Association of Sporting Directors
@ASD_SportDir
Supporting, connecting & developing Sporting Directors. Founded by Sporting Directors.
We were privileged to welcome Gareth Jennings to the AltSD MBA, & what a remarkable conversation it proved to be. From cutting the grass & painting changing rooms at Oxford United to shaping global leadership frameworks at FIFA, Gareth’s journey is a masterclass in resilience.

As part of our AltSD MBA, we were honoured to host Tiago Pinto, President of Football Operations at AFC Bournemouth. Tiago generously shared his leadership journey with our learners, drawing on experiences from his previous roles at AS Roma and Benfica.

Tony Asghar: From Undercover Policing to the Boardroom Tony Asghar recently spoke to our AltSD MBA learners, and his story is quite unique in global football leadership.

We were honoured to welcome Scott McLachlan, Global Head of Football at Global Football Holdings, to the AltSD MBA, and his session delivered a masterclass in high-performance standards, global leadership, and the evolving landscape of scouting and recruitment.

As part of our AltSD MBA, we had the privilege of welcoming Marc Canham, Chief Football Officer at the Football Association of Ireland. Marc shared his remarkable journey, one that reflects the evolving and often non-linear path to executive leadership in football.

What does it really take to work as a Sporting Director in elite football? Sharing our recent research chapter, Working as a Sporting Director, co-authored with some incredible minds and practitioners from the game. 📘 Read the chapter here 🔗 researchgate.net/publication/37…
As part of our AltSD MBA, we visited the FSG Football Office. Dr Dan Parnell shared: "FSG have assembled a prolifically successful team under Michael Edwards. Their MCO strategy is informed, evidence-based, and ambitious, everything we hope to expose our learners to."

As part of our AltSD MBA, we recently welcomed György Csepregi, Sporting Director at OH Leuven, for a powerful guest workshop in Manchester. György shared his journey across roles and clubs, with deep insight into player recruitment, leadership, and the multi-club model.

Many of our members involved in this excellent contribution by Rui Lança - congratulations.
Really pleased to get my copy of The Invisible Formula: How great sport organizations succeed, by Rui Lança V.grateful and honoured to contribute amongst some top voices in sport and football Pedro Marques Victor Orta Oskar Coca Luis Campos Leo Scaloni lnkd.in/enzKwdwP
Our ASDX programme returns this Wednesday 25th June from 4pm - 5pm (BST). Dr Alex Bond will be joined by Simon Wilson and Dan Gorelov to discuss how to develop and deliver strategy. Don’t miss out: asd.mimentorportal.com/courses/asdx-2…

This week, we were proud to host a High Performance Workshop at Birmingham City FC, bringing together football leaders from across the game for a day of insight, exchange, and action planning. A huge thank you to Craig Gardner and Birmingham City FC for hosting us.



Thank you to our ASD Global Conference 2025 Affiliate Partners for their support and being part of an outstanding event.

Thank you to our ASD Global Conference 2025 Headline Partners for their support and contributions in making the event a huge success. @Teamworks @Eyeballfootball @gemini_sports @SkillCorner @Hudl

Episode 15 of The ASD Podcast is now live! 🎙️ Dr Alex Bond and Joel Roberts join Paul Musa to discuss the evolution of the role of the Sporting Director, the future development of the role, the benefits the ASD provides to our members and more. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the…

We are ready for the ASD Global Conference 2025. Listen to expert panellists from around the world, gain unique industry insights and the opportunity to network and share experiences with leaders from across sport and beyond. Join us: asd.mimentorportal.com/courses/asd-gl…
