Who we are
Get to know the Women in Football community and the members of our teams
Women in Football is composed of our board of directors, our staff members, our committees and advisors and, most importantly of all, our 12,000 members.
This section of the report will introduce you to the various sections of that community.
Our new EEDI Advisory Group
During the 2024-25 year, Women in Football recruited members for our new Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group.
In 2024 our annual survey found that gender-based discrimination in the football industry, and the shortcomings of the reporting processes, disproportionately affect women who belong to an ethnic group that's underrepresented in the industry.
This highlighted the need to address EEDI from an intersectional perspective, and so the new group was formed to broaden the insights that inform our work and ensure that WIF's fight for equality takes into account the needs of every group that experiences discrimination.
The group's members are Zarah Earnshaw (co-chair), Edleen John (co-chair), Yvonne Harrison (secretariat), Gurpri Bains, Justin Brett, Kirsty Clarke, Monique Choudhuri, Erica Puppo, Ruth Shaw OBE, James Swanson, Jamie Dapaah and Kajol Desai.
The EEDI Advisory Group is beginning its work in 2025-26, so please look out for updates in our next annual report.
“At a time when global momentum around equality and inclusion risks losing pace, Women in Football is doubling down on our commitment to driving lasting, fundamental change in the industry. We believe that fairness, equity, and opportunity should be non-negotiable.
"To ensure we stay accountable and embed these values in everything we do, we’ve established a highly experienced and diverse advisory group that will guide and challenge us as we work towards a more inclusive future for all.”
Monique Choudhuri
Women in Football director
“I joined the advisory group to accelerate meaningful and sustainable change in football. My aim is to elevate equity, cultivate male allyship, and support inclusive education that empowers stakeholders at every level of the game. I hope to help deliver tangible progress that supports future generations of diverse talent, both on and off the pitch.”
Jamie Dapaah
EDI practitioner
“As a long-time advocate and ally for women in sport, this opportunity perfectly aligns with my values and mirrors what I am trying to accomplish through the vehicle of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
"I hope to use my experience to support WIF’s commitment to driving holistic representation across all areas and levels in football and positively influence measures that foster intersectional access for all communities. I also hope to use this role to ensure WIF remains boldly committed to supporting all female identities in what is an increasingly turbulent and divisive EDI ecosystem.”
James Swanson
Senior Marketing Manager, World Rugby
Our Membership Committee
In last year's WIF annual report, we shared the news that our new Membership Committee had just been selected and was about to start work. Its key aims were to:
- engage with our members, helping us to 'know and grow'
- ensure that membership is inclusive, and fosters and creates a sense of belonging
- ensure that membership is valuable and relevant, and evolves to reflect the needs of our members
- attract more diversity to our membership, which in turn will feed ideas to shaping our EDI strategy
The committee's first meeting took place in June 2024, attended by members Lungi Macebo (chair), Sarah Collins (secretariat), Sabah Ahmad, Mel Benson, Nicola Beswick, Rachel Cossey, Lauren Estwick, Gemma Frith, Toyin Higgs, Edleen John, Harry Quirk, Gina Stein, Cassie Whittell, and Maria Xing.
We have since had a few changes to the group with Lungi taking a step back and Maggie Murphy becoming chair.
We’d like to thank Sabah Ahmad, Mel Benson and Lauren Estwick for all their support during their tenure on the committee and welcome in Sheena Mobberley, Christina Philippou and Nuria Tarré who have joined.
Here are some updates on the first year of the Membership Committee from five of its members.
“It has been positive to be part of the WIF Membership Committee and to support representing the ideas, innovation, frustrations and perspectives of members.
"Due to my personal passions in public affairs and equality, diversity and inclusion, I have personally enjoyed bringing insight to WIF on the experiences of people from historically underrepresented backgrounds including the unique challenges they face and how government engagement, legislation, and good governance can contribute towards grassroots and professional football being a truly inclusive space.
"This group strives to ensure that WIF continues to effectively support, appeal to and engage with all members’ needs and it’s an honour to have the space to critically challenge and support the organisation as an active and vocal member.”
Edleen John
Diversity and inclusion consultant
“I joined the committee as I felt that I could help to make a positive impact. Visibility is an important aspect of football and being able to attend the Football Black List awards at the invitation of Women in Football last October was a good example of this.
"As a sub-group we'd look at membership diversification and developed a blueprint as to how this can be taken forward. It will be great to see how steps in this area progress in future.”
Toyin Higgs
Strategic leader/systems consultant/equity champion
“During the past year on the Membership Committee, I greatly valued the opportunity to exchange ideas with members from diverse backgrounds and to see how each perspective contributes to strengthening WIF’s membership. I aimed to bring in the viewpoint of an international member based outside the UK, and I am very glad to have been able to represent this perspective.
