World Class Line-up announced for FITS forum

By Amelia Fisher-Starzynski from Geneva, Switzerland, Aug 3, 2015: Some of the world’s most influential leaders in sport, finance and governance will gather in Geneva for the groundbreaking Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport (FITS) FORUM taking place later this year.

The FITS FORUM will bring together for the very first time over 40 high-level speakers combining to provide a pool of knowledge, expertise and leadership from the world of sport to address financial integrity and transparency in sport.

The FITS FORUM, being held on 3-4 September 2015, is pioneered by the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and will act as a platform to drive global action on the most crucial threats facing the financial integrity and transparency of sport and pave the way towards long overdue reforms.

Confirmed speakers already include Mohammed Hanzab, President of the ICSS, Miguel Cardenal, Secretary of State of Sport of Spain, Leonard McCarthy, Vice President of the World Bank, Rick McDonell, Executive Secretary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Javier Tebas, President of the Spanish Football League, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of ICSS EUROPE and LATIN AMERICA, Nicola Bonucci, Director of Legal Affairs of the OECD, Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of HUBLOT Watches and LVMH Group, Nic Coward, General Secretary of The Premier League andIan Ayres, CEO of Liverpool FC.

Delegates from around the world, including representatives from Europe, USA, Asia and Africa, have registered to attend the event underlining the importance of the FITS FORUM. The FORUM will seek to address the critical next steps for sport and is part of the ICSS’ ongoing drive to develop a robust, coordinated, international approach to protecting sport in the face of the huge economic and commercial growth of the industry.

Other confirmed speakers include:
– Sir David Richards, former Chairman of the Premier League and EPFL
– Lars-Christer Olsson, President of the Swedish Football League / former CEO of UEFA
– Gordon Taylor, CEO of the Professional Footballers Association and Honorary President of FIFPro
– Alasdair Bell, Senior Council and Director Legal of UEFA
– Mark Goddard, General Manager of the FIFA TMS
– Shaun Harvey, CEO of The Football League
– Jane Lute, Former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for the USA
– Jennifer Shasky Calvery, Director of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, USA Treasury
– Barney Francis, CEO of Sky Sports
– Joel Lange, Managing Director of Dow Jones Risk & Compliance
– António Silva Mendes, Director of Sport and Youth of the European Commission

More speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

Mohammed Hanzab, President of the ICSS, said:
“Sport continues to experience huge commercial and financial growth and as a result it plays an increasingly significant role in our society. However, the supervision and regulation of this growth has failed to keep pace with the mounting challenges and often damaging financial practices.
“At the ICSS we believe there must be a strong, credible and collaborative approach to these issues so that we can develop a blueprint for coordinated, global action against the risks to the financial integrity and transparency of sport.

“That is why we are delighted to be able to announce speakers of this caliber for the FITS FORUM. Their combined knowledge and experience in anti-corruption practices within the law, government, sport and financial sectors will be a valuable addition to our discussions.”

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of ICSS EUROPE and LATIN AMERICA, said:
“The FITS FORUM is shaping up to be a truly pioneering event at the forefront of the fight for effective financial integrity and transparency in sport. It will bring together the world’s leading institutions in sport, government and finance and create a clear pathway towards good governance by tackling head on the most critical threats affecting the financial integrity of sport.

“I am thrilled the first speakers we have announced for the FORUM are such highly respected experts in the fields of anti-corruption, financial integrity and sport governance and I am excited by the number and range of delegates attending. It truly is a world class line-up and collectively will ensure we can define and develop solutions to ensure sport’s credibility and future development.”

Underpinning the FORUM is the wide-ranging FITS Project which will, for the first time, provide a holistic, fact-based analysis of the existing issues, as well as developing globally recognised standards for implementation by sport, governments and other key stakeholders.

The FITS Project includes a research component which is being developed by an international network of leading academics and top experts led by Professor Matt Andrews, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. The FITS Report diagnosing the problems together with proposed solutions is due to be released early next year.

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