Sport

Perrett Laver has particular expertise serving a dynamic range of organisations across the sports sector with executive and non-executive appointments. 

Perrett Laver passionately believes in the potential that sport and physical activity offer to effect positive societal change, and to inspire the nation. Our vision is to work with organisations that support and enable this potential, whether that be through a specific sport, utilising sport as a tool, or getting people moving and well outside of formalised sport.

Our clients across this varied sector all help to create a more active, healthier nation, physically and mentally- but their impact often extends beyond this too. Many such organisations also serve to catalyse social cohesion; when at its best, sport and physical activity can promote a sense of team, parity and inclusivity. Engagement can also help tackle a wide range of modern challenges such as loneliness, crime, and unemployment, and equip future generations with the skills and discipline to achieve success. Furthermore, in addition to advancing home economies, the sector has influence on a global scale; an internationally unifying force, sport can promote a common purpose, and ultimately peace and hope, across continents.

The challenges and opportunities facing these sectors are nonetheless multiple and complex, including the diversification of talent and skills, diversification of funding, driving engagement and participation, and measuring impact. Greater transparency and openness, and strong, contemporary governance are imperative.

Using a rigorous, research driven approach and leveraging our networks, we seek to locate the strongest and most exciting talent- wherever they may be- so that our clients can seize the opportunities these challenges present. We advise on best practice yet remain flexible to your needs, working in partnership to deliver exceptional client and candidate experience.

We offer experience of working with a range of organisations within the sector, and we also benefit from our deep networks across interfacing sectors to enable dynamic cross-sectoral appointments. We have worked on non-executive and senior executive assignments to support national governing bodies, active partnerships, trusts and charitable foundations, clubs and teams, and non-departmental government bodies, as well as relevant appointments in sports research and education.

Where We Can help

National Governing Bodies

We appreciate the responsibility and influence that NGBs hold as important representatives of their respective sports. As custodians of values and significant investment, they effect participation in terms of numbers and diversity, as well as talent development, audience engagement, and often event delivery, working across clubs and a broad range of stakeholders.

Perrett Laver’s searches consider commercial, administrative and sporting ambitions of NGBs, and bring an unrivalled understanding of governance requirements. As well as leveraging our networks within the sector to engage high calibre leaders, we work hard to nurture and support the next generation of leaders from this and other sectors, consistently striving to introduce new talent and offer innovative, creative solutions and support diversity goals.

Active Partnerships

Perrett Laver has significant experience serving collaborative organisations such as Active Partnerships, and is adept at working with regional bodies across the sectors we serve.

We recognise that in today’s world there are multiple influences affecting activity levels, but also therefore ample opportunity provided by working with and across a breadth of partners to create better conditions for an active nation. Increasingly porous boundaries and interfaces between private and other public sector bodies can allow a whole systems approach to ensuring active lifestyles become the norm. We work to identify leaders with the skills and experiences to operate in this complex but powerful context.

Trusts and Charitable Foundations

As a wider firm, Perrett Laver is one of the global market leaders for our work with non-profits and charitable organisations, and we are passionate about utilising this experience for the broader service and promotion of sports and physical activity in global society.

We have therefore proactively supported a number of trusts, foundations, societies and membership bodies, and other non-profit or charitable organisations that exist to advocate for these sectors more widely, across a range of senior executive and non-executive appointments.

We have also supported non-profits or team and club foundations utilising sport as a tool, for example to advance employability, educational development and attainment, and mental wellbeing.

Education and Research

Perrett Laver are global market leaders working across the breadth of education sector, including universities, further education colleges, state maintained and independent schools.

Our work in this space includes senior administrative leadership roles such as Director of Sport, as well as academic leadership at Dean and Professorial levels. 

Who to talk to

Recent Sport Clients