In this episode, Sherry Bevan talks with Stephen Gilpin of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club about his thoughtful and refreshing approach to leadership that goes far beyond the world of sport.

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Episode 15: Adaptive Leadership

In conversation with Stephen Gilpin, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Sherry Bevan: Today, my guest is Stephen Gilpin. Stephen is the Assistant Director of Performance at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and co-founder of the charity Prostate United. Stephen, a very warm welcome.

Stephen Gilpin: Thank you, Sherry. Good morning, and thanks for having me on.

It would be great to start by hearing a little about your career and how you came to be in your current role.

Stephen: It all goes back to university. In 2009 I went to Sheffield Hallam to study physiotherapy, and during my third year I completed an internship at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. Looking back, that internship was probably the reason I got my foot in the door of professional sport so early in my career.

After graduating I spent a short time working in private practice, but during my internship I’d volunteered virtually all my free time – weekends, evenings, anything I could give. I’d almost created a role before there was actually a vacancy.

When I qualified and moved into private practice, that left a gap. The Head of Medical at the time, Paul Smith, gave me a call and offered me a role as First Team Physiotherapist. I was very junior and inexperienced, but it was an incredible opportunity to begin my career in elite Championship football.

I spent four years at Sheffield Wednesday during a period of major change. The club came under new ownership, significant investment came in, and overnight the environment was transformed. We were able to develop a much more progressive medical and performance department, and many of the players joining the club had experienced world-class environments elsewhere, so expectations were high.

As one of the junior members of staff, I was exposed to everything. I travelled to specialist appointments in the UK and abroad and had the opportunity to learn from some of the best rehabilitation experts in Europe. Those four years became my deep dive into learning – making mistakes in a supportive environment, developing quickly, and preparing myself for the next stage of my career.

On the pitch we had some incredible experiences too. We reached a play-off final, then a play-off semi-final, although unfortunately we fell short both times. It was a brilliant period for developing both professionally and personally, surrounded by fantastic colleagues.

In 2017 I moved to Rotherham United as Head of Medical. It was my first real leadership role, moving from leading myself to leading other people. It was also a smaller organisation with fewer resources, which meant culture became incredibly important.

I was brought in by Ross Burbeary, who later became a great friend and my co-founder at Prostate United. Working under Paul Warne, I learned the value of creating an environment where everyone moves together with a shared purpose. We had around 20 players and a dozen staff, but there was a real sense of collective commitment.

We consistently punched above our weight. We won promotion to the Championship in my first season, and although we bounced between the Championship and League One over the following years, we were competing against clubs with budgets four, five or even seven times larger than ours. What kept us competitive wasn’t resources – it was the culture we’d built.

That period was also my first real experience of leading people. Like most new leaders, I made plenty of mistakes. I probably thought there was a “right” way to lead, when actually leadership is far more nuanced than that. Fortunately, I was in another supportive environment where mistakes were seen as part of learning rather than something to be punished.

From there I was headhunted by Nottingham Forest to lead their rehabilitation programme, working under Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane. For a variety of reasons, including management changes and uncertainty around the club, it didn’t work out as planned, and I moved to Hull City.

At Hull I returned to a more technical role as Senior Physiotherapist. The club had just been relegated from the Premier League, so it was another opportunity to help stabilise an organisation going through significant change. I really enjoyed my year there.

Then Paul Warne called again and invited me back to Rotherham, this time to oversee all performance services. That was my first experience of leading people outside my own technical expertise – sports scientists, athletic development coaches, nutritionists and psychologists.

That was a huge learning experience because I wasn’t the subject matter expert in every area anymore. My role became enabling others to be the experts while bringing everyone together around a common philosophy and way of working.

That eventually led me to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Initially, I joined to help create greater alignment between the academy and the first team, bringing together medical and performance services across the club.

Very quickly that role evolved into my current position as Assistant Director of Performance. I now work across the Boys’ Academy, Women’s First Team and Men’s First Team, supporting Phil Hayward, our Director of Performance, on people and strategy, while also leading significant parts of our academy and women’s programmes.

It’s a hugely varied strategic leadership role. Rather than delivering everything myself, my role is to work through other leaders. I have heads of department who each lead their own teams, and together we’re focused on creating a high-performance environment where people can do their best work.

Looking back, it’s been an incredible leadership journey. I’ve invested heavily in my own development through Premier League programmes, further study and vocational learning.

What’s given me a really broad perspective is experiencing both ends of the spectrum. I’ve worked in clubs with very limited resources, where culture means everything, and now I work in an organisation with significant resources, large teams and complex systems. The challenge today is how you create that same strong culture in a much bigger, noisier and more complex environment.

That’s the journey that’s brought me to where I am today.

From physiotherapist to performance leader

It sounds as though that internship at Sheffield Wednesday was one of those real sliding-door moments. If you hadn’t secured that opportunity – and then committed all those hours volunteering – your career could have looked very different.

I think a lot of people have those sliding-door moments. When I talk to colleagues, there’s often one opportunity they said yes to that changed everything.

My philosophy has always been simple: say yes first and figure it out afterwards.

With that internship, while friends were enjoying holidays or travelling, I committed all of my free time to what I knew was my long-term goal – getting into elite sport. I didn’t necessarily mind whether that was football or another sport, but football became the platform that allowed me to build my career.

Getting the internship wasn’t a given. I applied, went through a recruitment process and earned the opportunity. Once I was there, I knew I had to make the most of it. I said yes to everything, became someone people could rely on, and looked for every opportunity to learn.

At that stage in my life I didn’t have the responsibilities of a family, so I could afford to prioritise experience over salary. I could have earned more working in the NHS or staying in private practice, but I knew what my long-term goal looked like. The environment, the role and the learning opportunities were far more valuable than the extra money.

Leading across teams with very different seasons

You’re now at Wolves, and anyone who follows football will know it’s been a difficult season for the men’s team, while the women’s team has enjoyed a fantastic year. How do you balance leading across teams experiencing such different levels of success?

It’s been fascinating because my three major areas of responsibility – the Boys’ Academy, the Women’s First Team and the Men’s First Team – have all had completely different seasons.

The men’s programme has faced significant challenges. The academy has had a hugely positive year, with some exciting young players progressing into the first team, which is ultimately what the academy exists to do. And the women’s programme has achieved promotion, moving from a hybrid part-time set-up into the Women’s Championship for the first time.

Each programme has been on its own journey.

We’re incredibly proud of what’s happening with the women’s team. It’s a progressive group of players and staff, led by a head coach who’s created enormous momentum. The club has invested significant time and resources into building an environment that allows that programme to keep growing.

The men’s season, on the other hand, has provided a different kind of opportunity.

By Christmas, when we were sitting on just two points, there was a very real possibility of relegation. As difficult as that was, it forced us to stop, reflect and ask some challenging questions.

For probably the first time in a long time, the club was prepared to be genuinely vulnerable. We held up the mirror and asked ourselves what wasn’t working, what we wanted to keep, and what kind of football club we wanted to become.

Alongside changes in senior leadership and the arrival of Rob Edwards, we’ve created much greater collaboration across the organisation. We’ve involved people throughout the club in some deep and honest conversations about our purpose, our values and the direction we want to take.

Knowing there was a realistic possibility of relegation actually gave us several months to prepare – not just operationally, but culturally.

We asked ourselves:

• What do we stand for?
• Who are we here to serve?
• How do we reconnect with supporters?
• How do we create the energy we’ll need for what’s ahead?

Those conversations have been incredibly valuable.

When people ask what the atmosphere is like around the men’s team, they’re often surprised by my answer. If you walked into the training ground today, you probably wouldn’t guess we were bottom of the league.