"Throughout the year, we also worked in smaller groups to explore membership topics in depth and tailor recommendations to ensure WIF’s community remains inclusive, diverse, and valuable for all members. I look forward to continuing these discussions and supporting WIF’s growth.”
Gina Stein
Sustainability Specialist, RB Leipzig FC
“Since joining the Women in Football committee, I’ve gained a real appreciation for the depth of work WIF do and the insight they bring into championing women across the game. It’s been motivating to see the commitment to improving the EDI space in football, and I’m proud to play a part in that and contribute to WIF’s wider strategy.
"Having recruited in male-dominated industries for 20 years, including the last four within football, my goal is to work with more clubs to embed inclusive hiring practices. By opening doors off the pitch, I want to help ensure the next generation of women in football have a clearer path to thrive.”
Sheena Mobblerley
MD, Suran Stephens Consulting
Our community
The members who make up WIF and inspire our work
Women in Football members perform all roles in all areas of the game – men's and women's football, on and off the pitch, from elite to grassroots.
They're players, coaches, physiotherapists, match officials and ground staff. CEOs, directors, lawyers, marketers, brand managers and finance controllers. Journalists and broadcasters. Caterers and events managers. Students and volunteers who are just beginning their journeys.
As well as all the roles in the game, our members are people of all genders, based across many nations. Around 1,500 of them are male allies, who play a crucial role in supporting women and our mission.
Speaking of our mission, for all that diversity among our membership, we're united by a common cause: our vision of a gender-equal future for the world's most popular sport – on and off the pitch.
Beyond almost 12,000 individual members, WIF has a social media reach in the hundreds of thousands, across LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Threads, X, and Facebook.
Then there are the many thousands of staff employed by our club and corporate members, not to mention our other commercial partners.
The WIF community is large, and growing larger still – but it's still as caring and mutually supportive as it was on the day we began, way back in 2006!
Our directors and staff
An update on changes to our board and team in 2024-25
The 2024-25 year saw an influx of fresh talent to the Women in Football boardroom with the addition of four new non-executive directors.
Maggie Murphy is a sports business and strategy consultant, media contributor, and co-host of the Expected Goals podcast. After joining the WIF board she also became MD at Aston Villa FC Women. Previously, as CEO of Lewes FC, Maggie drove the club's record attendances, commercial growth, and award-winning fan engagement over five years.
Maggie has also held senior advocacy and policy roles at Transparency International and Amnesty International and co-founded Equal Playing Field, promoting opportunity, equality and respect for women and girls in football. She served on the FA Women’s Super League and Championship Board (2021–2024) and was named to the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List in 2023 as one of the UK’s most influential women in sport.
Rafaela Pimienta is a prominent Brazilian lawyer and football agent who commands respect as a leading figure in sports. After graduating with a law degree from Brazil she chose to focus on sports law with a particular dedication to football.
Rafaela shattered industry limitations through her excellent negotiation abilities and profound football industry knowledge while demonstrating strong dedication to her clients' achievements. She is recognised as a trailblazer among women who attained leadership positions in football and has become a role model for aspiring female athletes. Rafaela advocates ethical standards in the football industry while she works to secure her clients’ sustained career development and personal welfare.
Nuria Tarre is Chief Marketing & Fan Experience Officer at City Football Group (CFG). Her role encompasses content and digital platforms, fan relationship management, fan data and insights, retail and brand growth. Nuria joined CFG in November 2015 after 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles in strategy consulting, telecom, travel and entertainment. Her career has focused on growth-oriented companies in need of performance turnaround, digital innovation and business model transformation.
Nuria is well travelled. Her career has seen her live and work in 12 different countries. She is fluent in French, Spanish, Catalan and English.
Zoe Webber has worked in the football industry for over 20 years and is the Executive Director at Norwich City FC, where she is responsible for overseeing and aligning the strategic direction of the club. Zoe sits on both the board and the executive team and is a trustee for the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation.
Zoe has a background in football regulation and player transfers and has gained a broad level of experience working at other clubs including Liverpool and Fulham, as well as several years with the Premier League.
In the Women in Football team, meanwhile, Head of Marketing & Communications Michelle Dorgan moved on to pastures new, while Kim Harrison (pictured) joined the team as Business Development Manager.
Kim has a background in building strategic partnerships, driving commercial growth, and nurturing long-term relationships. She is studying part time for an MSc in International Sports Management, and is a founding member of the Women in Sport Society at the Global Institute of Sport.
A passionate advocate for women in business, Kim is committed to driving equity and visibility across sport and industry. She thrives on connecting people and ideas and believes in the power of partnerships to create sustainable impact.
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