A recent Austrade Mission took SKA CEO Leighton Wood on an overseas visit to meet with, among others, Sue Campbell, Chair of UK Sport.

Wood returned satisfied to report that several key objectives of the mission had been met. He said, "The purpose was to gain an understanding of the UK sports industry, to develop media partnerships and to engage in initial discussions for prospective joint delivery partners."

It was in that vein that Wood met with representatives from London’s prestigious Cass Business School - one of Europe’s leading providers of business and management education whose MBA is rated among the top 15 in the world.

The post-graduate school has already demonstrated its interest in sport education with seminars on player evaluation and stadia investment, primarily focusing on football. Its sport education course broke new ground with segments specifically tailored for the erudition of professional FIFA managers and coaches. Upcoming for Cass is the delivery of an MBA carrying the imprimatur of the Football Association and incorporating content specific to football and sports finance.

"In discussions with CASS we covered the potential for collaborating on their sports management programs and contributing either core, or elective, components," said Wood.

On his Trade mission, Wood also met with representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Premier League’s Director of Public Affairs, William Bush, the University of East London, the Rugby Football Union, and Roger Draper, Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association - co-host of Wimbledon.

Wood concluded, "This trade mission has taken an important step in extending the profile of SKA’s leadership role in sports education throughout the world."