That’s because the leadership team has worked hard to create an environment built on honesty, accountability and optimism. We’ve acknowledged where we’ve fallen short, but we’ve also created a shared belief about where we’re going next.

We’ve also sought ideas from outside football. We’ve worked with some fascinating people, including Steve Hewitt, the former CEO of Gymshark, who has helped us rethink our business model, purpose and identity.

Ironically, if we’d survived by a single point, some of those difficult conversations might never have happened. Sometimes failure creates the opportunity for the most meaningful change.

At the same time, we have an academy that’s thriving and a women’s programme that’s full of energy. The challenge is making sure one programme doesn’t define the mood of the whole organisation.

We’re fortunate to have strong leaders within each area who act as cultural architects. Dan McNamara, our Women’s Head Coach, is a great example. He’s created tremendous belief and energy within that programme, and that’s something worth celebrating.

My role is to move across all three environments while remaining consistent in how I lead. On a Monday morning, the men’s team may have lost 3-0 while the women’s team has won 7-0. Those conversations require different approaches, but the leadership principles stay the same.

That’s a challenge – but it’s one I genuinely enjoy.

Purpose, trust and adaptive leadership

I think the work you’re doing around purpose, values, collaboration and connection is going to benefit the whole club. Those values run across every part of the organisation, and I imagine they’ll make a huge difference as you rebuild and move forward.

Absolutely. If you’d stopped people around the club five months ago and asked, “What’s the purpose of this organisation?”, I think a lot of people would have struggled to answer.

What we’ve tried to create is clarity. We want everyone to understand why they come to work, what their role is, and how that contributes to the wider organisational objectives.

It doesn’t matter where you sit within the club – we’re all working towards the same goal. But first we had to define that goal. We had to be really clear about where we’re heading and then help everyone understand how their role contributes to the bigger picture. That creates ownership.

Alongside that, we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on trust.

How do you build trust when people are naturally anxious about relegation, the financial implications, and the uncertainty that follows? How do you keep people motivated, engaged and believing in what Wolves is trying to achieve?

That’s been a huge focus over the past few months.

For me, it’s all about clarity, trust, purpose, understanding our audience and strengthening the connection between the club and the people we serve.

That’s something I see in every organisation I work with. Having a clear purpose is important, but making sure everyone understands that purpose is fundamental. If people aren’t all pulling in the same direction, it’s very difficult to achieve anything meaningful.

I’m also really interested in your own leadership journey. You’ve gone from being a technical expert to leading people across multiple specialist disciplines. What have you learned about your own leadership style?

It’s definitely been a journey – and one that’s still evolving. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way.

One of the biggest lessons was realising that before I could lead other people effectively, I had to learn how to lead myself.

I started asking myself questions like:

• How do I become a high-performing individual?
• How do I show up consistently?
• What am I like on a good day? On a bad day?
• What are my values?
• How do I respond to feedback?

Over the last ten years I’ve invested a lot in understanding myself through 360-degree feedback, psychometric profiling, Insights Discovery and, more recently, Hogan Assessments.

That process has helped me understand both my strengths and my blind spots, and it’s given me a much clearer development plan.

The word I keep coming back to is consistency.

Earlier in my leadership career, I probably wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be.

People often talk about authenticity, and I’ve been on quite a journey with that idea. Where I’ve landed is that I don’t aspire to be an authentic leader as much as I aspire to be an adaptive leader.

The Hogan work really helped me think about this differently. I almost picture it like a DJ mixing desk. Depending on the situation, the person or the context, I can turn different aspects of my personality up or down.

If I approached every conversation in exactly the same way simply because I was being “authentic”, I don’t think I’d always get the best outcome.

Earlier in my career I probably tried to lead in one particular style. I might have focused on being more data-driven, more direct or more objective, but I realised that approach didn’t connect with everyone.

Now I think much more about the situation I’m walking into.

Sometimes I need to be the quietest person in the room and allow someone else to lead. If I speak too early, I might unintentionally shut down creativity.

Other times I need to bring more energy, more presence or more strategic thinking.

Sometimes I need to stay at a helicopter level, looking three years ahead. Other times I need to get into the detail and understand exactly what’s happening on the ground.

For me, that’s adaptive leadership.

My values stay constant, but how I express them changes depending on what the situation needs.

People sometimes think authenticity means being exactly the same in every circumstance. I don’t see it that way. I think you can remain true to your values while still flexing your leadership style.

That’s been one of the biggest lessons in my leadership journey.

Leading people is difficult, but it’s also a real superpower.

I’ve been fortunate to work with some outstanding leaders and mentors, and seeing them up close has shown me the impact great leadership can have. Often it isn’t about systems or technology – it’s about presence, consistency and the way people make others feel.

When I think back to Paul Warne at Rotherham, we didn’t have outstanding facilities or huge budgets. The pitches weren’t always great, the resources were limited, but people bought into something much bigger than that.

That’s people leadership.

It can be every bit as powerful as investing in expensive technology or new systems. Those things absolutely matter, but without the people element, they rarely deliver their full potential.

So I’m still learning.

I hope that journey never stops because leadership is something that’s always evolving.

Leadership is a journey

It’s interesting because quite a few of the leaders I’ve spoken to for the Team Talk podcast have said something similar. I recently interviewed John Dutton, who has more than 30 years’ leadership experience, and he’s still learning, still adapting and still looking to improve.

That willingness to keep learning seems to be one of the defining characteristics of great leaders.

I completely agree, because the context is always changing.

The environment changes. The people change. The challenges evolve. The performance landscape we’ll be working in by 2050 will look completely different to today.

As leaders, we’ll be navigating AI, new technologies and innovations that we can’t fully predict yet. So the question becomes: how do we continue learning from great people and keep evolving ourselves?

When I compare the leader I was in 2017 with the leader I am today, it’s night and day. I know I need to keep that momentum going because I’m passionate about leadership and the impact it has – not just on performance and results, but on people.

Ultimately, I want to help people in my teams grow into leaders themselves. If someone I’ve worked with goes on to have a successful leadership career, that’s success for me.

That’s what gives me purpose.

Every environment I step into is another opportunity to learn.

Most of my learning has come through failure. Looking back, I can see that the biggest lessons didn’t happen immediately. They unfolded over time.

Even now, I can reflect on situations from two years ago and only just realise how I could have approached them differently. Sometimes the learning comes long after the event.

People often say, “Fail fast, learn fast.” There’s certainly value in immediate feedback, but I think real learning is much slower than that. It’s thoughtful, deliberate and reflective.

That’s something I’ve come to appreciate through further study and research, and it’s really influenced how I develop as a leader.

I completely relate to that.

Even now I find myself reflecting on situations from 20 or 30 years ago and thinking, “If I knew then what I know now, I would have handled that differently.”

Sometimes you don’t even realise you’ve made a mistake until years later, when you’ve gained more experience and perspective.

Absolutely.

Building Prostate United

I’d love to talk about the work you’re doing at Wolves all day, but I also want to shine a light on Prostate United. Tell me how it started and how you became a co-founder.

This is my passion project.

It’s something that gives me enormous energy, both personally and professionally.

My grandad died from prostate cancer in 2010. He was a hugely inspirational figure in my life and I always knew I wanted to do something in his memory. At first, I imagined that might simply be a fundraising challenge or a physical event.

Then, in 2018, while I was at Rotherham, I spoke to my colleague Ross Burberry.

I said, “What if we ran 10 kilometres every day throughout November? I’ll also run the London Marathon afterwards. Let’s use our football fixtures to raise awareness and see if we can raise some money.”

Ross thought about it for about 30 seconds and simply said, “I’m in.”

That’s how it all began.

At that stage it wasn’t even called Prostate United. It was simply a fundraising challenge for Prostate Cancer UK.

