Annual Conference

Jacqui Oatley MBEPresenter

Jacqui Oatley MBE is an experienced broadcaster on UK television, radio and digital platforms. 19 years after changing career to retrain as a broadcast journalist, Jacqui now presents on ITV - as anchor of their PDC darts coverage - and covers football for Sky Sports, BBC and The Athletic. She became the first female commentator on Match of the Day in 2007.

As a former player and FA qualified coach, Jacqui has presented and commentated on the biggest football tournaments, including men’s and women’s World Cups and Euros, as well as the Olympic Games.

Jacqui is on the national committee of the Football Writers’ Association and is an ambassador for Women in Football - an organisation which champions the role of women in the game.

Stella RibertiWISLaw Networking Breakfast - Rule 40: Impact on Athletes for the 2026 Olympics

As Counsel at Clifford Chance in Milan, Stella brings extensive expertise in Sports & Entertainment law.

She assists clients with both domestic and international sports-related regulatory matters, including eligibility and UEFA Financial Sustainability, as well as international transactions such as sponsorship contracts, sports investments in clubs and facilities, event organisation, and licensing of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and media rights. Stella is also involved in sports arbitration and disciplinary proceedings, including those before FIFA, FIBA, and Italian sports judicial bodies. Additionally, she serves as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Annie DavisSession 1 - Safeguarding in Sport: Rethinking Legal Approaches and the Case for Global Standards

Annie Davis - Safeguarding Consultant for World Athletics

Annie qualified as a solicitor with Farrer & Co.  In 2007 she began working in safeguarding using her legal skills to support the safeguarding team at the Rugby Football Union which involved writing policies, procedures, guidance and supporting the case management and DBS officers. She was involved in drafting regulations and was Referral Management Group secretary. 

In 2017 she left to work as a sports safeguarding consultant initially with The FA on a project producing internal protocols and categorising all of their open  cases.  She now regularly sits on The FA Safeguarding Review Panel.

She began working with World Athletics in 2021 creating their safeguarding policy, procedures and rules alongside developing their safeguarding strategy. She worked with UNICEF to create a bespoke World Athletics safeguarding training program available in seven languages. She has been involved with delivering the residential module of the FIFA Guardians course - a great insight into the issues and challenges faced daily by safeguarding professionals around the world.  

In addition to World Athletics, she is currently working with Premiership Rugby Limited developing their safeguarding strategy and with British Rowing’s safeguarding team to develop a new safeguarding policy and procedures.  

In addition, Annie is governor of two secondary schools, one an elite performance school. 

Kacie WallaceSession 1 - Safeguarding in Sport: Rethinking Legal Approaches and the Case for Global Standards

Kacie Wallace - Team USA Athlete Ombuds

Kacie has served as the Team USA Athlete Ombuds since January 2015, supporting athletes and advocating for fair processes and sustainable conflict resolution in Olympic and Paralympic sport. An attorney with an advanced degree in dispute resolution, she has spent her career focused on preventing and mitigating disputes through proactive education, early intervention, and effective conflict management systems. Before joining Team USA as the Athlete Ombuds, she mediated disputes for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for a decade and consulted with organizations to design systems that promote constructive conflict resolution. Most recently, she worked with the World Anti-Doping Agency to establish a global anti-doping ombuds program.

Beyond sport, Kacie has mediated employment and litigated matters; served as a police officer, hostage negotiator, and violence intervention counselor; explored the use of film in opening pathways for dialogue between conflicting cultures; and developed immersive training tools for humanitarian crisis response. She has taught law, leadership, and conflict resolution at institutions including Duke, UNC, and Pepperdine. With a passion for storytelling and creative problem-solving, she explores innovative ways to foster understanding and reconciliation.

When not working, Kacie appreciates time with her husband and family, painting, sketching, scouring shorelines for shark’s teeth, protecting oceans and working waterfronts, and paddleboard adventures.

Sir Gary HickinbottomSession 1 - Safeguarding in Sport: Rethinking Legal Approaches and the Case for Global Standards

The Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom is a former High Court and Court of Appeal Judge, who retired from full-time work in the Court of Appeal in 2021 to conduct a Commission of Inquiry into corruption and governance in the British Virgin Islands, which reported in April 2022.  He is currently a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda and the President of Welsh Tribunals.   In 2024, he was appointed Chair of the independent panel charged with the assessment of the pecuniary losses of claimants whose convictions arising out of the Post Office Horizon scandal have been overturned. 

A significant amount of Gary’s work as a judge was sport-orientated with a wide range of subjects, including football club funding, the development of football and other sports grounds, and liability for injuries suffered whilst playing sport.  He is particularly experienced in sports safeguarding and disciplinary, regularly chairing hearings as well as managing the work of safeguarding and disciplinary panels.  He is currently the President of the National Safeguarding Panel and the Chair of the International Tennis Federation Safeguarding Panel, as well as being Chair of the Judicial Panels for the Premier League, the Lawn Tennis Association and British Wrestling, a Chair of the Appeal Board of the British Horseracing Association Judicial Panel, and a member of the National Anti-Doping Panel, the FA Safeguarding Review Panel, and the Sport Resolutions Arbitrators’ Panel.

Gary is a Trustee of the Mercian Multi-Academy Trust, where he is the Lead Trustee for Disadvantaged Pupils. 

Alexandra RichardsSession 1 - Safeguarding in Sport: Rethinking Legal Approaches and the Case for Global Standards

Alex Richards - Head of Safeguarding, EFL

Alex Richards is the Head of Safeguarding for the English Football League and Independent Board Director for Safeguarding at Northumberland Cricket. With her appointment in 2018 the oversight of the League in respect of safeguarding was significantly accelerated after the non-recent child sexual abuse disclosures. Alex creates the League safeguarding standards and oversees the independent assessment of the EFL Safeguarding standards in all 72 Member Clubs.

