And that’s really what we are encouraging. And we have an amazing panel on that.”

This year’s summit will also include a wellness session with support from the CEO of Wellness Universe, as well as - for the first time ever - a Masterclass on Female Leadership in Sport the day before, on March 5.

“It’s about unlocking the power of networking,” Simmonds continued. “What I love about the summit is that it’s not a dull, typical conference. We’ve had a laughter, cheers and tears in the past. And so it’s a great, feel-good session.”

SIGA’s Summit, though hosted in New York, will be available online so that it’s accessible to everyone. Simmonds hopes to expand the event itself in the future, making it available in the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe.

Gender Equity a big part of SIGA’s drive for integrity in sport

As Simmonds mentioned in our interview, there are more and more women getting involved in sports, whether it’s on the field or in business. SIGA’s goal is to allow women the same opportunities that men have historically had.

“To affect cultural change, it can’t be the same person at the helm for 20 years past. We need term limits, we need succession. And I think that to do that, you need to have a diverse workforce,” said Simmonds. “It’s about harnessing what I like to say, the good governance, the leadership, the business with also female representation.”

Simmomds said that of the many women she’s had the pleasure of speaking to throughout her life and career, many have shared the same experience of being underestimated or “having their voice canceled”. She spoke about the importance of letting women lead, and about the progress that SIGA and the Summit have made in advancing that cause.

“In my leadership role, that is something which I’ve had to come to terms with,” said Simmonds. “By being that dissenting voice, sometimes not the most popular, but by standing up and explaining that this is right and it needs to be done that way.”

“I am encouraged by the progress. And I do think that along with the men, women can be the key to this. And I’m so excited to meet so many people from around the world that I have only spoken to remotely, at the summit, who really have supported me in making this happen.”