In that first year we raised around £7,500, and I was absolutely delighted.

But something interesting happened.

As we travelled around the country, people at other clubs kept saying, “I’ll join you next year.”

Ross and I looked at each other and laughed because there wasn’t supposed to be a next year.

But after hearing that over and over again, we realised perhaps there should be.

So in 2019, instead of two of us taking part, there were ten people from clubs across the country.

The fundraising doubled.

Then it kept growing.

People started saying, “I can’t run, but I can cycle.”

Great.

Others said, “I can walk.”

Fantastic.

The challenge evolved into something that anyone could take part in.

The fundraising grew from £7,500 to £15,000, then £50,000, £125,000, £250,000, £350,000, eventually reaching almost £500,000 in a single campaign.

Today, after eight campaigns, we’ve raised more than £1.5 million.

It’s been an incredible journey.

Prostate Cancer UK has become a fantastic partner, working closely with Ross and me to help grow the campaign. We now have branding, merchandise, marketing campaigns and agency support. Together we’re building something much bigger than we ever imagined.

Football gives us an amazing platform.

We all know about events like Soccer Aid, but beneath that there wasn’t really a national football movement bringing supporters together around prostate cancer awareness.

Sadly, prostate cancer affects one in eight men, and one in four Black men.

Football reaches exactly those communities.

The idea is simple. Support your football club while taking on a challenge that means something personally – whether that’s for your dad, your grandad, your brother, your uncle or a friend.

That’s the magic of it. It’s not my challenge anymore. It’s everyone’s challenge.

People tell me, “You’ve given me a way to honour someone I loved.”

That’s incredibly powerful.

The more people who get involved, the more awareness we create, the more money goes into research and the closer we get to changing those devastating statistics.

That’s what keeps us going. Every year we set ourselves bigger goals. This year we’re aiming to raise £750,000.

By our tenth campaign in 2027, we want to raise £1 million in a single year.

When I think back to two friends running around Rotherham in 2018 hoping to raise £7,500, it’s amazing to see how far it’s come.

And I genuinely believe it’s only just getting started.

It sounds incredible, and your passion really comes through. I’m curious – are there things you’ve learned through Prostate United that you’ve brought back into your work at Wolves?

Absolutely.

One of the biggest things has been understanding how different organisations operate. Working in the charity sector has given me a completely different perspective on stakeholders, governance, ownership and decision-making, and that’s been invaluable in my role within professional football.

I’ve also learned a huge amount about scaling projects.

How do you grow an idea? How do you become a better project leader? How do you create clear accountability, involve the right people, consult effectively and keep everyone informed? Those lessons transfer directly into the workplace.

Another area is communication.

I’ve really come to appreciate the power of storytelling – how sharing your own story can inspire other people to become part of something bigger.

If storytelling can create a movement around Prostate United, then why can’t it create momentum behind a workplace project or organisational change?

The other lesson is the power of collective effort.

One thing we often say at Prostate United is that we’re standing on the shoulders of giants. None of this has happened because of one or two people. It’s happened because thousands of people have chosen to get behind the cause.

Great things are rarely achieved alone.

If I’m trying to achieve something on my own, I’ll only ever get so far. If I can bring ten people with me, we’ll achieve far more together.

I’ve taken so much learning from building Prostate United over the last decade, and it’s undoubtedly made me a better leader in the professional environment as well.

That really comes across.

The thread running through everything you’ve talked about today – whether it’s Wolves or Prostate United – is purpose. You have such a clear sense of what you’re trying to achieve, and that enables everyone around you to work towards the same goal.

I honestly feel like I could spend all day talking to you because you’ve shared so many fascinating insights about leadership and team performance.

Favourite sporting moment

Before we finish, I always ask my guests the same question.

What’s your favourite sporting moment? It doesn’t have to be football – it could be anything – but what’s the one moment that stands out for you?

For me, a great sporting moment is one where you can remember exactly where you were, who you were with and how you felt.

A few immediately come to mind.

David Beckham’s free kick against Greece. I know exactly where I was standing when that went in.

Johnny Wilkinson’s drop goal to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003.

Tiger Woods winning The Masters while playing through injury.

And Sergio Agüero’s last-minute goal against QPR to win the Premier League for Manchester City.

Those moments stay with you because they create memories.

You can ask almost anyone, “Where were you when Beckham scored against Greece?” and they’ll immediately have a story.

That’s what makes sport so special. It brings people together through moments that become part of our shared history. The excitement, the emotion, the sense of belonging – those are the things that make sport so powerful.

I completely agree.

Johnny Wilkinson has actually come up before with another guest, and I think that’s exactly what sport does. It creates those shared moments that bring people together and build a real sense of community and connection.

It’s one of the reasons I love working in this world.

Stephen, thank you so much for joining me today.

I’ve really enjoyed hearing about your leadership journey, your commitment to continuous learning, and your perspective on adaptive leadership – staying true to your values while adapting your approach to the individual, the situation and the challenge.

It’s been a fascinating conversation.

Thanks, Sherry. I’ve really enjoyed it. Thanks for having me.

Important links

• Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club website
• Prostate United website
• Prostate Cancer UK website

About Stephen Gilpin

Stephen is Assistant Director of Performance at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and co-founder of Prostate United.

About the Host

Sherry Bevan believes that high-performing teams start with confident leadership.

Before becoming a Leadership Consultant, she spent more than 25 years working alongside technology teams, including in organisations such as McDermott Will & Emery, Credit Suisse and Arthur Andersen. That experience gives her a deep understanding of the challenges facing today’s IT leaders, particularly within law firms.

Through her consultancy, coaching and leadership development programmes, Sherry combines commercial understanding with honest conversations, skilled facilitation and practical leadership support to help leaders build confident, high-performing teams.

A former racing cyclist and lifelong sports enthusiast, Sherry is fascinated by what enables teams to perform under pressure. That’s why Team Talk goes behind the headlines to speak with the coaches, performance directors, and leaders who create the environments where success becomes possible.

Because whether it’s a law firm, an IT department or an elite sporting environment, great results rarely happen by accident. They happen when leaders create the conditions for people to perform at their best.

Connect with Sherry

• Sign up for news and updates.
• Apply to join the Team Culture Club.
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In this episode, Sherry Bevan talks with Tom Duggan about leadership, high-performance sport, and what it really takes to build environments where athletes and teams can thrive.

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Episode 13: Leadership, High Performance and Building Trust in Elite Sport

Guest: Tom Duggan, Performance Director – Paddle Sport

Sherry Bevan: Welcome to today’s episode. I’m delighted to be joined by Tom Duggan.

Tom has more than 20 years’ experience working in sport, from sports development in local authorities and national governing bodies through to elite sport with the UK Sports Institute, squash, archery, and canoe slalom across Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic settings.

He was Team Leader for Archery at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024. Since April last year, he has been Performance Director at Paddle UK for the Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross World Class Programme.

Tom, a very warm welcome.

Tom Duggan: Thanks for having me.

Tell us about your career journey to where you are today.

I think my journey started at school. I played lots of sports growing up and originally thought I’d become a PE teacher. I had a conversation with my PE teacher when choosing university courses, and he actually advised me not to specialise in teaching straight away. He suggested studying sport first and deciding later whether to do a PGCE.

I followed that advice, but by the end of university I’d forgotten to apply for teacher training. I took a gap year and volunteered with the local authority in an Active Sports Partnership role. That experience made me realise I wanted to pursue sport professionally.

I then completed a Master’s degree to help differentiate myself in what was a very competitive field. It led to a Sports Development Officer role in local government, which involved everything from organising participation opportunities for children to marketing and community engagement.