Her aim is to create a culture of constant vigilance with an embedded preventative approach that brings policies and procedures to life. Alex and her team work with their Clubs to reduce risk, learn from case reviews and investigations, and drive change at the highest level.

Prior to working with the EFL Alex worked in further education for 15 years as an Assistant Principal with responsibility for welfare and safeguarding. During her time with South Tyneside College, they received an Outstanding grade from Ofsted with reference made to the work done in welfare and safeguarding.

Anna ThorstensonSession 3 - Contamination: Unpacking Athlete Responsibility and Misconceptions

Anna has over 15 years of experience in international sports law, particularly in anti-doping. She has worked both within sports organizations and at a top-ranked Swiss law firm. Since 2016, Anna has been employed at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) as a legal advisor. Working in an international environment has provided her with extensive experience in the global legal landscape, including knowledge of various jurisdictions, national and international relations related to sport globally, and a profound understanding of the sports law system.

She has worked with a wide range of organizations (including international and national governing sports bodies, public authorities, sports organizers, clubs, sponsors, agents, and individual athletes) on a variety of sports-related issues, including disciplinary processes and disputes, anti-doping, rules and regulations, arbitration proceedings, as well as contractual and regulatory disputes. Anna has appeared as counsel before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and other sports tribunals. Additionally, she has served as a member of the Swedish Equestrian Federation's disciplinary committee and as a member of the Norwegian anti-doping panel for whereabouts reporting. In March 2023, Anna took on a new part-time role when WADA appointed her as an anti-doping ombudsman (a newly established function to support athletes in doping matters).

Travis TygartSession 3 - Contamination: Unpacking Athlete Responsibility and Misconceptions

Travis T. Tygart has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) since 2007, having joined the organization in 2002. With a legal background, Tygart has been instrumental in shaping USADA’s mission to protect the integrity of sport and safeguard the rights of clean athletes. Throughout his career, he has led high-profile investigations into doping scandals, including the U.S. Postal Service pro-cycling team and the BALCO laboratory, and advocated for global anti-doping reform, notably contributing to the passage of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Fraud Act.

Tygart has testified before various U.S. Congressional Committees and international bodies, sharing his expertise on doping issues and anti-doping policies. He has also published works on topics like Title IX and doping in sport. Beyond USADA, Tygart serves on multiple boards, including the Sports Lawyers Association and the Partnership for Clean Competition, and has received recognition for his contributions to clean sport, including the USA Swimming Award in 2016 and the Athlete’s Appreciation Award in 2019.

Nicole Sapstead OBESession 3 - Contamination: Unpacking Athlete Responsibility and Misconceptions

Nicole leads the ITIA’s anti-doping team and the worldwide Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) for players under the ATP, WTA and International Tennis Federation, which includes all Grand Slam events. Nicole joined the ITIA in September 2021, after more than a decade at UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), including six years as the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer.

Nicole, who was awarded an OBE for services to sport in 2023, has been an influential figure in the anti-doping industry for over 20 years across a variety of roles, and has had a significant impact in its governance and development; notably she was part of the working group that created an independent National Anti-Doping Organisation (UKAD) in 2009 and played an influential role in the drafting and implementation of the UK National Anti-Doping Policy and associated UK Anti-Doping Rules.

Jane PurdonSession 4 - The Governance of Football – is it broken and does it need fixing?

Jane Purdon has been a pioneering figure in football for nearly twenty-five years. After falling in love with the game as a child, she went on to work in football at the highest levels, including at Sunderland AFC, the Premier League, and UK Sport.

A qualified lawyer, Jane has held prominent roles in governance and leadership within sport. As Head of Governance and Leadership at UK Sport, she co-authored the Code for Sports Governance. Prior to this, she worked at the Premier League as Director of Governance and began her career in football as Club Secretary at Sunderland FC.

Jane led Women in Football (WIF) from 2018 to 2021, overseeing a period of significant growth for the organisation in both membership and income. Since stepping down as CEO, she authored The Homecoming: The Lionesses and Beyond, a critically acclaimed memoir that explores her journey as a fan and the stunning rise of women’s football.

In the spring of 2024, Jane stepped down from her director role at WIF but continues her association with the organisation as an ambassador.

She is also a member of Sport Resolutions' Panel, chairs the Professional Game Academy Audit Company, and lectures on sports governance with various universities.

Nick CraigSession 4 - The Governance of Football – is it broken and does it need fixing?

Nick Craig manages a broad array of operational and regulatory issues for the EFL. Nick is an English-qualified solicitor and has worked at the EFL for over 23 years, serving as Director of Legal Affairs before being appointed COO in 2022.

Among other things, Nick oversees the development and implementation of the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test, and its related Acquisition of Control Rules.

Kieran MaguireSession 4 - The Governance of Football – is it broken and does it need fixing?

Kieran Maguire is an academic at the University of Liverpool specialising in sports finance. He was a contributor to the Fan Led Review into football governance led by Dame Tracey Crouch and has written two research papers commissioned by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport into the state of football finances in England and Wales. 

Kieran is also the co-host of the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, and authored the book of the same name. He is regularly appearing in the media commenting upon matters involving sport finance and has written for publications as diverse as The Financial Times, Guardian, The Times and Daily Mail, as well as contributing to BBC Sport, TalkSport and Sky Sports. 

Away from football finance Kieran’s main interests are Brighton and Hove Albion, cricket and music that was last in fashion in the late 1970s.