Dubai Duty Free’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sinead El Sibai, has been voted as one of the top ten 'Most Influential Women in Sport 2019' in a poll conducted by iSportconnect, the UK-based networking platform and community aimed at executives working in the world of sport, to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March.

Among those joining El Sibai in the list, which was unveiled at an iSportconnect Leadership Masterclass held in London, are international tennis star, Serena Williams, Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics, Marie Donoghue, Vice President of Sports Video, Amazon and Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, F1.

Commenting on the poll, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free said, “I am thrilled that Sinead has been recognised by the iSportconnect community for her marketing expertise and for the hard work that she and her team commit to all of our major events and sponsorships, including the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and our major horse racing sponsorships in the UK and Ireland.

“The fact that this recognition was announced on International Women’s Day is a great endorsement to the increasingly important and high-profile role that women like Sinead and her fellow nominees are commanding in global business and sports management.”

El Sibai who joined Dubai Duty Free’s Marketing Department in 2000 said, “It is a privilege to be considered in such esteemed company and I am delighted to highlight the role of women working in the sports industry in this part of the world.

“Under Colm McLoughlin’s leadership, sport and sports sponsorship have been an integral part of Dubai Duty Free’s marketing strategy since the launch of the business in 1983.  Our global portfolio of sponsorships and events is very diverse and provides us with extensive opportunities to promote our brand on the international stage and engage with a diverse range of sportsmen and women, sports fans and governing bodies.”

The accolade follows-on closely from another successful renewal of Dubai Duty Free’s flagship event, the Dubai Tennis Championships staged annually in February/March. The final result was a win by two Swiss nationals, with Belinda Bencic winning her first Dubai title, while Roger Federer won his eight 8th Dubai title. The win in Dubai also saw Roger claim his 100th singles career title, which resulted in massive worldwide coverage, including 7,000 news articles, hours of TV coverage and 35,000 mentions on social media.

Dubai Duty Free, whose Chairman is H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, own the tennis tournament and the event is managed by an in-house team including Ramesh Cidambi, Chief Operating officer, Salah Tahlak - Executive Vice President Corporate Services/Tournament Director, Sinead El Sibai, Jasmin Micoyco, Assistant Manager/Project Manager.

The iSportconnect community consists of over 24,000 registered members and is the world’s largest private community for sport business executives. 

The iSportconnect top ten Most Influential Women in Sport 2019:

Amaia Gorostiza, President, SD Eibar

Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, F1

Fatma Samoura, Secretary General, FIFA

Kim Davis, EVP of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislation, NHL

Marie Donoghue, Vice President of Sports Video, Amazon

Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics

Mithali Raj, Captain, Indian Women’s Cricket Team

Serena Williams, Tennis Player, USA

Simone Biles, Olympic Athlete, USA

Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Dubai Duty Free