In profile: Head of Partnerships and Business Development Charlie Sizer

The January transfer window is in full swing – and Twenty3 have kicked off 2024 by making a signing of our own.

We’re delighted to announce the arrival of Charlie Sizer, who joined the organisation earlier this month as our new Head of Partnerships and Business Development.

Charlie has a wealth of experience in the sports industry, so we wanted to find out more about her career to date and what she’ll be bringing to Twenty3…

WE: Firstly, a warm welcome to Twenty3, Charlie. What were the key reasons behind your decision to join?

CS: I love a new challenge and this is definitely going to be one – in a good way!

I’ve been part of the sports industry for a long time but sports data is a new focus for me. The team are already working with some excellent partners globally in football and Formula 1 and I can’t wait to contribute to even more success for Twenty3.

Most importantly, the people are brilliant and were the biggest attraction to joining. Who you work with is just as important as where you work and I know I’ll learn a lot here.

WE: Tell us a little bit about your role at Twenty3 and what it will entail.

CS: As Head of Partnerships and Business Development my role will be a blend between account management of the existing partner portfolio and onboarding new clients into the business.

The most important thing is to make sure our partners are more than happy with their service from us, fully utilising the Toolbox and extracting as much value into their businesses as possible.

WE: What are your key learnings from your career so far and how do you hope to apply those to your role at Twenty3?

CS: I’ve been working with global commercial partners in sport and content distribution for over six years now. I love the nitty gritty of negotiating deals and contracts, alongside collaborating with partners on new initiatives.

I’m looking forward to taking this experience and building on the strong relationships with Twenty3’s partners, by getting to know them individually and delving deeper to really understand their respective businesses.

The biggest thing I’ve learnt though, is surrounding yourself with good people – support the people around you, and ask those around you for support.

WE: Looking ahead to this year, what opportunities and challenges do you see in the industry and what do you hope to achieve in 2024 – both with Twenty3 and beyond?

CS: The business has an incredibly exciting future, we’re only just scratching the surface of the power that sports intelligence and data can provide.

If I had to set myself one goal it would be to shout about the amazing work Twenty3 do with their partners in the industry. I might be slightly biassed towards women’s football… but I know we can add tremendous value to the future commercialisation of the game, using intelligence and sports data to deliver real measurable business benefits.

We’ve got stats (plenty of them) and the data doesn’t lie.

WE: You’re very passionate about the growth of women’s sport. Progress has been made in recent years, but there’s still plenty more that can be done to truly move the needle. What would you say are the key areas of focus, both in the short and long term?

CS: There has been some phenomenal growth in women’s sport, especially in football thanks to the success of the Lionesses over the last 18 months.

We’re seeing huge increases in broadcast deals, both in value but also in coverage globally, which play a huge role in the foundational ecosystem. As the industry steps up its content output, data is going to play a critical role in enhancing fan engagement and delivering new commercial opportunities for brands, clubs, leagues, broadcasters and beyond. 

Those working in women’s sport will continue to prove that women’s teams & leagues can be independently financially sustainable, but we need to see more investment (as we have had across all men’s sport) to prove this and to achieve long-term success.

WE: You were a member of SportsPro’s NEW ERA class of 22/23 and are a NEW ERA mentor from 23/24 – what do these roles entail and how proud are you to be a part of such prestigious programmes?

CS: Being part of the inaugural SportsPro NEW ERA cohort last year was my highlight of 2023, I’m so chuffed to be continuing on the programme as a mentor this year.

SportsPro’s mission was to give younger females in sport more visibility across the industry and being part of this community has enabled me to be part of podcast discussions, a panellist at live events and write thought-leadership articles for SportsPro media.

I feel really proud to be part of this group and I’m even more proud of the relationships and friendships that have been built – both with other members of the cohort, and with the mentors on the steering group. They’ve opened up so many doors already and played a part in me being at Twenty3 today.

WE: How did it feel to be nominated and shortlisted for the Rising Star in Women’s Sport at the Everything in Sport conference & awards last year?

CS: It’s especially important in the UK that we respect and uphold the importance of the football pyramid, its pathways and all of the volunteers within it. It was a privilege to be there and I was so proud that the work we had done to emphasise the importance of equal opportunities for women and girls is being spotlighted across the industry.

WE: What are your passions and interests away from work?

CS: I volunteer a lot of my time within grassroots sport and supporting the growth and development for women and girls.

I previously worked with the London FA and am now the new Chair of the Board for Derbyshire Netball, where it has been my job to make sure senior stakeholders are including women and girls in their plans – flagging the challenges in the sport that need to be addressed and helping them implement the league’s strategy at a county level.

My life growing up revolved around playing football and netball, so to be able to give back to these sports years later is something I’m most proud of and find the most rewarding.

WE: Finally, is there a slogan, motto or quote that you like to live by in your working life?

CS: I have a few but the one I always come back to is a pretty simple one; be kind, work hard, and enjoy the little things in life. I also believe what you put out in the universe will find its way back to you – everything happens for a reason and always pay forward.

My approach to business is similar. Everything starts with being good to people and saying yes to new opportunities, and success will follow if you work hard.

If you’d like to find out more about Twenty3’s services, please get in touch below.