The Modern Club Business Model
Soccerex Europe 2019
The Studio | 6 September 2019 | 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
For clubs of any size, establishing a corporate structure and business model that allows them to effectively nurture the different revenue streams available is essential to establishing commercial stability and success. Traditionally, despite a uniformity of revenue opportunity across the board through activities such as sponsorship, merchandising and match day sales, the corporate structure, and responsibilities within it, differed wildly from club to club, as did the effectiveness of their approach. In today’s market, where technology allows for a better understanding of fans and their demands – and therefore the opportunities to connect with them - clubs need to adapt their business model and develop a corporate structure that is flexible enough to both capitalize on current trends and to adapt to market innovation. At Soccerex Europe, through a panel of C-Level club representatives, we will evaluate the modern club business model and the corporate structures required to fulfil it.
Speakers
Domingos Soares de Oliveira, is the CEO of Benfica Group since 2004, and Board member of the European Club Association since 2017.
Domingos has 4 children. His studies were mainly conducted in France at both the University Paris XI and Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD). His professional experience has allowed Soares de Oliveira to live in different countries, including Spain, Brazil, France and Portugal.
Before joining SL Benfica in 2004, he was the CEO for Cap Gemini Spain and Portugal. As SL Benfica CEO, he is in charge of the Football Department, Youth Development, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Administration, IT, Infrastructure, HR, Planning and Control, Communication and Media. During his career, Soares de Oliveira has been invited to speak at events in every continent, sharing his experience in transforming SL Benfica over the course of more than a decade.
A graduate in Law, José María Cruz (Seville, 1960) has developed his professional career between the worlds of the biggest auditors and football. He began his professional career at Ernst&Young, where he headed the fiscal and legal department in the Seville office for 16 years. Since 2002, he combined this work with a seat on the Board of Directors for Sevilla FC - becoming Chief Executive in 2005. In 2008, and until the end of 2012, he also served as vice-Chairman of the club. The son of a former Sevilla FC manager, Cruz then briefly left the club to take on new professional challenges at KPGM. In April 2014, he returned to Sevilla FC, where he currently serves as Chief Executive, secretary of the Board and member of the Executive Committee.
Stefano Bertola, 50, is an Italian citizen born and raised in Turin, where he graduated in Economics and Business.
His 25 year-long career is split in two between Finance and Football. In his first professional years he served in a variety of roles in financial corporations, from insurance to venture capital. In 2001 he joined EXOR Group, the holding company of the Agnelli Family, acting as Head of Consolidated Reporting and taking on further responsibilities in the following years.
In 2005 he was appointend in the Board of Administration of Juventus FC and one year later joined the club as Head of Planning, Control and Special Projects. In this capacity, he played a prominent role in the turnaround of the club following relegation, which culminated with the opening of the New Stadium in 2011.
He would then move to the United States as the club’s representative for International Expansion, where he also earn an MBA in Sport Management and delved into the specificities of American professional sports. Back to the club’s headquarters, he started working alongside the newly appointed Chairman, Andrea Agnelli, both at Juventus FC and at ECA – the European Club Association, first as a consultant and then again in different corporate roles.
Currently, Mr Bertola is Chief of Staff and Head of Regulatory for Juventus FC.
Michele Centenaro is the General Secretary of the European Club Association (ECA). He started his professional career in the sports industry at the Italian sporting goods manufacturer Diadora Spa where he eventually held the position of Worldwide Director Sponsorship & Communication.
He then joined the European football governing body UEFA as Head of Club Competitions where he was notably responsible for the development of UEFA’s prime club competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup, today known as the UEFA Europa League. His strong connections to and deep knowledge of European club football have allowed him to successfully perform the role of General Secretary of ECA for nearly a decade.
Tony started his career in international sports management where he led a various organisations with a broad inclusive client bases. More recently he has worked in leadership consulting where he advises Boards on ensuring they acquire, retain and develop talent that drive growth in an increasingly fragmented as well as competitive world. Recent clients have included some of the world’s foremost federations as well as some of Europe's leading clubs.
He was previously a regional Managing Partner for a leading professional services company, and is a former AIM listed CEO. He has managed media and sports business in Europe and the Middle East with previous clients including some of the worlds largest media groups and sports federations, additionally he has worked closely with the governments of UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar on various sports related projects.
Tony leads Savannah’s Sports, Media and Entertainment Practice as well as its Diversity Practice.
