Female Athletes in Business

The transition from being a successful female athlete to a new career is one of the most significant milestones in the life. It is a departure from a familiar, albeit intense, way of life to one that is more conventional and mainstream. It’s the end of a long athletic journey, one that typically began back in childhood and it is at once both daunting and exciting.

To provide a perspective on the experiences and needs of highly succesful female athletes in moving from sport to the business environment, an extensive study was conducted.

The research was conducted with:

  • Female athletes

  • Male athletes

  • Non-athlete professionals

  • C-suite management

  • Entrepreneurs - including female athlete entrepreneurs

The research had a global focus, with people participating from across 79 countries. A series of online surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted.

The research was produced and published on behalf of:

  • EY WABN: the EY Women’s Athletes Business Network emerged from EY’s research linking women, sports, and leadership, showing that female athletes excel as business leaders.

  • The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program: This is an annual program that identifies a select group of high-potential founders who have built profitable companies and provides them with connections and vast resources needed to think bigger and sustainably scale their companies to full potential.