Mike Forde

A leading figure in the world of the English Premier League and European Soccer, Mike Forde is widely recognised for driving innovation and pioneering cutting-edge methods in sports. He has assisted a variety of global sports teams to build performance models for success.

The sought-after expert kicks off his keynote speeches with lessons on high performance cultures and talent management, which he transfers to the equally ruthless playing fields of business.

The former Football Operations Director and Executive Club Director for Chelsea FC, Mike, worked closely with the first team, including player recruitment and performance analysis, as well the medical and psychological aspects of what is the most followed sport in the world.

During his time in this role, Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, the Premier League title, and three FA Cups. An expert on building high performance cultures and talent management, he advises on these topics across a variety of global sports including NFL teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and leading NBA teams. Mike and his Sportsology software platform aids the world’s leading teams in building a performance model for sustained success.

In his previous role, as well as overseeing $500 million in player transfers (including multiple FIFA World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Champions League winners), Mike worked on a daily basis with renowned sports’ coaches including Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Luiz Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Andre Villas-Boas, and Rafael Benitez.

Mike also helped lead the Bolton Wanderers Football Club, a team known for achieving maximum performance from restricted finances, to four consecutive top six EPL finishes (a record for the 100-year old club) as their former performance director.

A non-executive director with the Lawn Tennis Association and Wimbledon, Mike advises across a variety of global sports including International Rugby Union, International Cricket, the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team in the US, and Formula 1.

Mike is the co-founder of s global talent agency FC Talent, drawing on his elite experience to impart a wide range of learning.

He also sits on the board as a non-executive director on two major private equity funds specialising in the sport, leisure and entertainment sector. Alongside this role, he managed to find the time to publish a business book in 2016, which has been translated into several languages and sold globally.

A sought-after speaker who is an expert in performance and talent management, Mike can talk about creating leading teams, strategies for becoming a high achiever and big data in sport, among other sporting and business topics.