Trio of stellar speakers announced: Ronaldo, Sir Martin Sorrell and Javier Tebas

Trio of stellar speakers announced: Ronaldo, Sir Martin Sorrell and Javier Tebas

Trio of stellar speakers announced: Ronaldo, Sir Martin Sorrell and Javier Tebas 620 413 WFS Live

Ronaldo Nazário, Javier Tebas and Sir Martin Sorrell are the first three speakers to be announced for WFS Live powered by Octagon, the pioneering virtual event that will bring the global football industry together from July 6th to 9th. With the coronavirus pandemic having shaken up the industry, WFS is going virtual for what is set to be the largest online business event in the football industry and the first one to gather all the major leaders together in one place.

  • Ronaldo Nazário is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Real Valladolid and has been since September of 2018. Before that, he became one of the beautiful game’s most iconic players ever by winning the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and 2002, as well as three FIFA World Player of the Year and two Ballon d’Or awards. Given that he has also been an ambassador for the United Nations in the fight against poverty, Ronaldo is expertly placed to talk about so many of the issues facing the world of football and the world in general right now.
  • Sir Martin Sorrell is the Executive Chairman of S4 Capital, a digital advertising and marketing business that has over 2,400 employees in 30 countries, with a market capitalisation of over $1.2 billion. Sir Martin was also CEO of WPP for 33 years, building it from a £1 million “shell” company in 1985 into the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company. When Sir Martin left in April 2018, WPP had a market capitalisation of over £16 billion, revenues of over £15 billion, profits of approximately £2 billion and over 200,000 people in 113 countries. Put simply, he is one of the most respected minds in the advertising industry, a field that faces so much uncertainty at this time of crisis.
  • Javier Tebas is another influential figure in the football industry, having been the President of LaLiga since 2013 and having served on the boards of several national and international associations. As the leader of an organisation that has grown from 35 employees to approximately 600 members of staff and one that has increased its clubs’ audiovisual turnover to the €1.5 billion mark, Tebas knows the ins and outs of the modern football industry like few others. He has also been steering LaLiga through the coronavirus crisis in a commendable manner and is able to offer unique insight at these unprecedented times.

While the speakers at WFS Live will be discussing a wide range of topics, there will of course be particular focus on the challenges and the opportunities that will arise as a result of COVID-19. As the Conference Concept outlines, there will be discussion of how this crisis will affect all in the industry, from right holders to broadcasters to sponsors to scouting and player development departments to those working in the transfer market and beyond.

WFS Live by Octagon will have all the features that make WFS events the largest and most appreciated, with top speakers and premium networking at the crux of the conference. Interaction will be a key aspect of this get-together, with the technology being used allowing for extra-efficient networking between attendees and a truly global reach, while the keynote speeches will also remain at the heart of the summit. Ronaldo Nazário, Javier Tebas and Sir Martin Sorrell are just the first trio of speakers to be announced, but WFS Live has already confirmed other top names from across the industry’s various sectors and these will be revealed over the coming weeks.

Tickets are already on sale at the WFS Live website for a unique price of 40 euros. With WFS determined to help the communities that have been most severely hit by the coronavirus crisis, all net proceeds will be donated to the Common Goal COVID-19 Response Fund and Fundação Fenômenos.