London, UK – January 30, 2025 – Elevate Talent, the leading global executive search firm specialising in the intersection of sport, media, entertainment, and lifestyle, is pleased to announce the appointment of two accomplished leaders to drive the firm’s continued growth and expansion.
David James and Helen Soulsby will assume pivotal roles, bringing extensive expertise and industry knowledge to Elevate Talent’s global and European sports practices.
David James has been promoted to Global Managing Partner - Sport, responsible for the international expansion of Elevate Talent's Sports Practice. His specific focus will be on working with the regional Practice leads to strengthen relationships with boards, investors and owners across the rapidly expanding and converging global sports industry. Leveraging his leadership experience, James will enhance the firm’s ability to connect top-tier executive talent with international sports organisations and investors, fostering innovation and growth throughout the sector. A former industry executive, James has successfully led Elevate Talent’s European Sports Practice for the past eight years.
Helen Soulsby is promoted to Managing Partner, Sport - Europe, bringing over 25 years of experience as a former industry operator and executive search consultant. In her new capacity, Soulsby will oversee the continued expansion of the practice, delivering an augmented executive search service including leadership advisory services across Europe. She and her team will provide strategic guidance to organisations navigating the rapidly evolving sports landscape, with an enhanced emphasis on emerging areas such as women’s sports, challenger sports, sports media, and tech-driven innovations.
Previously, Soulsby led the APAC region for Elevate Talent and spearheaded the development of its global leadership advisory capability. Her deep understanding of the European sports industry’s unique challenges and opportunities positions her as the ideal leader to drive this next phase of growth for the firm.
“We are proud to welcome David and Helen to their new leadership roles,” said Mark Moreau, Global President of Elevate Talent. “These appointments reflect our commitment to delivering world-class leadership solutions for the global sports industry. David’s deep expertise in investor and owner relations, combined with Helen’s vast experience and strategic insight into European sports, will be instrumental in expanding our services and driving success for our clients across multiple sectors.”
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to deepen Elevate Talent’s relationships with key stakeholders in global sport,” said David James, Elevate Talent Global Managing Partner - Sport. “Our proposition is strengthened by the extraordinary talent within the wider Elevate team, enabling us to offer clients an unparalleled suite of support and advisory services.”
“I am excited to lead the European Sports Practice during this pivotal time of transformation in the industry,” said Helen Soulsby Elevate Talent Managing Partner, Sport - Europe. “Elevate Talent’s unique combination of traditional sports expertise and focus on emerging trends positions us to provide unmatched value to our clients.”
"We are thrilled to welcome David James and Helen Soulsby to these pivotal leadership roles within our Sports Practice,” said Liz Moulton, Chairman of Elevate Talent. “Their exceptional expertise and proven track records as industry leaders will be invaluable as we continue to expand our presence in the global and European sports sectors. David’s visionary approach to fostering relationships with key stakeholders and Helen’s deep understanding of leadership and the evolving dynamics in European sports perfectly align with our mission to deliver unparalleled leadership solutions. Together, they embody the commitment to excellence that defines Elevate Talent.”
With these strategic leadership appointments, Elevate Talent reaffirms its position as a trusted partner in connecting elite talent with organisations driving innovation and success in the global sports industry.
Elevate Talent supports ambitious organizations with global executive search and leadership advisory services. Notably, Elevate Talent’s clients include World Rugby, WTA, Ferrari, Formula E, LPGA, Premiership Rugby, The All England Club, FIFA and The Jockey Club; as well as teams in the EPL, Serie A, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR and NWSL and notable entertainment brands including Disney, AEG, Flutter, BBC, BSE Global and Ticketmaster | Live Nation.
Elevate is an award-winning global sports agency that partners with the world’s leading sports, media, entertainment, and lifestyle companies to meet the complex challenges of today’s highly disruptive consumer environment.
About Elevate:
Elevate is an award-winning, full-service consulting firm supporting high-performing organizations in sports and beyond with innovative, data-driven, revenue-generating solutions. Elevate’s unparalleled combination of agency and operating experience, along with proprietary technology solutions, data sources, and software products, maximizes efficiencies in Consumer Insights, Research, Strategy and Analytics; Brand Consulting and Activation; Partnership Sales and Consulting; Executive Talent Strategy, Recruitment, Performance, and Organizational Design, Leadership Coaching, and Optimization; Creative Consultancy and Experiential Design; Property, Premium Hospitality, and Ticketing Strategy and Sales; Feasibility and Revenue Consultation for New and Renovated Venues; and more. Established in 2018 to provide comprehensive solutions to organizations across the global sports and entertainment ecosystem; today, the agency supports over 1,000 of the world’s most ambitious organizations across sports, entertainment, media, technology, gaming, lifestyle, and consumer sectors. For more information, follow Elevate Experiences on Instagram and TikTok and Elevate on X (@OneElevate_), LinkedIn, and Instagram.
