Advisory Panels
A collective of trusted experts sitting behind the FCN Academy, united by a shared commitment to increasing the representation of female coaches and ensuring they thrive within the sporting system.
Advisory
Panels
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A collective of trusted experts sitting behind the FCN Academy, united by a shared commitment to increasing the representation of female coaches and ensuring they thrive within the sporting system.
Lasting change does not come from isolated interventions, but from connected perspectives across the whole system.
LASTING CHANGE DOES NOT COME FROM ISOLATED INTERVENTIONS.
IT COMES FROM CONNECTED PERSPECTIVES ACROSS THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
— What the panels do
01
Shape learning that reflects the realities and complexities of coaching practice
02
Address the structures and systems that influence coaching experiences
03
Integrate research, lived experience, and applied practice
04
Strengthen relevance and credibility across sporting and performance environments
Panel one
FCN | Academy - Coach Development Panel
This panel brings together a small group of highly experienced coaches from around the globe, each with deep lived experience of coaching in practice and a strong understanding of the realities that shape it.
Members are recognised not only for their expertise in coaching, but also for their contribution to coach development, having worked at the highest levels of sport and supported others through mentoring, leadership, and learning.
The panel plays an important role in ensuring that the FCN Academy remains grounded in the lived experiences of coaches, bringing informed insight, constructive challenge, and diverse perspectives to shape its direction and impact.
Global coaching practitioners
Jane Figueiredo 💦
Bio Coming Soon...
Lori Locust 🇺🇸 🏈
Lori Locust is a professional American football coach with expertise in NFL operations, talent evaluation, defensive systems, and high-performance team development. She is recognised as the first woman position coach in the NFL and among the first to coach in—and win—a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She has also held defensive roles with the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens. Her experience spans roster construction, player development, opponent preparation, and performance analytics, underpinned by a systems-level understanding of team-building. She brings a practical advisory focus on talent identification, coaching pathways, defensive strategy, and culture alignment.
Lori Locust is a professional American football coach with expertise in NFL operations, talent evaluation, defensive systems, and high-performance team development. She is recognised as the first woman position coach in the NFL and among the first to coach in—and win—a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She has also held defensive roles with the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens. Her experience spans roster construction, player development, opponent preparation, and performance analytics, underpinned by a systems-level understanding of team-building. She brings a practical advisory focus on talent identification, coaching pathways, defensive strategy, and culture alignment.
Ivi Casagrande 🇧🇷🇬🇧 ⚽️
Bio Coming Soon...
Camilla Lydia 🇰🇪🏊♀️🚴♀️🏃♀️
Anula Costa 🇱🇰 🇦🇺🏃♀️
Bio coming soon...
Cody Royle 🇦🇺🇨🇦🏉
Cody Royle coaches head coaches in elite sport. After a decade coaching Canada's men's AFL national team, he now mentors a dozen head coaches across professional soccer, basketball, baseball, rugby league, international rugby, college field hockey, ice hockey, and Australian football. Cody has written three books, including The Tough Stuff, an Amazon bestseller that chronicles the emotional toll of coaching in professional sport. His most recent effort, Second Set Of Eyes, sets its sights on the head coaches who are gaining a competitive edge by being coached themselves.
Cody Royle coaches head coaches in elite sport. After a decade coaching Canada's men's AFL national team, he now mentors a dozen head coaches across professional soccer, basketball, baseball, rugby league, international rugby, college field hockey, ice hockey, and Australian football. Cody has written three books, including The Tough Stuff, an Amazon bestseller that chronicles the emotional toll of coaching in professional sport. His most recent effort, Second Set Of Eyes, sets its sights on the head coaches who are gaining a competitive edge by being coached themselves.
Nicolai Morris 🇦🇺🏋️♀️
TBC
Bio Coming Soon...
Panel two
FCN | Academy - Pathways & Governance Panel
This panel brings together a small group of experienced leaders and systems thinkers from across the global sporting landscape. Members include individuals who have operated at senior levels, from CEOs and team owners to researchers and those who have led and influenced change within coaching systems.
Each member brings a deep understanding of how coaching operates within wider structures, pathways, and governance, alongside a track record of shaping more effective, inclusive, and sustainable systems.
The panel plays a key role in supporting the FCN Academy to connect into the broader sporting ecosystem, offering strategic insight, challenge, and perspective to help influence the future of coaching at both a system and organisational level.
System Leaders and High Performance Thinkers
Professor Leanne Norman 🇬🇧
Leanne is a Professor of Women in Sport and Academic Lead for the Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub at Loughborough University. Her work focuses on advancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in sport—particularly within coaching and organisational cultures. She leads a sector-leading research programme, has led national and international projects, and works as an academic expert with sport bodies, governing organisations, and charities. Through this, she drives impactful knowledge exchange and public engagement, including programmes that support women coaches and help organisations build more inclusive leadership and coaching workforces.
Leanne is a Professor of Women in Sport and Academic Lead for the Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub at Loughborough University. Her work focuses on advancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in sport—particularly within coaching and organisational cultures. She leads a sector-leading research programme, has led national and international projects, and works as an academic expert with sport bodies, governing organisations, and charities. Through this, she drives impactful knowledge exchange and public engagement, including programmes that support women coaches and help organisations build more inclusive leadership and coaching workforces.
