This course is powered by VSI, and is delivered part-time (one year).
Course overview
Managing huge financial growth, increasing corporate governance responsibilities and the demands of challenging stakeholders, chief executives need advanced skills and knowledge to succeed in this challenging but immensely exciting industry. Executives are often thrust into the role without any preparation and this course will help with that.
The course is tailored to meet the real demands of leading sporting organisations. Covering leadership, strategic planning, operational management, commercialisation, marketing and communications, the programme will provide unrivalled preparation for the role of a CEO in a sporting organisation. The course is delivered part-time over one year in eight blocks of two days, in a blended format which allows you to combine study and work in a way that best suits your working life.
This course is delivered in partnership with Shoosmiths Elite Advisory and Elite Performance Partners.

CMI recognition
This programme is recognised by CMI (Chartered Management Institute), the only Chartered professional body dedicated to management and leadership.
As a delegate on the programme you will receive free CMI membership for one year from the start of the programme, membership benefits including access to ManagementDirect, an online multi-media knowledge base for leadership and management. You will also receive a CMI certificate on completion of the programme.
Modules
Modules are self-contained and delivered in sequence to ensure everyone on the course can learn from each other’s experiences.
This course contains the following modules:
- The role of the CEO within the corporate structure
- Responsible for making major corporate decisions & managing stakeholders internal & external
- Understand your fiduciary responsibilities as a CEO
- Serve as the primary spokesperson and representative for the organisation
- Lead the development and implementation of the organisation’s strategy
- Creating, communicating and implementing the organisations vision, mission and overall direction
- Understand how to provide leadership to develop the senior leadership team
- The CEO as the Brand Ambassador
- The non-negotiables of a high-performing executive team
- Effectively establish and have financial understanding for performance targets
- Maintain high-standards of conduct and integrity aligned to compliance with best practice
- Understand the legal landscape relevant to your competitive market
- Identify new products, new events and initiatives that will align with strategic plans to grow the organisation
- Deciding with speed and conviction
- Engaging for impact
- Adapting proactively
- Delivering reliability
This module will be delivered bespoke to the needs and wants of delegates moving towards the end of the programme. It will be delivered by Elite Performance Partners.

I really enjoyed every session; the theoretical work, the practical elements, and also the interaction between students, and the lecturers. All of my cohort were extremely inspiring, smart, and ambitious.
Delivery team
Course outcomes
By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:
- Understand the role of the CEO
- Develop the leadership skills required to drive high performance
- Recognise the fiduciary and financial responsibilities of a CEO
- Understand the corporate governance and legal responsibilities of a CEO
- Develop strategic and operational plans to grow the organisation

This course has given me a great opportunity to continue the process of developing my own skills. The challenges of leadership and governance in sport are unique and I am really getting a lot out of both the formal learning and the group of other sports professionals in the cohort.
Course delivery
You will study onsite in Manchester and apply your learnings in the workplace. The programme will fit around your busy schedule and allow you to benefit from specialist tuition and a series of leading industry speakers. The course is delivered part-time over one year in nine blocks of two days, in a blended format which allows you to combine study and work in a way that best suits your working life. Modules are self-contained and delivered in sequence to ensure everyone on the course can learn from each other’s experiences.
Start date: July 2023
Course duration: One year.
Entry requirements
General
Ideally an honours degree or the ability to demonstrate substantive business experience.
Specific
As this is not an academic programme leading to an award, there are no minimum entry academic requirements. However, as this is a professional programme for aspiring chief executives, applicants will be senior-level executives in sport or business, or high-performing professional athletes wishing to transition to a C-suite level role in the sports industry.
All applicants will be interviewed and are required to give a presentation on:
“The characteristics and skillsets of a high-performing chief executive.”
If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria for this programme, please email admissions@ucfb.com.
To apply for this programme, please click here and follow the instructions to complete your application via our Learner Portal.

The learnings I’m able to take from this course and the skills I’m able to develop will definitely help me in my quest to build a bright future for the team.
Fees
*£1,000 is payable up front, with the remaining balance split into three payments across the year of study.
If you’d like to extend your time with us, we’re pleased to offer all GIS graduates:
- 15% fee tuition discount on all Master's programmes, excluding MSc Sports Directorship
- 15% fee tuition discount on MSc Sports Directorship and CEO of a Sports Organisation
These discounts are open to any UCFB, Buckinghamshire New University and University of East London graduate who has received and accepted an offer to study at postgraduate level with UCFB’s Global Institute of Sport.
- 15% fee tuition discount on all Master's programmes, excluding MSc Sports Directorship
- 15% fee tuition discount on MSc Sports Directorship and CEO of a Sports Organisation
We're pleased to offer all UCFB and GIS business partners 15% fee tuition discount on all Undergraduate, Master's programmes.