Sue Holt is the Executive Director, ES Sport. Sue holds a master’s degree in strategic marketing management from Kingston University London and has completed executive programs at Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, and London Business School.
Talking about her journey and how her childhood played a pivotal role on her professional trajectory, Sue said: “I believe that the main reason for being where I am today is due to being brought up in a large family where hard work, education and people were the priority. My sisters and I were always encouraged to be independent and started working part-time jobs from the age of 16 years old. Becoming financially secure was also important and I believe should be a priority for working women, as once you do this, then life becomes about what you really want to do, not what you must do to pay the bills. I bought my first house at 27 years old and rented rooms to students to cover my mortgage whilst working two jobs and studying.”
“My career path consisted of trying out multiple roles and sectors while I was younger then figuring out that it was marketing that I truly loved. I then focused on becoming more experienced and educated in that field and took on additional responsibilities and projects whenever I got the chance – I was always the one with my hand up when asked!” she added.
A highly accomplished marketing and business development professional with over 25 years of international experience in the media industry, spanning business, entertainment, the arts, and tourism, Sue became the Executive Director for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Expat Sport. Sue played a pivotal role in maximizing the company’s contract, launching Dubai’s first football fan hotel experience for inbound visitors in collaboration with Dubai Tourism gaining significant media exposure.
“A major milestone was launching Dubai’s first football fans hotel experience for ES Sport (formerly Expat Sport). It was for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the company was the exclusive agent for the UAE. We worked with Dubai Tourism and had thousands of international football fans take part from South America, Asia and Europe. Our MD also got featured in media outlets globally for the initiative. It was definitely a career highlight!” Sue revealed.
Before joining Expat Sport, Sue served as Managing Director at ITP Media Group, where she successfully redefined the company’s business model. She led ITP’s strategic expansion into Saudi Arabia, founded the Arab Woman Awards, and diversified operations into emerging sectors such as influencer marketing and e-gaming. Her reputation and expertise positioned her as a sought-after marketing advisor, consulting for high-profile clients, including the Essar Group and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Possessing a formidable body of work and profile, Sue reflected: “To me, enabling environments are mainly positive, give people the space to be creative and provide development opportunities. I use the term ‘mainly positive’ as I read an article from Harvard Business School Review (HBR) which changed my mind on this point. It described how some conflict and debate at work can be healthy but only if it helps to move the company, project or team on.”
She noted: “One of my major challenges was taking on too much and having my health suffer at times due to this. Thankfully nothing serious but I did have to have regular physio for months after I left my full-time corporate role for the aches and pains that come with having a desk-based job for 25 years! Given my time again, I would have definitely made my health more of a priority during those busy years.”
Keeping it real, Sue concluded: “What next? I’ve started training as a Non-Executive Director, as I’d like to help other companies by sharing my knowledge and experience of having launched over 20 projects into the GCC. My message for women would be to work hard, try to enjoy what you do as life is truly short, know your worth and try to become financially secure as quickly as possible. Always try to help other women where you can, even in just a small way.”
