UAE/INTERNATIONAL. Dubai Duty Free’s Sinead El Sibai has been voted as one of the ten most influential women in sport – placing her alongside tennis and gymnastics superstars Serena Williams and Simone Biles.
Senior Vice President of Marketing El Sibai was recognised in a poll conducted by iSportconnect, a UK-based networking platform and community aimed at executives working in the world of sport. Its ‘Most Influential Women in Sport 2019’ list has been timed to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March.
Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin commented: “I am thrilled that Sinead has been recognised by the iSportconnect community for her marketing expertise and for the hard work that she and her team commit to all of our major events and sponsorships, including the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and our major horse racing sponsorships in the UK and Ireland.
“The fact that this recognition was announced on International Women’s Day is a great endorsement to the increasingly important and high-profile role that women like Sinead and her fellow nominees are commanding in global business and sports management.”
El Sibai, who joined Dubai Duty Free’s marketing department in 2000, said: “It is a privilege to be considered in such esteemed company and I am delighted to highlight the role of women working in the sports industry in this part of the world.
“Under Colm McLoughlin’s leadership, sport and sports sponsorship have been an integral part of Dubai Duty Free’s marketing strategy since the launch of the business in 1983. Our global portfolio of sponsorships and events is very diverse and provides us with extensive opportunities to promote our brand on the international stage and engage with a diverse range of sportsmen and women, sports fans and governing bodies.”
The iSportconnect community consists of more than 24,000 registered members and is the world’s largest private community for sport business executives. The list, reproduced in full below, was unveiled at an iSportconnect Leadership Masterclass held in London.
The iSportconnect top ten Most Influential Women in Sport 2019:
- Amaia Gorostiza, President, SD Eibar
- Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, F1
- Fatma Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA
- Kim Davis, EVP of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislation, NHL
- Marie Donoghue, Vice President of Sports Video, Amazon
- Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics
- Mithali Raj, Indian Women’s Cricket Team Captain
- Serena Williams, US tennis player
- Simone Biles, US gymnast and Olympic athlete
- Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Dubai Duty Free
