The senior leadership of the Asian football family looks set to benefit from a comprehensive and diverse agenda to be delivered by a stellar line-up of expert speakers at the upcoming AFC Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) General Secretaries’ Conference 2022, which will kick off on Thursday, January 13, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John will set the tone for the three-day conference with an opening presentation on the AFC’s ambitions to elevate the standards of Asian football in the coming years, before the attention shifts towards achieving longer-term outcomes with a ground-breaking session on Creating the Learning Culture that develops the next generation of Asia’s football leaders, which will be led by Kleinmann Wang CEO, Anter Isaac.

Participants will also be presented with the opportunity to enhance their capabilities on the first day through the Team Value Management and Talent Development session, which will be conducted by Senior Partner & Managing Director at Double Pass, Koen Put.

On day two, the importance of developing a global perspective will be the focus when Hicham Al Amrani, the former General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football and CEO and Founder of HEA Sports Management & Consulting takes the stage with an in-depth presentation on the African-Asian Perspective.

The AFC Deputy General Secretary – Member Associations, Vahid Kardany will also take the spotlight on the second day with a presentation on the AFC’s development programmes and landmark policies on good governance, the recently launched AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), the Confederation’s continued commitment towards social responsibility. FIFA Council Member and Romanian Football Federation President Răzvan Burleanu’s presentation on UEFA Assist programme will also be an informative session for all attendees.

Dorian Esterer, CEO of the renowned Football Business Academy – the AFC’s academic partner – will emphasise on the importance of continuous learning, before former UEFA Head of Asia – Europe Affairs, Alex Phillips, casts Asia’s ability to close the gap with European football under the microscope.

The National Football Vision of Saudi Arabia by Ibrahim S. Alkassim, General Secretary of Saudi Arabian Football Federation, will take emphasis on the final day, with Common Goal Co-founder Jürgen Griesbeck set to provide a shining example of football’s ability to leave a positive and meaningful legacy across marginalised communities.

Participants will also gain valuable insights on strengthening the marketing and branding of MAs and RAs provided by marketing consultant Geoff Wilson, the former Head of Marketing and Communications at the Irish Football Association, before the AFC Deputy General Secretary – Football, Shin Man Gil, delivers his presentation on the future of the AFC’s competitions.

(AFC)