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Here is this week’s edition of FBIN’s Weekly Careers Update – featuring senior appointments and departures across clubs, federations, and governing bodies from England to South Africa, Poland, Belgium, and Germany. The professionals featured bring experience from football, motorsport, media, and consultancy into new leadership roles within the global football business.
Zoe Brough joins Chelsea FC
Zoe Brough has joined Chelsea FC as Interim People Director, bringing extensive HR leadership experience from roles at Wolverhampton Wanderers and City Football Group, as well as from senior HR positions outside of football. She leads ZB People & Culture Consulting and is also an esteemed member of the FBIN Advisory Board.
Tomasz Flakowski joins Polish FA (PZPN)
Tomasz Flakowski has joined the Polish Football Association (PZPN) as Head of Digital Innovation. He previously held roles at Widzew Łódź, the Mazovian Football Association, and Stal Rzeszów, and is CEO of the sports consultancy Futceo.
Speaking to FBIN, he said: “I’m excited that in my new role at the Polish Football Association, I can leverage my holistic experience to drive digital innovation that enhances the fan experience and supports the growth of the entire Polish football ecosystem, in line with the association’s future-focused vision.”
Luke Nicholson departs West Ham United
Luke Nicholson has left West Ham United, where he served as Brand, Content & Digital Strategy Lead. He previously held senior marketing and brand roles at the England & Wales Cricket Board, Southampton FC, and Dragon Rouge, with a strong focus on fan engagement, brand development, and digital growth across sport and media.
Dirk Kall to join Alemannia Aachen
Dirk Kall will take over as Commercial Managing Director at Alemannia Aachen later this year. The Aachen native brings senior experience from both football and the business sector, including over a decade in executive roles at Fortuna Düsseldorf and recent leadership at digital agency Löwenstark. Kall previously served on Alemannia’s supervisory board and has supported the club on financial matters in recent years.
Simon Van Kerckhoven joins RAEC Mons
Simon Van Kerckhoven has been appointed Managing Director of RAEC Mons following the club’s recent ownership change. He brings a strong background in football consultancy and club management, having previously worked with City Football Group and served as COO of Lommel SK. Van Kerckhoven is also the founder of Zurafa Football Capital and DIAS, and recently worked in international sports marketing with Golazo Brands Belgium.
Kirstin Furber to join Manchester United
Kirstin Furber has been appointed People Director at Manchester United and will take up the role this autumn. She joins from Channel 4, where she has served in the same capacity for five years, and brings prior HR leadership experience from Kantar, ClearScore, BBC Worldwide, and 20th Century Fox. Furber also holds non-executive roles in sport, including at British Wheelchair Basketball and formerly at the London Football Association.
Sarina Naidu joins Stellenbosch FC
Sarina Naidu has started as Head of Commercial & Marketing at Stellenbosch FC. She previously spent over seven years at Orlando Pirates FC as Head of Digital & Retail and also worked in sports marketing and account management roles in South Africa’s retail and agency sectors.
Richard Pepper departs Wolves
Richard Pepper has left Wolves after nearly seven years as Head of Digital, where he led the club’s digital strategy and platform development. Prior to joining Wolves, he held a similar role at Bristol Sport and began his career in digital media with Bristol Zoo Gardens.
Michael Sansoni joins Manchester United
Michael Sansoni has joined Manchester United as Director of Data, reporting directly to CEO Omar Berrada. He previously spent nearly 11 years with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, where he worked in trackside performance engineering, including with car #44 driven by Lewis Hamilton. At United, Sansoni is leading the development of a data and AI function to support decision-making across the club.
Are you looking for a new challenge or is your club/organisation searching for qualified employees?
Would you like to see your recent HR/personnel news in our weekly Careers Update?
Then let us know at: enzo@footballbusinessinside.com