From there, I moved into national governing bodies — first England Squash as a Regional Development Manager, then Badminton England, where I spent around six years.

During that time, I became increasingly interested in high performance sport. I was fortunate to secure a secondment with the English Institute of Sport at Bisham Abbey during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic cycle.

What started as a six-month placement became 18 months, working with several programmes including hockey and synchronised swimming. That experience made it clear to me that elite sport was the direction I wanted to pursue.

After that, I returned to squash to oversee the talent pathway before eventually becoming Performance Director for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Following Rio, funding changes meant my role was made redundant, which actually gave me an opportunity to look at what was next. I moved into para-archery in 2017, despite not having a background in the sport itself.

That eventually led to becoming Performance Director and Team Leader through to Paris 2024.

Now I’m at Paddle UK working in canoe slalom and kayak cross — and it’s been almost a year.

One thing that really struck me listening to your career history is how varied the sports are. How important is that variety when moving between roles?

The sports have all been very different. Squash and badminton obviously shared similarities as racket sports, but beyond that the environments have varied hugely.

People sometimes assume that working in sport means being deeply technical in the sport itself, but my role is much more about leadership, strategy, people and culture.

The coaches are the technical experts. My job is to create the environment that enables athletes and coaches to thrive.

That said, I’ve always made a real effort when entering a new sport to understand what it takes to win. I don’t need to become the technical expert, but I do need enough understanding to have meaningful conversations with athletes and coaches.

In some settings, like archery, I’ve supported athletes directly in competition environments, but usually from a psychological perspective rather than a technical one. In high-pressure moments, athletes often need belief and calm more than technical instruction.

I imagine there’s an advantage in not coming from within the sport itself because you can step back and see things more objectively.

I think so.

In smaller sporting communities, people can carry perceptions about athletes or staff based on history — what someone was like five years ago, for example.

I tend to approach things with a clean slate. I’d rather form my own view of people and situations.

Not being emotionally attached to a sport’s traditions or politics can help you focus on what really matters: creating the right environment for people to perform.

You moved from Archery GB to Paddle UK last year. What does starting in a new leadership role look like for you?

I was very aware that I was the first Performance Director in the programme to come from outside the sport.

I was also stepping into a programme that had just delivered a very successful Paris Olympics, bringing home four medals.

So from the start, I was very clear that this was about “evolution, not revolution.”

I wanted people to understand I wasn’t arriving to tear everything up and impose my own way of doing things.

The team had also been through a period of uncertainty after Paris, with people covering interim responsibilities and carrying additional workloads. There was an opportunity to pause, recalibrate and establish direction for the Los Angeles cycle.

A big part of those early months was getting to know people.

On my first day, I was asked to speak to the staff and tell them a bit about myself — not just professionally, but personally too.

A few weeks later, one of the senior athletes asked whether I’d do the same session with the athletes because they’d heard about it from staff.

That was a really important moment.

I talked about my background, my family, what drives me, and how my experiences shape my leadership approach.

I think that openness helped build trust early on.

Over time, it was also about small things — team meals, creating opportunities for connection, helping people feel valued and settled.

Ultimately, it’s about creating the right environment for athletes and staff to perform.

I think getting to know people as human beings first — rather than simply by their role — is fundamental to building trust.

Absolutely.

Life as an athlete can be incredibly demanding. Careers can be short and intense.

We often talk about athletes needing identities beyond sport, and I think leaders need to role model that too.

For me, I want to be defined first as a dad, husband, son and brother. My job comes somewhere after that.

It’s important to understand what’s happening in people’s lives because those things inevitably affect how they show up in training, competition and pressure environments.

If we want people to thrive, we need to understand the human being behind the performance.

How is the sport performing internationally?

At elite level, we’re in a strong position.

We’ve consistently delivered medals across multiple Olympic Games, and Paris was particularly successful with four medals.

We also have exciting academy athletes emerging and beginning to challenge established senior athletes.

At the World Championships in Australia last year, Joe Clark won his fourth consecutive world title in kayak cross, which is an incredible achievement.

Ryan Westley and Kim Woods also won medals.

One of the challenges for the UK is that canoe slalom remains a relatively small sporting community compared to sports like athletics or football.

Another challenge is geography.

Our waterways are very different from those available to athletes in parts of Europe. UK athletes often develop on man-made courses, whereas athletes elsewhere may gain experience on a much wider range of natural white-water environments.

That variety helps develop different technical instincts and river-reading skills.

So one of our key challenges is making sure athletes are exposed to enough varied environments to broaden their skillset.

The Los Angeles Olympics will be very different for your sport because events are taking place in Oklahoma rather than LA itself.

Yes — we’ll be based in Oklahoma, which is around a three-hour flight away from Los Angeles.

That’s largely because the organisers are increasingly trying to use existing facilities rather than building new venues.

It creates an interesting challenge because part of what makes the Olympics special is feeling connected to the wider Games.

Paris felt incredibly connected. We were right in the centre of the city with iconic venues around us.

Oklahoma will be very different.

That said, having visited the venue earlier this year, I came away much more positive. There’s genuine excitement locally about hosting part of the Olympics.

Softball will also be based there, which helps create more of a satellite village atmosphere.

As team leaders, our role will be to help athletes feel part of the Olympic experience while also keeping things normal enough for them to perform well.

Ultimately, it’s still the same course, the same equipment and the same task — going through the gates cleanly and quickly.

The challenge is making the environment feel special without creating unnecessary pressure.

How connected do athletes feel to Team GB beyond their own sport?

In Paris, athletes definitely embraced that wider experience.

The archery athletes spent time with athletes from other sports, went to watch events, and really made the most of being part of the Games.

That’s one of the things that makes the Olympics unique.

It only happens every four years, and suddenly you’re surrounded by the best athletes in the world across every discipline.

That can inspire people, although it can also create pressure if not managed well.

The key is helping athletes reframe pressure as opportunity.

You don’t suddenly need to become a different athlete because it’s the Olympics. The routines and behaviours that got you there are usually the same things that help you perform once you arrive.

I ask all my guests this question — what’s been your favourite sporting moment?

I can’t narrow it down to one.

Johnny Wilkinson’s drop goal in 2003 is definitely up there.

Super Saturday at London 2012 was incredible. My wife and I had been at the badminton earlier in the day, then watched the evening events with friends in a bar in London. The atmosphere was unbelievable.

More recently, watching the Lionesses win with my children was really special. I now have two daughters playing football who weren’t interested in it before.

I’ve really loved this conversation.

One thing that stands out is how much your role is about leadership and creating environments where people can thrive, rather than technical expertise alone.

I also loved hearing how you introduced yourself to both staff and athletes as a human being first. There’s something all leaders can learn from in that.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Thanks, Sherry. I appreciate it.

Important links

• Tom Duggan on LinkedIn.
• Paddle UK website.

About Tom Duggan

Tom Duggan has more than 20 years’ experience working in sport, from sports development in local authorities and national governing bodies through to elite sport with the UK Sports Institute, squash, archery, and canoe slalom across Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic settings.

He was Team Leader for Archery at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024. Since April last year, Tom has been Performance Director at Paddle UK for the Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross World Class Programme.

About your host, Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan believes that high-performing teams start with confident leadership.  Before running her own consultancy, she spent more than 30 years leading and working alongside technology teams in organisations such as McDermott Will & Emery, Credit Suisse and Arthur Andersen. 

Through her coaching and consultancy work, Sherry’s simple approach combines commercial understanding with honest conversations, strong facilitation and practical leadership support.

A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what makes teams perform well under pressure – which is why she draws so much inspiration from sport, leadership and the power of teamwork.

Because whether it’s a law firm, a technology team or an elite sports environment, great results rarely happen by accident. And it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.

