Depending on the challenge, we mobilise the most relevant expertise from across our collective: former executives, HR leaders, executive coaches, governance advisors, performance psychologists and transformation specialists with experience across sport, entertainment and other demanding environments.
Our collective brings together former CEOs, HR executives, executive coaches, governance specialists, performance psychologists and transformation advisors who are mobilised according to the specific leadership, talent or organisational challenge at hand.
Whether the objective is executive search, leadership development, succession planning, governance effectiveness or organisational transformation, we assemble the expertise required to deliver practical, high-impact solutions.
Our collective brings together leaders, HR executives, executive coaches and search professionals from the worlds of sport, entertainment and advisory. United by deep sector expertise and extensive leadership experience, they understand the realities of your industry and the challenges shaping organisations today.
Our collective combines leadership experience, functional expertise and diverse professional backgrounds. What unites our experts is a deep understanding of organisational, leadership and governance challenges, together with the ability to support organisations through periods of change, complexity and heightened stakeholder expectations.
Their diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Some come from the worlds of sport and entertainment, others from corporate leadership, strategic advisory, academia or organisational transformation. Together, they bring a broad perspective and a pragmatic understanding of how leadership, talent and governance influence performance.
This complementary expertise underpins SBT Executive’s four core practices and allows us to mobilise the right expert, or combination of experts, for each assignment. Whether the challenge involves executive search, leadership development, succession planning, governance effectiveness or organisational transformation, we tailor our approach to the specific needs of the organisation.
We identify exceptional leaders and help organisations create the conditions for their success.
Through our complementary expertise in Executive Search and Leadership Advisory, we help organisations strengthen leadership, accelerate performance and navigate critical moments of transformation.
Our collective is structured around two core practices: : Executive Search & Leadership Advisory.
Our interventions can be delivered independently or alongside an Executive Search assignment, helping organisations maximise leadership impact during critical moments of change.
Leadership Advisory can be delivered as a standalone intervention or alongside an Executive Search assignment, helping organisations maximise leadership effectiveness during critical moments of growth, transition and transformation.
Our Leadership Advisory practice is structured around three core areas of expertise:
A clear overview of our collective, organised by practice area and domain of expertise.
Our experts combine senior leadership experience, diverse professional backgrounds and deep sector knowledge across sport, entertainment, advisory and corporate environments. Together, they bring complementary perspectives on leadership, talent, governance and organisational performance.
By combining executive experience with specialist expertise, our collective helps organisations address complex leadership challenges, strengthen decision-making and navigate critical moments of growth, transformation and succession.
An international collective of leaders, experts and advisors bringing together deep sector expertise, leadership experience and specialist knowledge across Executive Search and Leadership Advisory.
France — 
EMEA / Global
With nearly 20 years of experience in Executive Search and Leadership Advisory, he supports CEOs, Boards and executive teams across sport, entertainment and leisure on critical leadership, talent and organisational challenges. His approach combines deep industry knowledge, strategic perspective and a strong focus on execution and results.
Cédric Le Nest is the Founder and Managing Partner of SBT Executive, an international Executive Search and Leadership Advisory firm dedicated to the worlds of sport, entertainment and leisure.
With nearly 20 years of experience in executive search, talent strategy and leadership advisory, he has supported organisations ranging from international federations, professional clubs and rights holders to agencies, media groups, event organisers and investors.
Throughout his career, Cédric has advised CEOs, Boards and executive teams on critical leadership appointments, organisational transformation and succession challenges. His expertise combines executive search, leadership assessment and strategic advisory, with a particular focus on leadership roles operating in complex, high-performance and highly visible environments.
Prior to founding SBT Executive, he built his experience across international recruitment and talent advisory firms, developing a strong track record in identifying and securing senior leaders across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Today, he leads SBT Executive’s Executive Search practice and oversees the firm’s international collective of experts, ensuring that every assignment benefits from the most relevant combination of sector expertise, leadership insight and advisory capability.
Recognised for his deep understanding of the sports and entertainment ecosystem, Cédric is valued by clients for his strategic perspective, discretion and ability to support organisations through critical leadership decisions and periods of transformation.
For confidentiality reasons, only a selection of illustrative client references is disclosed below. These organisations reflect the breadth, seniority and international reach of the leadership, talent and advisory assignments delivered by Cédric Le Nest and his team.
