GSSport24 Speakers

Hugo, a three-time Olympian and esteemed member of the New Zealand Black Sticks hockey team is widely regarded as one of the world’s top hockey players. Alongside his impressive athletic career, Hugo has been building High Impact Athletes (HIA) alongside his close friend and fellow Olympian, Marcus Daniell.

Hugo is currently on track for his fourth Olympics, and HIA continues to thrive by growing into a community of over 220 world-class athletes. Athletes who are redefining what success in sports is by leveraging the unique mindsets of high-performance sports to transform philanthropy and create measurable change within the world’s most pressing problems.

Veteran in sport and entertainment law and increasingly involved in handling environmental regulatory challenges. Author, businessman, including IP rights protection, fighting brand and content piracy, and addressing conflict, avoidance, and resolution in organisations with the aid of technology. Stephen has helped develop, manage, finance, and sell tech startups in these areas.

Stephen now supports the brand specialist Stobbs as Special Counsel Sport and Entertainment Brands. Reputation management is now centre stage in ESG and sustainability issues.

In addition to being a solicitor and former senior partner, he holds CIArb qualifications in arbitration and mediation, is an International Neutral at JAMS in New York and in WIPO in Switzerland and a technical expert in sport at the Singapore Dispute Resolution Centre and an arbitrator and mediator at the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS).

During his career, Stephen has held both in-house legal roles (such as General Counsel to the International Tennis Federation) and has been a board member and or chairman of private and public companies. Stephen is known for always trying to de-escalate and resolve disputes as well as being willing to take up the fight in complex litigation where needed.

Theresa’s professional career began at sea forty years ago. Today it is hard to imagine what it was like to learn to sail, aiming to compete at the highest level, when only a few women in the world were doing it. Four decades ago, being an Olympic champion seemed an impossible dream, but Theresa has always been willing to fight for what does not yet exist, for a better future.

Being an elite athlete is not an ephemeral profession, it is a philosophy of life that would never leave her. The skills developed in such a challenging and changing environment as the sea have accompanied her in her professional performance, focused on the defence of essential and environmental sustainability, the care of people and the planet through education as well as institutional and corporate action.

Theresa has developed projects in leading international organizations. As a member of the European Parliament, she lead the way to include sports in the Treaty of the European Union, negotiating at the highest level, as unanimity of the Member States required. She established a great relationship with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) members from all around the world, to gain their confidence for Olympic bids and future competitions. Has managed, coordinated and supervised international sporting events and participated and worked on international relations in International Sports Forums. As an International Consultant for UNESCO, she established processes to be applied in different countries and liaised with governments involved in doping practices.

Her experience as an advisor in such diversified and demanding environments, which require her communication skills, persuasion and strategic vision as well as flexibility and willingness to constructive dialogue, have enabled her to transmit her knowledge in different forums. As a TEDx speaker, inspiring a new generation of conscious leaders; as an expert ESG advisor, driving changes and strategic plans that build a sustainable future for corporations.

She is the founder and executive president of the Ecomar Foundation with more than 24 years of recognized and consolidated experience in the protection of the marine environment leading the way for many newer associations that have followed her footsteps.

“Faith, strength, resilience – these are the pillars of my identity. As an Olympian, Founder of Moving in Faith, LLC a global lifestyle empowerment brand, Speaker, Champion for Detroit Phoenix Center and Brand Ambassador for Athlete Foundry. I, Zara Northover am not just a dreamer, but an advocate, an owner, supporter, lover, friend, family member, athlete and inspiration. I refuse to conform to societal norms that urge us to blend in; instead, I stand tall and stand out.

From humble beginnings as a girl born to Jamaican parents in the United States, I’ve defied expectations in every aspect of my life. I’ve proudly represented my country as an Olympic athlete and achieved remarkable success in the financial industry, distinguishing myself as one of the most accomplished mortgage bankers.

But beyond personal accolades, I’ve used my platform to uplift others, advocating for their dreams with unwavering dedication. This commitment has earned me past nominations for prestigious awards like Hall of Fame inductions, Best of Detroit’s Community Activist and Crain’s 40 under 40 et al.

I wear the cape of support as I navigate life with faith, strength, and resilience. I am unapologetically a catalyst for change, both in the present and the future. My mission is to empower others on their journey to become their best selves, curating spaces of belonging that become the equitably inclusive norm.”