Connect with Sherry

• Sign up for news and updates.
• Apply to join the Team Culture Club.
• Connect on LinkedIn.
• Subscribe to Team Talk newsletter.

Learning to Lead Without Controlling Everything

In this episode of the Team Talk Podcast, Sherry Bevan speaks with Kerri Coombs. At the time of the interview, Kerri was Head of Girls’ Football and First Team Coach at Oxford United. She talks openly and honestly about what it really takes to build high-performing teams – on and off the pitch.

Listen to the episode here:

Listen on Spotify.

Listen on Apple.

Episode 12: Learning to Lead Without Controlling Everything

Guest: Kerri Coombs, Oxford United

Sherry Bevan: Welcome to the Team Talk Podcast. This is the show where we discover how to build high-performing teams using lessons learned from the world of sport.

I’m your host, Sherry Bevan, and today I’m delighted to be talking to Kerri Coombs, who is Head of Girls’ Football and First Team Coach at Oxford United.

Kerri is very much a globetrotter. Between 2012 and 2022 she coached full-time overseas in private clubs, academies and companies in Morocco, the United States, China and Hong Kong. During that time she also held roles such as Academy Head Coach and Coach Educator.

Kerri returned to the UK in 2022 to take the role of Pathway Technical Lead with the then Women’s Championship side Lewes Football Club, before taking up her current role at Oxford United, who are in Tier 3. She also recently completed her UEFA A licence with the Football Association of Wales. A very warm welcome to you, Kerri.

Kerri Coombs: Hey Sherry, thank you for having me.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into football coaching.

Very simply, I played as a young girl from probably five or six years old all the way through. My dad coached grassroots teams that my sister played in, and I got the bug there.

Through university it was a good way to earn money – flexible hours, not too many hours a day – and I worked for a few community trusts around London while I was studying. Then it kind of just evolved. It wasn’t really a plan, and then it ended up being my full-time job. Twenty-odd years later I’m still doing it and still enjoying it, so that’s how I got into coaching.

Wow, it really sounds like football’s in your blood. You’ve been doing it for a long time, and if your father was coaching as well, I guess it was a natural thing for you to do.

Yeah, and probably quite strange because I was extremely shy as a kid. Football gave me confidence. I love the game – whether I’m playing or coaching – and because I had such a strong desire to be part of it, it forced me out of my comfort zone.

I ended up developing that coaching personality. I’m still quite a shy person away from the pitch, but in front of teams and groups of players I’m a very different version of myself.

I can imagine. And at university, just out of curiosity, did you do a sports-related degree?

I studied sports science. My original thought was to work in the background staff, maybe in a lab or something like that. But I quickly realised biomechanics and things like that were not for me, so I carried on down the coaching route.

You’ve worked with a lot of different teams in different cultures and countries. I’d really love to hear what you see as the difference between teams that are successful and perform well and those that aren’t so successful?

If we think first about teams of coaches – the multi-disciplinary team, if you like – the places where I’ve thrived, and where other coaches have thrived, have always had strong collaboration. There’s open-mindedness, people are willing to challenge each other constructively, but they also support each other. No one’s trying to tear anyone else down, which unfortunately does happen sometimes.

I’ve been very fortunate to be part of clubs, companies and academies where those values were already there, so I’ve really thrived in those environments.

In environments where it’s more like “you do you, you’re on your own”, where there’s a lot of criticism but not many solutions, that’s where things tend to fall down – especially for young coaches.

If you bring players into the picture, the most successful teams I’ve seen are built on very simple things: open communication, collaboration and getting their input. It’s not just you and them – it’s us.

That communication, trust and honesty with each other – even when the conversation isn’t easy – is the key to success.

You mentioned the coaching teams that worked well together had that collaboration and open feedback. What made the difference so that honesty and trust develop?

That’s hard to define. I think it often comes down to the type of people and why they’re there.

Earlier in my career, when I was working in the US for example, there were a lot of coaches trying to get time on the grass. But there was a huge range of people – some thought they were further along their journey than they were, while others were just starting out and knew it. They were trying to learn and absorb everything around them.

If you’re around people who are open when you ask a question – people who share their ideas, their challenges, or say “this is where I got it wrong” – that kind of behaviour spreads. It creates a culture.

From a personal point of view, if someone is open with me, I find it much easier to be open with them. But if there’s defensiveness or gatekeeping, it becomes much harder to reach out to that person for their experiences, whether good or bad.

When I’m part of a team now, or leading one, I try to create that openness myself. Even when I’m leading a session as the Head of the Pathway, I’ll ask the coaches: What did you think? What worked? What didn’t? What would you change?

By approaching things that way, I think it helps people feel more relaxed. At least I hope so – some of them might say they’re not always relaxed when I’m there, which I’m trying to work on!

But I think if the people in leadership positions show that vulnerability first, it creates a culture where everyone else feels able to do the same.

None of us have all the answers in coaching or support roles, so being open-minded, willing to communicate, share and be vulnerable is what builds those cultures of trust.

It sounds like role-modelling from leaders is really important. Once that culture starts to form in a club or academy, it almost becomes self-perpetuating. When someone new joins, they gradually adapt to that open style of communication.

Definitely. Whenever we bring in a new coach – whether during recruitment or later on – I always try to emphasise that my role is to be a second pair of eyes for them.

I wish I’d had more of that earlier in my career. It’s so valuable to understand your blind spots, because you don’t know what you don’t know.

If someone has an idea or challenges what I’m doing, it can open my mind. I have my own philosophy, and there’s a club philosophy we need to align with for the players’ sake, but I still want those conversations.

I’ve had a couple of mentors who gave me patience too. They let me fail, then helped me reflect and pick things back up afterwards. That’s the way I try to lead now.

You mentioned failure and mistakes. Do you think that’s a key part of developing as a coach?

Absolutely. I think it’s impossible not to fail or make mistakes because the goalposts are always moving. The context is always changing, and the people in front of you are changing day to day – especially young people.

I find it hard to understand if someone says they’ve never failed or made a mistake. I know I’m a different coach from who I was even a month ago sometimes, when I’ve learned something new.

The way I phrase things, the way I approach conversations, or how I teach aspects of the game – all of that evolves. If I look back to last year or ten years ago, I probably wouldn’t even recognise myself as a coach.

Hopefully that’s growth in a good direction. But I’m sure six months from now I’ll look back again and think, “Why did I used to do it like that?”

Failure is part of the process. You have to go through it to improve.

That’s continuous learning and development. You make the best decision you can with the information you have at that moment. Six months or six years later you may see it differently, but you were doing your best with what you knew at the time.

That’s where those collaborative coaching teams you mentioned become really valuable.

What about the teams themselves – the football teams? What do you think makes a successful team on the pitch?

Are we talking youth teams or senior teams?

You choose. Pick a team and tell me what’s worked.

I’ll go with youth teams, because that’s where most of my experience is.

With youth players, it’s about trusting them more than you might think you can. They don’t have the same perspective or life experience as you, and emotionally they’re still developing. But their perspective can be really refreshing and eye-opening.

Just as they can’t fully see things from your perspective, you can’t truly see things from theirs either.

It’s about trusting them, creating leadership groups, encouraging them to share ideas and acting on those ideas – even if you’re not completely convinced in the moment.

When you do that, it builds trust. Then when you give honest feedback, they’re more receptive because they know you trust them.

Earlier in my career I sometimes did it the other way around. It was all about the tactics and structure – do this, do that – thinking that would make them better players and the relationship would follow.

I realised that approach was wrong, especially with young players.

A good example was when I was at Lewes. We had an under-16 girls team and decided to put them in a boys’ league. We thought it would challenge them and improve the games programme.