📍 France— 🌍 EMEA & Global
With more than 30 years of leadership experience across tourism, sport and leisure, Laurent Colette has held senior executive roles including Chief Commercial Officer at FC Barcelona, Managing Director at Olympique de Marseille, and Group COO at Right to Dream. He supports presidents, CEOs, boards and investors when performance depends on leadership clarity, execution discipline, stakeholder alignment and sound governance under pressure.
Laurent Colette is a Leading Partner at SBT Executive, advising Presidents, CEOs, Boards and investors in high-pressure environments where governance, execution rhythm and stakeholder alignment are decisive. He brings over 30 years of leadership experience across sport, tourism and leisure, combining commercial transformation, operating discipline and shareholder-facing governance.
He has held some of the most exposed executive roles in the sector, including senior executive roles at FC Barcelona, AS Roma and Olympique de Marseille, Managing Director at Olympique de Marseille, and Group Chief Operating Officer at Right to Dream. This gives him rare operating legitimacy when leadership teams must perform under public scrutiny, short cycles, complex internal dynamics and demanding shareholders.
At Right to Dream, he reported directly to the Founder and led a multi-entity operating model across Ghana, Egypt, Denmark and the US pathway, with direct oversight of local CEOs and cross-functional pillars spanning sport performance, culture, brand and strategic planning. His mandate focused on improving execution discipline, strengthening governance and supporting value creation in an investor-aligned context.
Laurent is typically engaged when the issue is not a lack of strategy, but a lack of leadership clarity, decision quality, role definition and execution cadence. His approach is pragmatic: identify friction points, simplify governance, clarify interfaces and help boards and executives move from tension or complexity to focused execution.
France — EMEA & Global
25+ years of international HR leadership experience with global organisations including Disney, Michael Kors and Logicor (Blackstone). Expert in M&A, leadership succession and leadership continuity across complex international organisations.
Laurent Riffault is a Leading Partner at SBT Executive and former International Human Resources Director for leading global organisations including Logicor (Blackstone Group), Michael Kors, The Walt Disney Company and DentalMonitoring. With more than 25 years of international leadership experience across Europe, Asia and North America, he advises Boards, CEOs and investors on critical leadership, governance and organisational challenges.
Laurent specialises in leadership succession, leadership continuity and M&A-related transformation, helping organisations secure governance effectiveness, leadership stability and cultural alignment during periods of growth, transition and change. Combining extensive operational experience with a pragmatic and business-oriented approach, he is a trusted advisor in complex international environments where leadership decisions have a direct impact on long-term performance and value creation.
For confidentiality reasons, only a selection of representative collaborations is presented below, reflecting the breadth of environments and organisations supported by Laurent throughout his career.
Global Corporations & International Businesses
These engagements illustrate Laurent’s extensive experience in leadership transitions, organisational transformation, cultural integration and human capital strategy within complex international environments.
📍 France — 🌍EMEA & Global
Antoine Leygonie-Fialko is a Leading Partner at SBT Executive and Founder of CADRAN – International Executive Coaching Boutique.
A graduate of École Polytechnique, holding a PhD in Philosophy and with extensive international leadership experience, he advises senior executives, CEOs and leadership teams from CAC 40 companies and global organisations.
He teaches and contributes to executive education programmes at institutions including Stanford, Oxford and HEC, and supports leaders in strengthening their leadership effectiveness, decision-making, influence and organisational impact in complex environments.
Antoine Leygonie-Fialko is a Leading Partner at SBT Executive and Founder of CADRAN, an international executive coaching boutique specialising in leadership development and executive effectiveness.
A graduate of École Polytechnique and holder of a PhD in Philosophy, Antoine is an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) and leads a global network of executive coaches operating across 30 countries and 8 languages. He advises senior executives, leadership teams and CAC 40 organisations on leadership effectiveness, executive development and organisational transformation.
A former international executive, Antoine developed the CO-CREATiVE Communication® methodology, which has been deployed with executive committees and leadership teams to strengthen communication effectiveness, decision-making quality, leadership alignment and collective accountability.
His approach combines strategic thinking, executive coaching and organisational insight to help leaders navigate complexity, strengthen influence and lead successfully through periods of transformation and transition.
Antoine has advised senior executives, leadership teams and Boards across leading international organisations spanning luxury, industry, healthcare, energy, financial services and the sports business sector.
LVMH, Hermès, L’Oréal, Sanofi, Safran, Vinci, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, Engie, TotalEnergies, Air Liquide, Roche, Publicis, Renault, SAP and others.
For confidentiality reasons, only a selection of representative organisations is disclosed. Additional assignments have been delivered across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.
