The third edition of the Thinking Football Summit, which will take place from September 12^th to 14^th at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, welcomes eight new names who will be joining the already confirmed line-up of speakers.

This group further enhances the event as a leading platform for discussing the future of football, bringing to the summit stage a wealth of experience in various areas, from technology to finance, including topics such as governance, ticketing, and professional football.

Paola Marinone

Paola Marinone is the co-founder and CEO of BuzzMyVideos, a platform based on Artificial Intelligence that drives the growth of online channels by helping them generate more revenue. A former Google/YouTube manager, she became a tech entrepreneur and currently resides in London. With an international career dedicated to technology, she has lived in eight different countries so far. Having worked at Google and YouTube early in her career, and later founding BuzzMyVideos, Paola has witnessed first-hand the transformation of an industry, gaining unique insights into a multitude of topics related to online video.

Guilherme Avila

Guilherme Avila has led Sports, Media, and Entertainment projects at XP in recent years, where he is a partner in the Investment Banking Division, focusing on the growing intersection of finance and Brazilian football. Avila played a key role in advising significant investments in Brazilian football clubs like Cruzeiro, Botafogo, and Coritiba, assisting them in transitioning from fan-managed operations to investor-owned entities. This shift is part of a broader trend aimed at professionalizing and commercializing Brazilian football media rights, potentially leading to increased revenue and better talent retention in the country.

Ahmed Hamed

Ahmed Hamed is a highly experienced lawyer who, since June 2020, has served as Senior Legal Counsel at Shabab Al Ahli Dubai FC. In this role, he plays a crucial part in the club's legal and regulatory affairs, including overseeing the club licensing process and managing sports-related legal matters. His expertise in drafting contracts, handling litigation, and representing the club before various sports bodies, such as the UAE Football Association (UAEFA), FIFA, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has been essential in ensuring compliance and protecting the club's interests.

Michael Broughton

Michael Broughton is a prominent executive in the sports industry, with extensive experience in fan engagement, commercial partnerships, sports finance, and sports technology. With a background in global sponsorship roles, top operational positions, and as a non-executive director of public companies, Michael brings a unique and diverse skill set to the sector. He is a leader in the Web3 and Sports Marketing Technology space, understanding the commercial realities of fan engagement, and serves as a consultant and advisor to several top sports companies. Previously, he led FIFA's technology strategy, maintaining strategic relationships with major global big data and technology companies.

Andrea Traverso

Andrea Traverso has been responsible for developing UEFA's Club Licensing System since 2001, leading the implementation of this innovative project across all 55 UEFA member associations. Currently, club licensing is in place in all 55 national associations, covering over 1,500 European clubs. This system aims to promote financial and legal transparency, elevate administrative standards in football, and ensure principles of good governance, widely recognized by stakeholders and European institutions.

In 2019, Andrea was appointed Director of Financial Sustainability and Research at UEFA. In this new role, he led the consultation and development of new Financial Sustainability regulations, aiming to promote financial sustainability in the sector post-pandemic. He also oversaw the development of UEFA's corporate strategy for the 2019-2024 period, establishing a clear mission statement for the organization. He is currently responsible for developing UEFA's corporate strategy for 2024-2030.

Rita Namora

Rita Namora heads UEFA's Ticketing Department. With a 20-year career at the organization that governs European football, marked by her deep experience and innovative contributions in the field of ticketing, Rita has integrated new technologies and methodologies, setting new standards of efficiency and security in ticketing, with a special focus on digital and innovative solutions.

She oversees ticket allocation and sales, with a keen eye for detail and a customer-centric approach, ensuring that fans have easy access to matches.

Andy Hook

Andy coordinates the strategy for the Sports and Entertainment sector at Oracle Food and Beverage, being responsible for understanding market dynamics and defining monetization models for Oracle's Point of Sale, Fan Engagement, and Payment solutions in sports venues worldwide. Previously, he worked at Nielsen and the NHL in various roles related to business development, market research, and corporate finance.

Karina LeBlanc

Karina LeBlanc is a former professional footballer, recognized as one of the longest-serving players for the Canadian national team. With an international career spanning nearly 18 years, she participated in five FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal at London 2012. These achievements led to her induction into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. Since retiring as a player in 2015, Karina has been appointed a UNICEF Ambassador, became a FIFA Legend, and founded the Karina LeBlanc Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering young women to find their greatness and purpose. In 2018, she was honored with the title of Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy, and in 2022, she received the Order of Canada.

Tickets for the Thinking Football Summit 2024 are already available for purchase HERE.