Media Room

07/2025

More women at the top: SPORT 2000 joins forces with Global Game Shapers to shape the sports industry of tomorrow

With the launch of Global Game Shapers (GGS) on 7 July in London, a strong international network has been created that specifically promotes and connects women in leadership positions in the sporting goods industry. As a founding member, Margit Gosau, CEO of SPORT 2000 Group International, is actively involved in its development and is making a clear statement on behalf of the company: in favour of more diversity, visibility and new forms of leadership in global sports retail.

"Our industry needs more female perspectives. Not someday, but now," says Margit Gosau, CEO of SPORT 2000 Group International, adding: "Global Game Shapers is not a prestige project, but a strategically necessary step to strengthen female leadership, make new role models visible and initiate sustainable change with male supporters." The initiative's claim "Together we rise" sums up this aspiration: growing together, changing together.

GGS: a clear strategy for female leadership
The idea for GGS came about after an industry dialogue at ISPO in December 2024. The need for action is clear: the proportion of women in CEO positions in the sporting goods industry is currently around 8.5%. With the support of international associations such as the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and the Federation of European Goods Industry (FESI), this impulse became a concrete project: a global network for female managers. The focus is on active knowledge transfer, mentoring programmes and international visibility. "Platforms like this are needed to network female talent, empower female decision-makers and shape a new leadership culture together," says Gosau. "SPORT 2000 Group International has been living this conviction for years and is now bringing this spirit to the global stage with GGS."

Global initiative for female leadership in sports retail
The launch event at Pentland Brands in London marked both the kick-off and a milestone in terms of content. In cooperation with partners such as McKinsey, current challenges and opportunities for female leadership were discussed in keynotes, roundtables and workshops in a practical and cross-industry manner - with a view to achieving a lasting impact. The Global Game Shapers pursue a clear guiding principle: connecting women, sharing expertise and working together with male supporters to bring about structural change in the industry. The focus is not only on equality, but also on the conviction that diverse leadership is crucial for future viability. "It's about more than equality. It's about sustainability," summarises Gosau, and she adds: "Those who do not specifically promote female leadership are leaving valuable potential untapped. GGS closes this gap: bold, practical and globally networked."