






Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Lou De Paoli
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
For more than three decades, Andy has been at the forefront of sports. From an All-American champion wrestler to becoming a top executive of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons to then Club Chairman and owner of Derby County Football Club (Premier League and Championship). As Chairman, it is Andy’s reach and the relationships he has built throughout his career that make the concept of a Sports Team M&A division appealing to prospective investors and current team owners alike.
Andy has sold every ticket, suite and sponsorship; Managed at every level of team sports; And also owned at every level of professional sports - on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition he has built and grown his very own award winning baseball league and ballpark.
Andy has a Master’s Degree in Sports Management and a Bachelor of Science in English from Springfield College in Massachusetts. He serves on the Board of Directors for the General Sports Foundation/Suite Dreams Project. Andy was awarded the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2002.
CONTACT ANDYFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation








Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Lou De Paoli
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
Michael is respected as one of the most prominent figures in the sports industry with a career spanning 30 years. Huyghue founded and directed, as Commissioner, of the United Football League, raising over $200m in seed money. The UFL operated for four nationally televised seasons, competing directly against the NFL.
In 2001, Michael launched a highly successful Sports and Entertainment Agency, Axcess Sports & Entertainment. Axcess represented professional athletes, Olympians and entertainers across multiple sports. Huyghue has partnered with or represented celebrities and athletes like Magic Johnson, Oscar De La Hoya, Snoop Dogg to name a few.
CONTACT MICHAELFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation

In 1994, Huyghue ran football operations for the NFL start up Jacksonville Jaguars. Under his leadership the Jaguars collected more wins in their first five seasons than any other new franchise in the history of the NFL, including a remarkable two AFC Championship game appearances.
Huyghue gained widespread prominence in 1991 as the youngest and one of the first black general managers in professional football with the NFL’s World League of American Football. He went on to hold the most senior position in the league reporting directly to a committee of NFL owners. Michael also sat on the Management Council Executive Committee, the College Advisory Committee and the Committee on Minority Hiring.







Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Lou De Paoli
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
Stephen has over 25 years working in the sports industry, uniquely as a rights holder, sports agent and brand owner. He started his career working for the Coca-Cola Company in Europe in a number of brand marketing roles culminating his seven years as the regions Sponsorship Manager responsible for both football and music.
Following his passion for sport Stephen joined the Football Association as Sponsorship Manager for Euro 96, the hugely successful European Football Championships held in England, following that with the appointment as the EPLs first Commercial lead under football’s iconic leader Rick Parry. During that period Curnow would oversee significant growth in the League’s commercial revenue.
On leaving the EPL Stephen spent 6 successful years as Senior Vice President of Commercial for Benfield Sports, a new London based sports agency. During that period Stephen delivered 2 significant deals in motorsport, firstly Telefonica as title sponsor of the Suzuki MotoGP team and the establishment of the FIM Grand Prix Speedway Series.
CONTACT STEPHENFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation

Stephen was then headhunted to join the industry leading agency SFX Sports - to manage commercial income for the agency’s 750 iconic athletes, and then staying on when the agency was acquired by Wasserman Media Group. During this period Stephen concluded a number of successful partnerships including Castrol, Umbro, Yahoo!, Intel, P&G and MSN.
More recently Stephen’s sports experience has been as a Commercial Director in F1. During his 12 years in the sport he has presided over some of the most significant sponsorships including Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Unilever, BWT, NEC, American Movil and Diageo – establishing himself as one of the industries most experienced, creative and talented executives.







Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Lou De Paoli
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
DePaoli brings General Sports Worldwide 27 years of sports leadership experience, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for the New York Mets (MLB) 7.5 years. Prior to that he was Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) and Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for the Atlanta Spirit (Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), and State Farm Arena). Previously, he worked for the NBA League Office in Team Marketing and Business Operations (TMBO) where he rose to the position of VP, Team Marketing & Business Development; served with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins as VP, Sales; and began his career with the Worcester IceCats (AHL) in their inaugural season in 1994 as VP of Sales.
CONTACT LOUFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation

DePaoli has established a reputation in the industry for recruiting, training, and developing some of the best talent in the sports and entertainment industry, as well as being regarded as an innovative and charismatic leader who was at the forefront of embracing business analytics. At each of the stops in his career he has assembled a top-notch team of top sales and marketing talent to generate revenue, which has been driven by the information and analysis provided by the team’s business analytics department. This combination has resulted in a data-driven culture that has been driving results through an emphasis on development, business intelligence, and execution.
Lou graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a B.A. in Management of Professional Sports Organizations.







Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Lou De Paoli
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
Jez has enjoyed a long and illustrious career within the English football world and is recognized as one of game’s leading chief executives, having been named FC Business Chief Executive of the Year in 2015.
In a 16-year spell as CEO of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Jez led two Premier League promotions and handled hundreds of millions of pounds of player contracts and transfer fees, whilst maintaining the team’s position as the 10th most profitable club in the sport over a five-year period (Deloitte). In 2016, he headed the sale of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC to Chinese conglomerate, Fosun International in a deal worth £50m. In addition, he increased shareholder value through strategic facility developments and was involved in several high-profile sport construction projects.
CONTACT JEZFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation

As CEO of Stoke City FC, Jez drove the construction of a 28,000 capacity stadium, part funded by a 10-year naming rights deal and a share investment agreement with the City Council. That project helped transform the club into a hugely attractive proposition for sale and Jez guided the takeover of Stoke by an Icelandic consortium. Currently, Jez serves on the board of the EFL, the Professional Game Board and Professional Football’s Negotiation and Consultative Committee as well as previously serving on the FA Board, FA Council and various Premier League committees.







Andy Appleby
Michael Huyghue
Stephen Curnow
Jez Moxey
Sam Rush
Sam is an executive with 20 years’ experience in the sport and entertainment sector. A former professional rugby player with Saracens and qualified solicitor Sam has held the posts of COO at SFX Sports Group, President of international business at the Wasserman Media Group (WMG) and President & CEO of Derby County Football Club.
Sam has previously held long term roles as a board member of the Amateur Boxing Association and as Treasurer of the British Association for Sport and Law.
Sam on two occasions has been named as one of the top 3 most influential agents in the world by Sport Business and over a period of many years as one of the top 50 most influential people in sport by the Times newspaper. Sam was voted by executives within English football as the CEO of the Year in the 2014/15 season.
CONTACT SAMFounder & Chairman
Managing Director of NA Player
Representation and Diversity Initiatives
Executive Vice President
of Sponsorship Brokering
Managing Director Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Head of Sport Team Mergers
& Acquisitions
CEO of General Sports Europe
Player Representation

Lou De Paoli



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Brodie Waters has a career in sports that spans over twenty years, working with the premier leagues and athletes in the industry. As the founder and President of IMAC Consulting, Inc., Waters provided consulting services to various teams in the NFL as well as for major media outlets - including ESPN. Widely regarded as an expert on the NFL salary cap, Waters is the creator of the Roster Management System, which provides advanced analytical data and in-depth contract analysis and statistical interpretation. In addition, Waters served as a consultant to various agents and organizations, aiding on subjects ranging from negotiation tactics, client management and revenue generation. For more than 10 years he worked with the PGA TOUR, leading the efforts of the World Golf Hall of Fame, overseeing the global expansion of the brand and building relationships with its members.
During his 7 years as Vice President at Axcess Sports & Entertainment, he was responsible for all aspects of the Football Division, which included contract negotiations for clients including Vince Wilfork, Adam Jones and Jon Beason to name a few. Waters also oversaw recruiting and client maintenance, along with securing endorsements for clients. His role also involved leading the agency’s consulting business, event production and management.
CONTACT BRODIESenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting


Waters began his career in sports working for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Personnel Department. A graduate of the University of North Florida, where he was also captain of the men’s basketball team.