Michelle De Highden 🇦🇺
Michelle is the High Performance Coach Development Senior Lead at Australian Institute of Sport. She is an experienced high performance coach and coach developer, passionate about facilitating coach development at the high performance level. Coaching at both the development and World Championships level has enabled Michelle to understand both the athlete and coach development pathway from grassroots to international success. With over 40 years’ experience coaching, she is also a qualified teacher and coach developer; working in educational, club, state and national sport settings. Michelle has led the collaborative design and implementation of athlete-centered development systems and blended learning designs for coach learning.
Michelle is the High Performance Coach Development Senior Lead at Australian Institute of Sport. She is an experienced high performance coach and coach developer, passionate about facilitating coach development at the high performance level. Coaching at both the development and World Championships level has enabled Michelle to understand both the athlete and coach development pathway from grassroots to international success. With over 40 years’ experience coaching, she is also a qualified teacher and coach developer; working in educational, club, state and national sport settings. Michelle has led the collaborative design and implementation of athlete-centered development systems and blended learning designs for coach learning.
Jackie Newton 🇬🇧🇩🇰
Jackie Newton is a highly experienced high-performance sport leader with over 20 years’ success in coaching, system development, and strategic leadership. She specialises in building integrated, athlete- and coach-centred environments that drive performance, progression, and sustainable success across talent and elite pathways. Currently Sports Director (Sportschef) at Dansk Atletik, Jackie leads the strategic and operational development of athletics in Denmark, shaping high-performance systems, talent pathways, and international success. Alongside this, she contributes to coach development at the Sport Ireland Institute, supporting Olympic-cycle coaches toward LA 2028. Previously, Jackie has held senior leadership roles including Head of Coaching Development at UK Athletics and Performance Lead at Mountaineering Ireland, where she has consistently delivered culture change, system alignment, and performance impact. Her work is characterised by strong relationship building, evidence-informed strategy, and a deep commitment to empowering athletes, coaches, and practitioners.
Jackie Newton is a highly experienced high-performance sport leader with over 20 years’ success in coaching, system development, and strategic leadership. She specialises in building integrated, athlete- and coach-centred environments that drive performance, progression, and sustainable success across talent and elite pathways. Currently Sports Director (Sportschef) at Dansk Atletik, Jackie leads the strategic and operational development of athletics in Denmark, shaping high-performance systems, talent pathways, and international success. Alongside this, she contributes to coach development at the Sport Ireland Institute, supporting Olympic-cycle coaches toward LA 2028. Previously, Jackie has held senior leadership roles including Head of Coaching Development at UK Athletics and Performance Lead at Mountaineering Ireland, where she has consistently delivered culture change, system alignment, and performance impact. Her work is characterised by strong relationship building, evidence-informed strategy, and a deep commitment to empowering athletes, coaches, and practitioners.
Jennifer Browning 🇺🇸🇬🇧
Bio Coming Soon...
Linda Nicholson 🇬🇧 🏴
Linda is a coach based in Scotland with a long history of developing youngsters from local to national level in netball and athletics. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for establishing netball leagues and clubs in the Scottish Borders, including 2 CWGs players and 1 World Cup player emerging from just one local school. Her endeavours in youth development have brought Governing Body accolades of Coach of the Year in both netball and athletics. In the latter she has coached to European Junior final level with her athletes winning age group and senior medals at Scottish, English and British championships over several decades.
Linda was also a member of the UKA Expert Advisory Group on Jumps, and is currently on the Scottish Athletics Focus Group on Coaching. She has been SA National Team Coach for both Senior and age group internationals and has delivered their Jumps Development Days over several years.
A former Government researcher, Linda moved to the private sector and Directed her own research company, undertaking many studies for Government and Health Services on a wide variety of topics including sport and physical activity.
Linda is a coach based in Scotland with a long history of developing youngsters from local to national level in netball and athletics. She was awarded a British Empire Medal for establishing netball leagues and clubs in the Scottish Borders, including 2 CWGs players and 1 World Cup player emerging from just one local school. Her endeavours in youth development have brought Governing Body accolades of Coach of the Year in both netball and athletics. In the latter she has coached to European Junior final level with her athletes winning age group and senior medals at Scottish, English and British championships over several decades.
Linda was also a member of the UKA Expert Advisory Group on Jumps, and is currently on the Scottish Athletics Focus Group on Coaching. She has been SA National Team Coach for both Senior and age group internationals and has delivered their Jumps Development Days over several years.
A former Government researcher, Linda moved to the private sector and Directed her own research company, undertaking many studies for Government and Health Services on a wide variety of topics including sport and physical activity.
TBC
Bio Coming Soon...
TBC
Bio Coming Soon...
TBC
Bio Coming Soon...
Connected perspectives.
Lasting change.
A stronger future for female coaching.
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The Advisory Panels support the FCN Academy at key moments, offering insight, perspective, and expertise as the Academy evolves. Their contribution is intentionally flexible, shaped by what the Academy needs and grounded in what coaches actually experience.
Together, they ensure the FCN Academy remains connected to the people and systems it exists to serve, bringing informed insight, constructive challenge, and diverse perspectives to shape its direction and impact.
Connect, Share and Develop with Female Coaches around the Globe
