Doctor of the University
A leading woman in sport who made a significant difference at Portsmouth Football Club.
Anna joined Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) in April 2014, with the club in commercial disarray. Administration and years of decline had resulted in the Club falling down the leagues.
At the time, Anna was one of a handful of women working in senior positions within football. She had previously spent 12 years at Gloucester Rugby, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in business, while balancing a busy career.
At PFC, Anna revolutionised and rebuilt the commercial department, driving significant annual revenue increases. As her responsibilities expanded, she would improve and grow many other areas of the Club, including marketing, hospitality, and fan matchday experience.
One of the many deals Anna negotiated during this time was the University of Portsmouth’s partnership with PFC. This would be about much more than raising brand awareness.
Anna, PFC and the University developed a partnership structured to inspire young people in the city to attend their local University and aspire to achieve their professional goals.
At the time many youngsters in the area did not see this as a possibility. Given her own educational background, Anna felt very passionate about changing this.
The partnership with the University has been one of her proudest career achievements, as it has helped to grow local student attendance. Crucially, it has also given many students the opportunity to pursue full-time careers in professional sport.
A strong advocate of supporting fellow women in sport, Anna has been a director of Pompey Women FC since 2018, where she has been instrumental in driving the women’s game forward at the Club.
In September 2022, Anna joined Fanatics, the leading global sports merchandising company, as Director of UK Business Development.