Colin Gordon
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Tobi Alabi
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Wasim Haq
Managing Director Executive Search EMEA



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Nick has 20 years of experience in the sport, advertising and entertainment sectors. A qualified solicitor, Nick has worked at renowned international law firm Bird & Bird before joining Clear Channel. Nick was Group Counsel to SFX Sports Group handling some of the highest profile and highest value football transfers in history as well as more than 200 commercial, sponsorship and broadcasting agreements. At Clear Channel Nick was a key legal and commercial influence in the European business and was a UK Board Member, UK General Counsel, Property Director, Group Company Secretary and Head of Corporate Compliance.
CONTACT NICKSenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting



Colin Gordon
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Tobi Alabi
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Wasim Haq
Managing Director Executive Search EMEA



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Apple brings General Sports Worldwide 14 years of sports leadership experience, most recently as the Chief Revenue Officer for Event Dynamic. Prior to that he was Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service for the Miami Marlins (MLB) and Senior Director of Team Marketing and Business Operations (TMBO) where he oversaw ticketing for all of the NBA, WNBA, and G-League teams. He was also the Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service for the Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA), Arizona Rattlers (AFL), and Northern Arizona Suns (G-League). Prior to that, he was the Senior Director of Ticket Sales for the Orlando Magic (NBA), and the Director of Business Development for the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB). He began his career with the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), and State Farm Arena.
CONTACT TRAVISSenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting


Apple has a proven track record of success across multiple sports organizations and has an outstanding reputation in the industry for identifying, training, and developing top talent. At each of the stops in his career he has assembled top sales teams to generate revenue regardless of team performance. In addition, Apple also has written a book Hustle Your Way to success in Sports Sales as well as hosts a weekly podcast 52 Weeks of Hustle where he sits down with industry leaders to discuss their career path and what it takes to be successful.

Colin Gordon
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Tobi Alabi
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Wasim Haq
Managing Director Executive Search EMEA



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Colin Gordon
Colin has been a leading figure in the sports agency world for many years having co-founded Key Sports Management in 1999 and has established and maintained relationships with some of the sport’s most influential people worldwide.
CONTACT COLINSenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Managing Director
General Sports Magna


Having enjoyed a distinguished playing career at the top level of English football, Colin made in excess of 250 senior career appearances and scoring 80 goals featuring for the likes of Leicester City, Birmingham City and Wimbledon.
Colin consults to the FA on the current talent ID programme and has lectured on the FA Pro Licence and Academy Managers courses for the FA on working relationships with agents.
Colin is also Head Coach of the England Powerchair team who became the first senior FA team to win a major tournament since Sir Alf Ramsey’s England team in 1966, when they defeated France in the 2019 European championships in Helsinki.


Tobi Alabi
Managing Director
General Sports Magna

Wasim Haq
Managing Director Executive Search EMEA



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Colin Gordon
Tobi Alabi
Tobi Alabi is an ex professional footballer who had his career cut short after suffering a cardiac arrest aged 19. With this life changing experience Tobi set up a cardiac health charity before setting up his own football agency, Magna Sports Management with whom he had great success recruiting some of the best talents across the men’s and women’s football game whilst executing a high number of transfers.
CONTACT TOBISenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Managing Director
General Sports Magna
Managing Director
General Sports Magna


Tobi joined as a senior agent after Magna Sports was acquired by GSW in the summer of 2020.



Wasim Haq
Managing Director Executive Search EMEA



Brodie Waters
Nick Andrews
Travis Apple
Colin Gordon
Tobi Alabi
Wasim Haq
With over 30 years of professional strategic management consulting experience in the sports industry, Wasim was recruited by a global search firm in 2011 to add senior level expertise to their Sport Practice following which he became Managing Partner of First Team Partners. After 8 successful years of running FTP, Wasim now leads our Sports & Entertainment Executive Search practice for General Sports Europe.
CONTACT WASIMSenior Vice President
of Player Representation
COO of General Sports Europe
Vice President of Executive
Search and Team Consulting
Managing Director
General Sports Magna
Managing Director
General Sports Magna
Managing Director Executive Search UK & EMEA


With hands-on experience in senior management roles, as well as managing and negotiating sports & media rights deals, Wasim is able to recruit World Class talent for our blue chip sports & entertainment sector clients. Wasim has previously recruited Chief Executives,Board level Directors & High Performance appointments across the UK & European sports landscape. His clients have included UK and European football clubs, National & International sports federations, agencies and sports content broadcasters and platforms. Wasim is a member of The FA Council, The FA Inclusion Advisory Board and a member of The FA Membership &
Appointments Committee. He is also a member of The LTA Council and is the Senior Independent Director on the Board of England Golf where he is also the EDI Champion. Wasim has also recently completed 9 years on the Board of Essex County Cricket Club.