But they really struggled – technically and tactically. Our first instinct was to double down on coaching: more technique, more tactics, more structure.

Eventually we realised they weren’t looking forward to games anymore, and that’s heartbreaking as a coach.

We stripped everything back and started talking about confidence – what it means, why it matters, and how they could support each other.

The next game they played was one of the most rewarding moments of my career. You could see the belief and the fight come back. We praised their intent, bravery and confidence.

They still lost the game, but the way they felt afterwards was completely different. We’d listened to them, acted on their feedback and created a turning point.

Listening to your examples, there’s a strong thread of openness and collaboration running through everything you do – whether it’s with coaches or players.

I really admire that. In some organisations or teams you can tell when trust isn’t there, because people simply aren’t performing at their best.

It takes courage to step back and ask, “What’s going on? What are we missing here?”

What have you learned about yourself through all these experiences – working with different teams in different countries?

There’s a long list!

If we’re talking about being part of or leading a coaching team, one thing I’ve learned is that although I love collaboration and opening the floor for discussion, sometimes I need to be more decisive.

People still need clarity and guidance.

I sometimes describe it to our coaches and players as “drowning in freedom”. If things are too open, people don’t know which direction to go because there are a thousand ways to do the job.

Over the last year with this group of coaches, I’ve realised I need to meet them where they are in their journey and provide more guidance.

My instinct was to avoid being prescriptive because I didn’t want to be a dictator. I wanted to build relationships first and understand where everyone was at.

But I’m learning that leadership sometimes means giving clearer direction and explaining why we’re doing something a certain way.

Another thing I’m learning about myself is around emotional regulation.

I’m not explosive, but I feel like I need to be more aware of myself. Our job is hard and it’s tiring. We’re often rushing in from somewhere else, and sometimes I know I arrive a bit like a hurricane because I haven’t taken the time to regulate myself. That’s something I’ve only really started learning about recently – that it’s something I can control much better. I think being more mindful of that will really help me.

I’m always still in the learning phase – it comes back to what we talked about earlier. Don’t let people drown in freedom, but also I need to delegate more. I need to give people tasks that might not be done exactly the way I would do them, and that’s okay, because then we can talk about it afterwards. Sometimes it might even come out better, and then I’ve learned something as well.

I think it’s about learning to be more decisive, learning emotional regulation as a leader – because you can’t be all over the place, you’ve got to be consistent – and… I’ve forgotten my last point now. I’ve talked too long.

Allowing people to do it their way.

Exactly – delegating and letting people grow that way. Being patient, even if we don’t get to the outcome I want as quickly as I’d like. That’s okay, because we’re building other things in the meantime.

You’ve coached internationally – what interesting opportunities has that created compared to working in the UK?

I think one of the most organic opportunities has simply been working with players and parents from different backgrounds, with different expectations of what a coach should be.

For example, in Morocco it was an Arsenal soccer school, so it was a private company, and in Hong Kong it was also a private academy. As coaches, we all have our beliefs about how we should coach – not joystick coaching, not constantly telling the player on the ball what to do and not being overly expressive on the sideline.

But you quickly realise that parents sometimes expect that. They’re paying for coaching and they have a certain idea of what coaching looks like. When I first stepped into that environment, my philosophy was probably too heavily weighted towards “the game is the teacher”. Looking back now, I think that was probably a bit of a cop-out. I didn’t fully know what I was doing yet, so I leaned on that idea. But it didn’t really work for the players or the parents. I had to learn to be more expressive and adapt my approach.

In America, the players are very respectful of the coach, but they also want answers from you. You’ll hear a lot of “Yes, coach” and “No, coach”, and they’ll run through brick walls for you. That’s very much their mentality. But if a parent has a question, they will approach you. That environment gave me a lot of experience in managing parent relationships and the coach-parent dynamic. I really enjoyed working with players who were incredibly hard-working and passionate about the game.

The opportunities weren’t necessarily material things like trips or events. But looking back now, those experiences stretched and challenged me. If I’d stayed in one environment or one culture, I definitely wouldn’t be the coach I am today. I’ve had to adapt and grow in ways that maybe British parents and players wouldn’t have pushed me to in the same way. I went abroad simply to coach football – I didn’t realise how different football culture could be around the world.

That’s fascinating. You’ve had to adapt to the cultural norms around football and coaching in different places. Even something as simple as how expressive you are on the sideline depending on the country or the club environment. It proves to you that you can adapt your coaching and leadership style.

I’d probably add that maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time in the youth game, and I have such a passion for youth development.

On a Saturday or Sunday, the result isn’t the be-all and end-all. In the environments I’ve worked in, it’s about developing players. The joy comes when you see something a player has been working on appear in a game, or something the team has been practising come together on the pitch. Or when players simply love being part of the club, and they keep coming back year after year because they feel committed to the environment you’ve created. That’s a huge win as a coach.

When you come back to the UK, where football is such a huge part of people’s lives, it’s different. Football used to be everything to me as a player, but it isn’t in quite the same way any more. In some ways that gives me a sense of calm. I still love the competitiveness, I love seeing teams play well and dominate games, but my ego isn’t tied as strongly to the result.

Since stepping back into senior football recently, I feel that emotional side starting to come back a little bit. Being on the sideline again brings that excitement. I’m being stretched again – how do I stay level and balanced in that environment? Last year I was around it, but I didn’t really feel it, and I remember thinking, “What’s wrong with me?” Because as a player I was incredibly passionate and quite emotional about football.

Those years spent in environments focused on development – planning sessions, supporting players, helping them grow – changed my perspective. If I’d stayed coaching only in the UK, I might still be quite volatile about results.

It highlights the difference between youth football and senior football. With youth teams, the focus is very much on developing players. You can still lose a game but see lots of positives in the performance to encourage and build on.

Exactly. Those are the moments I really get excited about. When something a player has been working on suddenly appears in a match and you’re on the sideline thinking, “Yes! That’s brilliant.” Those are the moments that give you that visceral feeling.

Now when I’m with the senior team on a Sunday, I find myself thinking a lot more about the result – desperate for us to score and not concede. Thankfully the emotional side of me as a player hasn’t fully returned, because that was a bit too much.

I imagine it’s very different when you’re the one on the pitch. As a coach you’re probably able to step back a little and look at things more objectively.

Exactly. And that comes back to lived experience. I have much more empathy now than I did as a young coach for what players are going through. They haven’t experienced everything yet, so they might not realise that getting overly emotional can sometimes work against them.

Looking back at how I was as a player has helped me as a coach. It makes me think about what I would want from a player now, and how I can support them. And what I might have needed at that age to become a better player and person.

I’m getting such a strong sense of what a thoughtful coach you are. As we come to the end, I’d love to ask you one final question.

What has been your favourite sporting moment ever? It doesn’t have to be football, although I have a feeling it might be!

The obvious one would be the first Euros win. I was still in Hong Kong at the time, so we were watching it at about two or three in the morning.

That was the first time in a long time that I felt that real excitement watching football again. I was nervous before the game, completely invested in it, full of emotion and passion.

Another moment that really stands out for me was my time at Lewes with the under-16s. When we really stripped everything back and focused on what the players needed as people. How do we genuinely support them on the pitch, but also give them the tools to grow into successful young women?

That was a turning point.  There was a particular performance from that team that has always stayed with me. Two moments: the Euros win, and that time with the Lewes under-16s.

Brilliant. Thank you so much, Kerri. And if people want to connect with you or follow your work, where’s the best place to find you?

The best place is LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out. We’re always looking for keen coaches in the women’s game, and we’re always looking to develop them too, so there are often opportunities.

