Sports broadcaster revealed as Opening Keynote at Qualco Live

Sports journalist and commentator Jonathan Legard will draw parallels between the worlds of business and sport, respectively, in his Opening Keynote at Qualco Live on 16 October.

Legard will discuss resilience, leadership and communication, and will also consider what success looks like for sports and business professionals alike, during his keynote titled ‘A sports lens’.

Best known as lead commentator for the BBC’s Formula One coverage between 2009 and 2010, Legard now commentates regularly on Formula One races for 5Live, as well as being a football correspondent for the BBC.

Jonathan Legard, sports commentator and journalist

During his career, Legard has interviewed Olympians, footballers, golfers, and motor racing drivers at the top of their game, and believes there are lessons to be learned from the mental resilience, commitment and determination demonstrated by sports teams that can be applied to business organisations.

“People can learn so much from sport, including the mental processes that go into making a successful sports performer. Sport has become such big business,” said Legard.

“My interviews with professional sports men and women has given me great insight into what gives them the ability to lead, and how individuals and teams can learn from their disappointments, and confront their mistakes quickly and publicly, to become better players.”

At Qualco Live, which is co-located with Open Banking Expo UK & Europe, Legard will also lead a presentation on the AFC Wimbledon outreach programme, which is focused on “Financial Wellness Matters”.

Qualco recently renewed its partnership with AFC Wimbledon, which is a community-based football club, meaning it is owned by the supporters.

Earlier this month, Legard led an outreach session with AFC Wimbledon’s youth team, alongside Craig Watkins, head of player academy care, during which they covered four financial wellness themes: budgeting, planning, savings and debt.

Legard discussed with members of the youth team how sports players deal with overnight success and sudden wealth, as well as the mental and financial challenges that can come with the job, such as financial hardship or bankruptcy, long-term injury, and rejection or poor performance.

“The Qualco outreach project at AFC Wimbledon is really impressive, reaching out to a generation of young wannabe footballers, whose education has to include more than bench pressing and free kick routines. If only more sponsors were so proactive,” said Legard.

Qualco Live, which is now in its sixth year, will also hear from James Goddard, product owner of Qualco’s Open Banking solution Togglit.

Click here to find out more about Qualco Live, including the speaker line-up and agenda.