📍 France— 🌍 EMEA & Global
25 years of experience spanning high-performance sport and international organisations, including leadership roles within Formula 1 environments with Red Bull and Renault Sport.
Author and recognised expert in organisational performance, motivational psychology and leadership transformation, helping leaders and executive teams strengthen alignment, effectiveness and sustainable engagement.
Combining experience from elite sport and complex organisational environments, he supports leaders in building high-performing teams, improving collective effectiveness and sustaining performance under pressure.
Fabrice Gatti is a Leading Partner at SBT Executive, executive coach, author and speaker, as well as Founder of Mamkel, a consultancy dedicated to organisational, team and leadership performance.
Creator of the C.R.A.F.T. Framework, inspired by Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan), Fabrice helps leaders and executive teams strengthen motivation, engagement and collective effectiveness as drivers of sustainable performance.
Drawing on 25 years of experience across high-performance sport and complex organisational environments, he advises organisations on leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, organisational performance and cultural transformation.
His conviction is simple: sustainable performance is achieved when high standards, individual motivation and organisational purpose are aligned.
📍 France — 🌍 Europe
15 years of experience at the intersection of sport, entertainment and digital innovation.
Specialist in artificial intelligence strategy, organisational transformation and future leadership, helping executives and leadership teams build sustainable operating models that align technology, culture and human performance.
Combining strategic insight with operational experience, he supports organisations in navigating technological disruption, accelerating transformation and preparing leaders for the evolving demands of an AI-enabled world.
Jean-Baptiste Durand is a Senior Partner within SBT Executive’s Prepare – Succession & Future Leadership practice. He advises executive committees, Boards and senior leaders on the strategic integration of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and future leadership capabilities.
A graduate of HEC Paris, the CDES and ESCE, Jean-Baptiste brings more than 15 years of experience across sport, entertainment and strategic advisory. He previously held senior leadership positions with Paris La Défense Arena and Racing 92, where he led major innovation, business transformation and digital development initiatives.
His work focuses on helping organisations anticipate disruption, adapt leadership models and align people, governance and technology in rapidly evolving environments. He supports leaders in leveraging artificial intelligence not as a purely technological challenge, but as a strategic driver of organisational effectiveness, decision-making and long-term competitiveness.
Combining operational experience, strategic insight and a strong understanding of emerging technologies, Jean-Baptiste helps organisations prepare for the leadership challenges and opportunities of the future.
His career combines strategic advisory, digital innovation and leadership transformation, helping both public and private sector organisations adapt, modernise and prepare for future challenges.
Switzerland — Europe
More than 25 years of experience across the international Olympic and sports ecosystem.
Former senior executive at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with extensive experience working alongside international federations, governing bodies and major sports organisations.
Trusted advisor to federations, Boards and executive teams on governance, institutional alignment and collective leadership effectiveness.
Specialist in stakeholder management, governance frameworks and leadership alignment within complex international and multi-stakeholder environments.
Jean-Laurent Bourquin is a Senior Partner within SBT Executive’s Engage – Board & Organisational Effectiveness practice. He advises international federations, Olympic organisations and sports governing bodies on governance, strategic alignment and organisational effectiveness.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across the international sports ecosystem, he supports Boards, executive teams and institutional stakeholders in strengthening decision-making, improving leadership alignment and enhancing organisational performance.
His expertise lies in helping complex, multi-stakeholder organisations navigate governance challenges, align diverse interests and create the conditions for effective leadership and sustainable execution.
Former senior executive at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where he coordinated relationships between international federations and Olympic organising committees.
Today, he advises Boards, executive committees and sports governing bodies on institutional diplomacy, organisational transformation and collective leadership effectiveness.
Drawing on extensive experience across the international sports ecosystem, he helps organisations navigate complex stakeholder environments, strengthen governance and align leadership teams around shared strategic objectives.
📍 Hong Kong | 🌍 Asie
More than 15 years of executive search experience across Asia, with a strong track record in senior leadership appointments and high-impact commercial roles spanning Sales, Partnerships, Marketing and General Management.
She advises both local and international organisations on identifying and securing leaders capable of delivering results in fast-moving and highly competitive markets.
Combining deep regional expertise with a strong understanding of cross-cultural dynamics, she helps organisations assess not only capability and experience, but also the cultural fit and leadership qualities required for long-term success.
Her experience spans complex hiring environments where speed of execution, market knowledge and leadership alignment are critical to business performance.