Thank you so much. It’s been fascinating listening to you and hearing about the different elements involved in building a successful team – the openness, the trust, the honesty in communication and collaboration. You’ve also talked about having a growth mindset: being willing to learn, make mistakes, and keep developing.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.

Important Links

• Kerri Coombs on LinkedIn
• Oxford United Football Club website
• Bristol City Women website

About Kerri Coombs

Between 2012-2022, Kerri Coombs was overseas, coaching full time in private clubs/academies and companies in Morocco, the US, China and Hong Kong.

During that time, she held roles such as Academy Head Coach and Coach Educator.

Kerri returned to the UK in 2022 to take the role of Pathway Technical Lead with then Women’s Championship side Lewes FC before taking on her role (at the time of recording) as Head of Girls Football and First Team Coach at Oxford United who are in Tier 3. She moved to Bristol City Women as U21 Head Coach in February 2026.

She recently completed her UEFA A License with the FAW.

About your host, Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan helps teams under pressure and teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she specialises in supporting technology teams in professional services and the sports world.

Through her Team Performance Reset, Sherry supports new and changing teams to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance.

A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on the Team Talk podcast.

Connect with Sherry

• Sign up for news and updates.
• Apply to join the Team Culture Club.
• Connect on LinkedIn.
• Subscribe to the Team Talk newsletter.

What does it really take to lead high-performing teams – across different sports, cultures and global stages?

In this episode of Team Talk, Sherry Bevan is by Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of British Cycling and incoming CEO of Team GB. With over 30 years in sport, Jon shares what leadership looks like behind the scenes – from delivering world-class events to building teams that perform under pressure.

Listen to the episode here:

Listen on Spotify.

Listen on Apple.

Episode 11: Leadership Beyond Expertise: What High-Performance Sport Teaches Us About Teams, Trust and Purpose

Guest: Jon Dutton, British Cycling

Thank you for joining me today.

If you don’t know by now, I’m a huge cycling fan, so I’m especially excited to be talking to Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of British Cycling.

Jon was appointed in April 2023 and will leave in July to become CEO of Team GB. He brings over 31 years’ experience in sport, including roles with the PGA European Tour, Manchester FA (with a secondment to UEFA), Managing Director of a sports consultancy, COO of the Rugby League World Cup 2013, Director of Readiness for the Tour de France Grand Départ 2014, Director of Projects and People at the Rugby Football League, Tournament Commissioner for the Rugby League World Cup 2017, and CEO of the Rugby League World Cup 2021.

He was awarded an OBE for services to Rugby League in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours and an honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Northumbria University.

Welcome, Jon—great to have you here.

Jon Dutton: Thank you very much for the opportunity, Sherry.

I was thrilled to hear the news that the Cyclocross World Cup is coming to Glasgow this December—my favourite discipline. How involved were you?

It’s been a big team effort and a long-held ambition to bring the World Cup back to the UK. We’re delighted it’s happening at Kelvingrove Park with strong support from Glasgow City Council. It’s going to be an incredible event—mud, energy, family atmosphere, and the world’s best riders.

Very exciting. My daughter’s at university in Glasgow—no interest in cyclocross, disappointingly—but at least I’ve got somewhere to stay.

Let’s come back to you. Tell us about your career and how you got here.

I always wanted to be a professional athlete—rugby was my first passion—but I realised I wasn’t quite good or brave enough. So I studied sport management at Northumbria and pursued that dream in a different way.

My career started with the European Golf Tour. At 22, travelling the world was incredible. I didn’t love golf, but it sparked my passion for working in sport—especially events.

Since then, I’ve been fortunate to work with great people across different sports and cultures. More recently, my focus has been on making a social impact—something that’s been central to my time at British Cycling and previously with the Rugby League World Cup.

You’ve worked across golf, football, cycling, and rugby. From behind the scenes, what’s similar—and what’s different?

There are far more similarities than differences. When I joined British Cycling, some people questioned my cycling credentials. But I wasn’t hired to ride a bike—I was hired to lead.

The fundamentals—event delivery, sponsorship, team development, culture—are transferable across sports. The same applies to performance: how athletes prepare has parallels with leadership and organisational performance.

Sport may differ on the surface, but at its core, the principles are shared.

You’ve also worked on major events like the Tour de France, which rely heavily on volunteers. How do you get volunteers ready, motivated, and engaged?

Volunteers are the backbone of community sport—it simply wouldn’t exist without them. But numbers have declined post-pandemic, and that’s a real concern.

People stepped away, formed new habits, and we’ve also got challenges around how welcoming sport feels. We need to look at accessibility, succession planning, and how we create meaningful experiences.

Some roles—like event organisers—are highly specialised. We rely on incredibly committed individuals, and the question is: who replaces them?

We need to both value existing volunteers and create pathways for new ones to join and stay. Too often, people come for a one-off experience and leave. We need to find a better balance.

That’s especially true in cycling, where there are fewer grassroots events and fewer opportunities to learn those skills.

Exactly. Roles like marshals and commissaires aren’t always glamorous, but they’re essential.

We also need to understand changing motivations. Society feels different—less patient, perhaps—and that affects volunteering. Our volunteer base needs to reflect the society we live in, including bringing through younger generations.

Ultimately, it’s about enabling both competitive and recreational sport—helping people stay active, healthy, and connected.

And that matters just as much as elite performance. As you move to Team GB, what are the key opportunities and challenges?

Team GB represents a collection of sports across summer and winter. The landscape is evolving—new sports are emerging, like BMX Freestyle, which has grown rapidly thanks to Olympic exposure.

The opportunity is clear: build on a strong brand and foundation. The challenge is ensuring the Olympic movement stays relevant—balancing tradition with innovation and societal impact.

Sport isn’t just about medals. It’s about connection, inspiration, and contribution to society.

Cycling is a great example—it’s not just a sport, it’s transport, a life skill, and part of everyday life. Our research shows 27 million people rode a bike in the UK last year. That’s powerful.

When you step into a new role, what do you focus on in the first 90 days??

Understand the challenges and opportunities quickly and honestly. When I joined British Cycling, I had a few weeks to really get under the skin of the organisation, which helped enormously.

Then it’s about building relationships and trust, staying curious, and asking questions.

Clarity is critical. One of the first things we did was redefine our strategy—anchored in purpose. That gave everyone direction and removed ambiguity.

I see that a lot—teams struggling because the goal isn’t clear or aligned. What’s the overarching goal for Team GB?

There are two: set athletes up for success at the Games, and bring the Olympic values to life across society.

At British Cycling, our purpose is simple: bring the joy of cycling to everyone. Our strategy focuses on getting more people cycling, leading on the world stage, and driving social impact.

That clarity has been hugely powerful.

As you move on, what will you take with you?

A strong commitment to learning. After 31 years, my appetite to learn is higher than ever.

Curiosity, communication, and role modelling matter. And the opportunity to create social impact—helping more people move, feel inspired, and take pride in sport—is something that carries across all organisations.

Final question—your favourite sporting moment?

There have been many, but the standout was seeing my team, Leigh Leopards, win the Challenge Cup at Wembley in 2023—after 50 years.

I was there with my family. It meant everything to the community. That moment of shared pride was incredibly special.

Professionally, Paris 2024 was amazing, and I think the Tour de France in 2027 will be another huge moment—millions lining the roads across the UK.

Yes—2014 was magical. I volunteered then and can’t wait for 2027.

Thank you, Jon. It’s been fascinating—especially your perspective that leadership isn’t about being the technical expert, but about clarity, culture, and impact.

My pleasure—thank you.

Important links

• Jon Dutton on LinkedIn.
• British Cycling website.
• Glasgow Commonwealth Games website.

About Jon Dutton

Jon Dutton was appointed Chief Executive of British Cycling in April 2023 and will be leaving in July to become CEO of Team GB.

