Fast-growing Sports Business portal, iSportconnect are delighted to announce that they are welcoming Michael Cunnah to their advisory board. Michael becomes the second recent addition to the team after the company revealed that Steven Falk, former Director of Marketing at Manchester United, had joined the board last week.
Mr Cunnah will become a major asset for iSportconnect having accumulated over 12 years of experience in the field of sports business. Michael will advise the company on business and operational strategies of iSportconnect portal and events and in his role as an advisory board member, will also initiate iSportconnect community discussions on stadium and soccer business industries.
Michael has a BSc Hons degree and is a Fellow of Aston Business School. Having previously worked in finance departments at the likes of Coca-Cola and Guinness Ltd. (now Diageo), Michael made his first foray into the world of sports with the Football Association (FA) in 1998. He served for three years as the organisation’s Finance Director before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Wembley Stadium in 2001. He was also with English Premier League side Aston Villa, where he served as Chief Operating Officer from 2007 to 2008.
Mr Cunnah’s influence in sports and other business sectors continues in an impressive portfolio of non-executive and consultancy roles including Major Events International, Messages to You and International Services Group.
iSportconnect CEO, Sree Varma stated: “We are delighted to announce that Michael has agreed to come to join our family at iSportconnect as an advisory board member. We feel that Mr Cunnah’s experience in the sports field will be an invaluable asset to the continued growth of the company. Michael Cunnah has proved his immense worth to some of the industry’s leading organisations and projects and iSportconnect is honoured to welcome his expertise and knowledge of sports business on a global scale.”
Michael Cunnah added: “I am pleased to be joining the iSportconnect Advisory Board. iSportConnect is a very exciting development at the centre of the fast-moving sports sector. Sports executives are used to networking as a key part of doing business and iSportconnect will make this so much easier by providing a must-go-to place for news, communications and connections.”
Upon joining the company, Michael Cunnah took part in an exclusive Featured Profile interview with News Editor Martin Laurence.
Michael spoke of his time in previous roles separate to the sports industry and explained his development and decision to make the move into sports after a long and illustrious career with the likes of Coca-Cola and Diageo. When asked if a switch into the business of sport was one that he had always wanted to make, Michael stated, “no, although when it became a real possibility I realised that it was a move that I had to make.”
He revealed his first interest and confidence to make the foray into the sports industry came when working for Diageo, saying, “when I was with Diageo I managed the acquisition of Red Stripe and spent a couple of great years working in Jamaica. I was responsible for Red Stripe’s sponsorship of the inter island cricket competition – the famous Red Stripe Trophy.” Cunnah stated that he “loved loved meeting the likes of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and a very young Shivnarine Chanderpaul” and that the experience gave him “the confidence to enter sport on a permanent basis.”
In his time as Chief Executive Officer at Wembley Stadium a magnificent new stadium and stadium business was successfully developed despite much of the media interest being negative. The Wembley business model is based upon Club Wembley which has proven to be a great commercial success. Michael revealed how he kept himself motivated in order to overcome the problems surrounding the stadium, “I had a very committed team at Wembley. We were all passionate about Wembley and never doubted what we were doing, even when the media did.” He confirmed that ensuring that “all team members were informed of the latest project developments was a key task” and essential to the successes of the project.
Mr Cunnah had the final word on his association with iSportconnect and the incentives it brings, stating, “iSportconnect offers a one-stop and effective way of developing networks and scanning the sports horizon for meaningful information and opportunities.”
‘Read Michael’s Exclusive Featured Profile interview here‘