Serena Wu is Senior Partner APAC at SBT Executive, leading executive search and talent intelligence assignments across the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on sport, entertainment, media, gaming and adjacent technology ecosystems.
Her approach is clear: transform market complexity into confident hiring decisions. In environments characterised by talent scarcity, intense competition, fast-moving business cycles and cultural complexity, she helps organisations identify, assess and secure leaders capable of delivering results from day one. Her work combines rigorous market mapping, disciplined candidate assessment and efficient execution throughout the search process.
In parallel, Serena is Managing Director and Co-Founder of SQ Talent, a boutique executive search firm focused on Greater China. Holding a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Health Psychology, she brings a structured understanding of leadership, team dynamics and organisational engagement that goes far beyond traditional CV-to-role matching.
Her conviction is simple: senior hiring is not a staffing exercise. It is a strategic decision involving performance, leadership impact and risk management. The quality of that decision often determines the trajectory of both the organisation and the leader.
These assignments reflect Serena’s ability to identify, assess and support high-impact talent within some of the world’s leading sports, media and entertainment organisations. Her experience spans leadership appointments across international businesses where commercial performance, cultural alignment and execution capability are critical to long-term success.
25 years of experience as a sports psychologist and leadership coach, working with elite athletes, senior executives and high-performance teams.
Trusted advisor to organisations including the Belgian and Ghana Football Associations, NATO, Deloitte, VF Corporation and Fnatic, helping leaders perform under pressure and sustain excellence over time.
Recognised expert in mental performance, resilience and leadership development, bridging the worlds of elite sport and executive leadership.
Combines evidence-based psychology, coaching and performance science to help individuals and teams strengthen focus, adaptability, decision-making and long-term effectiveness.
Widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading experts in resilience and sustainable performance, supporting leaders in navigating complexity, uncertainty and high-stakes environments.
Kris Perquy is a Senior Partner at SBT Executive within the Develop – Leadership Development practice.
A sports psychologist and mental performance coach, he has spent more than 25 years supporting athletes, coaches and executives across professional sport, esports and business environments.
An author, speaker and trusted advisor to senior leaders, Kris helps executives and teams strengthen mental clarity, collective cohesion and sustainable performance. His approach combines performance psychology, leadership development and behavioural insight to help individuals and organisations perform consistently under pressure.
International expert in high performance, supporting elite athletes, teams and senior executives for more than 25 years across sport and business environments.
Former Head of Performance Psychology for the Belgian Football Association and mental performance coach for Team Belgium – Be Gold, the country’s Olympic high-performance programme.
Lead Psychologist for the Ghana Football Association, where he designs and delivers national programmes focused on mental preparation, resilience and performance development.
International consultant, speaker and advisor to organisations including NATO, Deloitte, VF Corporation, Fnatic and Vlerick Business School, helping leaders translate the principles of elite performance psychology into executive leadership, team effectiveness and sustainable success.
Selected Experience
His experience reflects a unique ability to bridge elite sport, organisational psychology and executive leadership, helping individuals and teams sustain performance in demanding and high-pressure environments.
More than 25 years of experience in sports leadership and governance.
Former CEO in both rugby and cricket, Tom leads SBT Executive’s UK practice, advising Boards, federations and investors on executive search, leadership advisory and leadership development.
He has supported organisations including The FA, the Premier League and UK Sport on leadership, governance and organisational effectiveness challenges.
Tom Sears is a Senior Partner at SBT Executive and leads the firm’s UK practice.
With more than 25 years of experience across sports leadership, governance and executive management, he advises Boards, investors and sports governing bodies on leadership effectiveness, governance and succession planning.
A former CEO in professional rugby and cricket, Tom has led major organisations including Connacht Rugby, New Zealand Cricket, Cricket Kenya and Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
Former CEO of major clubs and governing bodies, including Connacht Rugby, New Zealand Cricket, Cricket Kenya and Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
Trusted advisor to Boards and investors on executive search, leadership effectiveness, succession planning and governance.
ILM and WABC accredited executive coach and Founder of the Professional Body of Sports Leadership.
International speaker and thought leader on leadership, organisational culture and collective performance.
Selected Experience
These engagements reflect Tom’s extensive experience across professional sport, governing bodies and high-performance environments, supporting organisations on leadership, governance, succession planning and organisational effectiveness.
Every conversation is confidential and led by one of our leadership partners. Whether you are seeking to identify future leaders, navigate a critical transition or strengthen executive team effectiveness, our collective helps organisations transform leadership and organisational challenges into lasting sources of performance and impact.