He brings more than 31 years of experience in the sports industry. His career spans roles with the PGA European Tour, Manchester FA (including a secondment to UEFA), and as Managing Director of a sports consultancy. He’s also been Chief Operating Officer for the Rugby League World Cup 2013, Director of Readiness for the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2014, Director of Projects and People at the Rugby Football League, Tournament Commissioner for the Rugby League World Cup 2017, and CEO of the Rugby League World Cup 2021.

About your host Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan helps teams under pressure and teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she now works across technology, professional services and the sports world.

Through her Team Performance Reset, Sherry supports new and changing teams to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance.

A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.

Connect with Sherry

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Why Individualised Development Matters in High Performing Teams

In this episode of Team Talk, Sherry Bevan talks to Will Nelson, Head of Operations at GB Surfing about what it takes to build an Olympic team from scratch… with limited competition, no established pathway, and athletes who’ve never had this level of support before.

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Episode 9: Why Individualised Development Matters in High Performing Teams

Guest: Will Nelson, Head of Operations, GB Surfing

Sherry Bevan: Hello, and today my guest is Will Nelson. After more than 10 years in communications, working for Sky Sports and Soapbox London with clients such as Anthony Joshua, Jason Fox, Turkish Airlines and Amiga, Will moved into a Chief of Staff role with Victoria Gosling OBE nearly four years ago.

In this role, he provides strategic and operational support across GB Snowsport, the Invictus Games and various startups. He also leads the GB Surfing Olympic programme, overseeing the operation while a head coach manages performance.

A very warm welcome to you, Will.

Will Nelson: Thank you for having me.

Tell us how you came into your current role in sport.

My background was in communications—first in-house at Sky, then agency-side at Soapbox London. During my time there, I worked closely with Victoria Gosling.

Vicky’s an incredible operator. She spent 21 years in the RAF, leading missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, before being asked to help launch the Invictus Games in 2014 with Prince Harry. That became her pivot into sport, and she went on to become CEO of the 2016 Games and now chairs the 2027 Games in Birmingham.

We built a strong working relationship, and over time I realised I wanted to move beyond comms into operations and strategy. I told her that if an opportunity ever came up, I’d be interested.

True to form, a week later she called and offered me a Chief of Staff role working across her portfolio – including Invictus, GB Snowsport and GB Surfing. That was my transition into the operational side of sport.

What’s different about working in sport compared to communications?

The biggest shift is moving from supporting communications to supporting the whole business. In Olympic sport, many leaders come from performance backgrounds—coaches, physios, athletes.

I’ve come in from communications, and I don’t try to pretend otherwise. Instead, I use that lens to build clarity—what is GB Surfing, what are we trying to achieve, and how do we communicate that?

If I can remove confusion and distractions, it allows coaches and athletes to focus on performance.

Have you ever been tempted to try surfing yourself?

I’ve done a bit when I was younger, down in Cornwall or on holiday. More recently I’ve been to The Wave in Bristol. I haven’t been in the water with the team yet, but I’m sure that’ll happen—maybe when it warms up a bit.

Tell us more about GB Surfing and what goes on behind the scenes.

This is the first time surfing has had UK Sport funding. We secured around $1.35 million for the Paris Olympics cycle.

The first two years were about building the foundations—identifying talent, setting up systems, and proving to UK Sport that we’re worth investing in long term.

We brought in experienced leadership and worked with world-class coaches, particularly in Australia. It was about finding the best waves, the best coaching, and the right equipment so athletes could compete on a level playing field.

Now we’re evolving. We’ve identified a group of high-potential surfers and are moving to a more individualised development model. Each athlete has their own plan—different locations, coaches and conditions depending on what they need.

It’s much more intentional now. Every trip has a clear purpose linked to Olympic qualification.

Has that structure made a difference?

Yes. Structure is new for these athletes—they’ve never had this level of support before.

We’re seeing progress. It’s been a slow build, but results are improving. We’ve had strong performances at World Surf Games and a recent European final, which shows we’re starting to compete at the level required.

Where does Britain sit internationally?

We’re not seen as a leading nation yet. Once a sport becomes Olympic, you see countries invest heavily, and that’s happened in surfing.

But there’s a strong grassroots scene here – around 125 surf clubs across the UK—and a lot of passion. Internationally, we’re starting to get noticed. People are beginning to recognise that if a British surfer is in your heat, you’re in for a tough round.

What are the biggest challenges right now?

Competition exposure is a big one. In Europe, there are only a handful of events each season. If you get knocked out early, you might only compete for a few hours all year.

That’s nowhere near enough to build experience under pressure.

We created a national championships—the GB Cup—to simulate that environment with elite judging and selection on the line. It worked well, but funding constraints mean we can’t continue it right now without commercial support.

So we’re looking for other ways to create meaningful competition opportunities.

What’s been your biggest learning so far?

The importance of individualisation.

We initially ran a centralised model—same camps, same approach for everyone. It worked at the time, but it became fragmented.

Now we’re building 12-month plans for each athlete. They know what they’re doing throughout the year, even if some details flex. That consistency is key.

Do the athletes feel like a team?

They’re individual athletes first. They get on well and support each other, but they’re competing for places. That competition is important—it pushes standards.

What’s coming up next?

Everything builds towards Olympic qualification.

The ISA World Games and European Championships are key. We also have World Surf League events running throughout the year. Right now, we’ve got an event in Morocco, followed by coaching blocks and then international training over the summer.

What’s your favourite sporting moment?

Two stand out.

One is a cricket Test match at Trent Bridge when I was young—England vs South Africa. The atmosphere and intensity really stuck with me.

The second is the 2009 Lions rugby tour in South Africa. The second Test in Pretoria was incredible – decided at the end by Morne Steyn. I’ve never seen a game like it.

Where can people find you?

LinkedIn is best for me—just search Will Nelson. For GB Surfing, we’re on Instagram and at gbsurfing.com.

I’ve really enjoyed talking to you. It’s been absolutely fascinating to learn more about a sport that I’ve never tried. I’ve always been so amazed and impressed by what these athletes can do on the waves. What I’m really loving about what GB Surfing is doing is how you’ve had this funding, and you’ve tried one approach, and you’ve stopped and thought about it, and learned from what’s worked and what’s not worked, and that you’ve been able to change your strategy so that you get a better performance.

I think that’s a big lesson that we can all take into our lives and into our workplaces – taking that time to reflect on what’s working, and what’s not working, and look at how you can make that better.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

Thank you—really enjoyed it.

About Will Nelson

Following a 10+ year career in Communications, working for Sky Sports and Soapbox London with clients such as Anthony Joshua, Jason Fox, Turkish Airlines and Omega, Will Nelson moved into a Chief of Staff role with Victoria Gosling OBE.

In this role, as well as providing strategic and administrative support for Vicky across GB Snowsport, Invictus Games, and various startups, Will leads the GB Surfing Olympic programme. He has oversight of the whole programme but has brought in a leading surf coach to manage performance, whilst he focuses on the business operations.

Important Links

• Will Nelson on LinkedIn.
• GB Surfing website.
• GB Surfing on Instagram @gb.surfing.

About your host Sherry Bevan

Sherry Bevan helps teams in transition perform at their best – without the fluff. A former Global Head of IT Service in an international law firm, she now works across technology, professional services and the charity sector.

Through her Team Performance Accelerator, Sherry supports teams under pressure to build trust, strengthen collaboration and set the foundations for high performance.

A former grassroots cyclist and still a runner, Sherry is fascinated by what sport can teach us about teamwork, leadership and sustainable performance – and it’s these ideas she explores with leaders and experts on Team Talk.

Connect with Sherry

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